Nano hits streets today

Ratan Tata will finally hand over the keys of the Nano—his dream project—to its first owner on Friday. Though the identity of the first Nano buyer is not known, he or she is likely to be the quintessential ‘man on the street’, with ordinary aspirations. In all likelihood he or she has even taken a loan for the prize catch. The defining moment—for Tata Motors, the buyer and the global auto industry—will be held at the company’s showroom in Prabhadevi. The rollout, which begins on Friday, will prove to be the litmus test for the much-awaited car’s on-road performance. Tata Motors, through a lottery, selected one lakh customers out of the 2.06 lakh applicants who had booked the snub-nosed car. While a significant number of people opted for a loan, the top-end LX model has been the most sought after. Beginning Friday, the first one lakh cars would be delivered in a phased manner by the last quarter of 2010. The first one lakh owners are price-protected and will get the Nano at the ex-showroom price of Rs 1 lakh.