Maruti Gets Swift World Record but Not

Maruti Suzuki, the country’s largest car maker, gathered proud owners of its sporty Swift model Sunday to set a new world record. Despite the car’s name, the record was not for speed but for the highest number of Maruti Suzuki cars to parade down the street together.

According to Guinness World Records’ official tally, 342 Swifts drove in unison down the streets of Gurgaon, setting the record for “the world’s largest parade of Maruti Suzuki cars.”

The parade will go into the Guinness records along with other firsts, including “most nails filed and varnished in eight hours” and “largest serving of falafel,” set this month.

The Swift record might have been higher. More than 1,400 Swift owners gathered in Mumbai, and 600 came together near Chennai on Sunday as part of the nationwide celebration of the five-year anniversary of the Swift’s launch. However — as is usually the case in city traffic here — it was difficult to get drivers to drive in line so Guinness is still reviewing whether the other gatherings met the criteria to set records as well.

Maruti’s record seller, the Maruti 800, has never attempted any similar parade even through there are around two million of the 800s on Indian roads. That’s more than four times the number of Swifts out there.

The 800, launched in India in 1983, was a hand-me-down 1970s model from Suzuki. While its low price and rugged design has made it a popular choice for first-time car buyers, its retro look probably means there aren’t thousands of owners willing to spend their Sunday posing for a publicity stunt.

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