Tata Motors Full Throttle team swept the Desert Storm 2011 Rally, winning the top three positions in the Ndure A category and the 1st and 3rd positions in Ndure overall.
The Tata Motors team participated in the rally with two Safari and two Xenon XT vehicles, all in Ndure A category. The Safari stood first in Ndure A as well as overall, while the Xenon XT was the first runner up in Ndure A and third overall. The second Xenon XT bagged the third place in Ndure A and finished 4th overall.
The victory is special for Tata Motors since this was the first time that the company officially fielded a team in the Desert Storm rally. Earlier this month, the company announced its foray into motorsports with the launch of ‘Tata Motors Full Throttle’, a platform for steering its activities in motorsports and allied fields. Commenting on the rally results, Mr. S. G. Saksena, Head Utility Vehicles, Tata Motors said, “Nothing can mark our entry into Motor Sports better than this victory. This achievement underscores the capabilities of our products and their performance in the competitive arena of Motor Sports. Expect more from Tata Motors Full Throttle in future.”
The Safari, which bagged the first place in Ndure A as well as overall, was driven by Sanjay Takle and his navigator team mate Rahul Sancheti. Rajsingh Rathod with navigator Chandrashekar M were behind the wheels of the Xenon XT which was first runner up in Ndure A and third overall. The second Xenon XT, which stood third in Ndure A and fourth overall was driven by Amol Satoskar with Navigator Chidanand Murthy.
Tata Motors has been manufacturing and marketing highly capable 4x4 offroad vehicles. While the Sumo 4x4 and Safari 4x4 have been around for over 10 years, the lifestyle pick-up Xenon XT was launched two years back. The most recent addition to this class of products is the premium Crossover Aria.
About Tata Motors
Tata Motors is India's largest automobile company, with consolidated revenues of Rs. 92,519 crores ($ 20 billion) in 2009-10. Through subsidiaries and associate companies, Tata Motors has operations in the UK, South Korea, Thailand and Spain. Among them is Jaguar Land Rover, the business comprising the two iconic British brands. It also has an industrial joint venture with Fiat in India. With over 5.9 million Tata vehicles plying in India, Tata Motors is the country’s market leader in commercial vehicles and among the top three in passenger vehicles. It is also the world's fourth largest truck manufacturer and the second largest bus manufacturer. Tata cars, buses and trucks are being marketed in several countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, South East Asia and South America. (www.tatamotors.com)