By Savitha
Hira
Photography:
courtesy DC Design
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| Dilip Chhabria |
His has been a case of design being used as a differentiator and driver
to build an entrepreneurial business model in a country, where words like
design, aesthetics and styling were unheard of especially in the automotive
sector. He is Dilip Chhabria aka DC.
Latent dynamism characterizes the slightly hunched, tall frame; unassuming in appearance and modest in demeanour; but sharp in wit, and memory, with a mind that is perhaps as agile as a pacing leopard. At 60, Dilip Chhabria better known as DC has the enthusiasm of a youngster raring to go at his first big project – only in his case, DC is a pro at ‘big projects’!
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| The Ambierod |
The
horn-pad for Fiat cars was his first designer accessory in 1982, marking his tentative
steps into the auto world as an entrepreneur. At this point, his doting parents
were a pillar of confidence and their aspirations to see him succeed added the
right fuel to his gutsy ways.
A
decade later, savouring his success as one of the largest auto accessory
manufacturers in India, but unwilling to rest on his laurels, DC ventured into
his most cherished and long awaited activity – remodelling cars. With a mindset
that was new to such activity and ignorant of the finer nuances of automobile
design, DC opened up a whole new world that swept the social fabric from the
affluent, who revelled in his ministrations to their ordinary cars; to the
aspirants, who would literally stand and stare – DC became a recognized and
awed brand!
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| sketches |
Starting with a personal remodelled red Maruti Gypsy, which he christened Hurricane, to aesthetically remodelling several cars into dynamic roadsters, his company made the first prototype for the Aston Martin Vanquish, which appeared in the James Bond movie Die Another Day. DC design graced cars, bikes, vanity vans, buses... DC began to design interiors, furniture with the energetic automotive bent. Aircraft interiors followed... the genius had spread his wings...
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| CBZ |
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| Aircraft Interiors |
He designed the car for the film Taarzan: The Wonder Car. Under a contract with Ford Motor Company, he built the first Aston Martin AMV8 Vantage prototype featured at the 2004 Detroit Auto Show. In 2008, he unveiled the ambitious Ambierod – a super luxury car - combination of the good ole' Ambassador and the American Hotrods, at the Delhi Auto Show. In 2009 came the Toyota Innova Lounger that convenienced an office on wheels.
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| DC Furniture |
In
2010, he designed a special version of Tata Nano and set up a special
Automobile Designing Institute in association with Dr. D Y Patil University,
Pune. August 2012 saw him give a complete interior-exterior makeover to
Mahindra XUV 500 with seating chairs that could recline up to 150 degrees and
enhanced lounge lighting. December 2013
awaits the on-road unveiling of his brand Avanti...
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| Toyota Innova Lounger |
And these are only some of the maestro’s milestones. All along, DC has
been a keen observer of consumer buying behavior and the country’s current
affairs. Keeping abreast of what’s happening around him, he says, gives him the
insight into what people crave and which niche he can delve into, to provide
for that craving. Always selective about his social company, he is at peace
with his bundle of magazines that keep him informed, alert and ticking. “These
give me all I need to know,” he extends out business and news prints, “Not
design books or magazines.”
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| Addressing students at DYPDC |
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| DC Imperato |
So who/ what have been the influencers in this great climb? Two very
admirable designers - Giorgetto Giugiaro and Bruno Pacheco, who have always
compelled him to don his thinking cap and continue to impact his
forthrightness. ‘Less is more’ and ‘Desist from the spirit of the times’ are
the 2 important maxims that these great auto designers have imbued in DC.
Always moving ahead of time and against the tide, the
designer-entrepreneur believes in learning from others’ mistakes and constantly
refueling his repertoire to stay ahead in his chosen field. His creativity
manifests through canvases and moulded sculptures, through furniture and interiors…all with the compelling strokes
of a single-minded passion for automotive design.
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| With Ratan Tata |
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| Celebrity Style - vanity vans of superstars |
It takes a special kind of
zeal to follow your vision, and DC continues to push the envelope within the
given constraints, leaving a mark, repeatedly eliciting yet another ‘wow’! Synonymous
with bespoke luxury and avant-garde automotive design, we see in him the
marriage of an artist’s sensibilities and an engineer’s mind. He infuses each
of his projects with an aesthetic awareness, while simultaneously pushing the
machine’s capabilities to a new level. Every DC creation is a signature
extension of the artist’s personality and while no two of his products are ever
the same, they are instantly recognizable as having been made by the same
master.
The business of modification of automobiles is touching new heights in India.There is a huge demand of new designs in automotive segment.Auto accessories in India are now easily available on the internet at affordable prices.
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ReplyDelete