Nursing an Eyesore

The last time I visited Mumbai, I was due for a rude shock. It all started with the apartment complex my brother and parent stay in. I was standing in the basement parking area when I saw one. Then I saw another one. I turned around and scanned to notice a few others. One or two can be coincidental but a full 6+ cars missing their logos was a bit too much to pass off as usual. Yes, Mumbai has become a pioneer of sorts in finding a new way to create a business ecosystem.

Everyday, hundreds of cars have their logos ripped off and then sold in the grey market. Some of these find their way to the showrooms and authorized service centers as well. As far as I knew, these logos were chrome plated (that's why they never lose their shine). I might be wrong as someone told me that they are pure silver coated with chrome. Quite possible!

And it's quite a roaring business as well. A BMW logo sells for Rs 10,000 in the grey market. No wonder teenagers from even well to do families have taken to it (for some extra pocket money). I hear that this fad has caught on in other cities of India as well. Till the police do something about this, we might have to live with an awesome car (like the BMW below) nursing an eyesore of a missing logo.

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Posted in: Mumbai,weird