THE FOUNDER
The true story behind the legend, the artist and ateliér.
Kunnath Ayyath Balakrishna Menon was born in Thrissur, Vadakancherri (in the South-Western state of Kerala in India) on December 15, 1917. He completed his tenth grade at 15 and began odd jobs around automobiles, a highly-respected field back in 1933.
When he was 18, Menon’s mother died giving birth to her sixth child, and soon after, his father too passed away, unable to bear the loss. This left Menon and his grandma with the responsibility of raising the remaining children.
After five years of toiling at various workshops, Menon finds a job in Coimbatore as a bus mechanic for the government’s transportation department. Grandma sells her property and moves everyone in with him, and this would be a blessing in disguise during WWII.
In 1946, as India prepared for a new chapter, Menon moved to Trivandrum to settle in his home state and began working around various automobile garages. Unfortunately, in 1950, his grandmother dies of old age at 92, but Menon finds love and marries Karthiyayanni Amma the following year.
Within a year, KAB Menon set up his own workshop, Prompt Motors – perhaps in celebration of his first son’s birth in February of that year. Prompt Motors grew quickly with several branches, as Menon transformed steel into moving works of art with personality, style and flair. However, in 1958 tragedy struck, as Menon had an accident in his 1947 Studebaker Champion during an inter-city drive. The injuries were severe enough to keep him in bed for three months.
Due to these issues, Menon had to close all garages except for his home branch. But he was more worried about his beloved Champion than he was of the workshops. He instructed his chief mechanic to make the car a priority, and together, they transformed it into the Iddy Champion. Once complete, Menon headed straight to his place of solace – Aurobindo ashram in the idyllic territory of Pondicherry.
After pondering his brush with death, Menon decides, aged 39, to restart his life and work anew. So, in 1956, and as a tribute to the ashram that helped him overcome the trauma, he named his new company Aravind Automobiles.
With renewed vigour, the new company soon had a reputation for building better cars than those that came straight out of the factory. Menon’s standing then reached a new level when his continued relationship with the Royal Palace led to a specific requirement. His Highness Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the Maharaja of Travancore, commissioned perhaps the first coach-built vehicle in India on May 29, 1964.
Yet, that was not to be KAB Menon’s final masterpiece. In fact, his magnum-opus was the most complete car he would ever build.
The new national government had been working on a tender request, titled the Small Car Project, since 1962 and a few years later sent application requests to private companies to develop India’s own car. This would lead to a manufacturing license.
When the requirements and details reached Menon, he knew what he had to do. He applied for the license on February 19, 1968, and took it upon himself to develop the complete car instead of the required basic prototype.
Of all the 17 applicants, Aravind had built the one and only rigorously-tested and production-validated final car – the 1966 Aravind Model 3. Yet surprisingly, the government’s Ministry of Heavy Industry decided not to proceed and rejected the Model 3 on September 30, 1970 – which would have been the first and only “official” Indian car.
Legends die hard. Nine months later, in Nagercoil, Ramachandran Menon, the eldest son, held his father’s head as he passed on because of a weakened heart. His successor and wife, Karthiyayani Menon, immediately assumed control of Aravind Automobiles and, specifically, the first Indian car. She gave away the materials, tools and equipment to the workers instead of compensation, and they ran the company for three more years before they eventually wound it up.
Nevertheless, Menon’s legacy lives on, and in his honour, the new Aravind Automobiles website launches on the 50th anniversary of his death.
Kunnath Ayyath Balakrishna Menon was born in Thrissur, Vadakancherri (in the South-Western state of Kerala in India) on December 15, 1917. He completed his tenth grade at 15 and began odd jobs around automobiles, a highly-respected field back in 1933.
When he was 18, Menon’s mother died giving birth to her sixth child, and soon after, his father too passed away, unable to bear the loss. This left Menon and his grandma with the responsibility of raising the remaining children.
After five years of toiling at various workshops, Menon finds a job in Coimbatore as a bus mechanic for the government’s transportation department. Grandma sells her property and moves everyone in with him, and this would be a blessing in disguise during WWII.
In 1946, as India prepared for a new chapter, Menon moved to Trivandrum to settle in his home state and began working around various automobile garages. Unfortunately, in 1950, his grandmother dies of old age at 92, but Menon finds love and marries Karthiyayanni Amma the following year.
Within a year, KAB Menon set up his own workshop, Prompt Motors – perhaps in celebration of his first son’s birth in February of that year. Prompt Motors grew quickly with several branches, as Menon transformed steel into moving works of art with personality, style and flair. However, in 1958 tragedy struck, as Menon had an accident in his 1947 Studebaker Champion during an inter-city drive. The injuries were severe enough to keep him in bed for three months.
Due to these issues, Menon had to close all garages except for his home branch. But he was more worried about his beloved Champion than he was of the workshops. He instructed his chief mechanic to make the car a priority, and together, they transformed it into the Iddy Champion. Once complete, Menon headed straight to his place of solace – Aurobindo ashram in the idyllic territory of Pondicherry.
After pondering his brush with death, Menon decides, aged 39, to restart his life and work anew. So, in 1956, and as a tribute to the ashram that helped him overcome the trauma, he named his new company Aravind Automobiles.
With renewed vigour, the new company soon had a reputation for building better cars than those that came straight out of the factory. Menon’s standing then reached a new level when his continued relationship with the Royal Palace led to a specific requirement. His Highness Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the Maharaja of Travancore, commissioned perhaps the first coach-built vehicle in India on May 29, 1964.
Yet, that was not to be KAB Menon’s final masterpiece. In fact, his magnum-opus was the most complete car he would ever build.
The new national government had been working on a tender request, titled the Small Car Project, since 1962 and a few years later sent application requests to private companies to develop India’s own car. This would lead to a manufacturing license.
When the requirements and details reached Menon, he knew what he had to do. He applied for the license on February 19, 1968, and took it upon himself to develop the complete car instead of the required basic prototype.
Of all the 17 applicants, Aravind had built the one and only rigorously-tested and production-validated final car – the 1966 Aravind Model 3. Yet surprisingly, the government’s Ministry of Heavy Industry decided not to proceed and rejected the Model 3 on September 30, 1970 – which would have been the first and only “official” Indian car.
Legends die hard. Nine months later, in Nagercoil, Ramachandran Menon, the eldest son, held his father’s head as he passed on because of a weakened heart. His successor and wife, Karthiyayani Menon, immediately assumed control of Aravind Automobiles and, specifically, the first Indian car. She gave away the materials, tools and equipment to the workers instead of compensation, and they ran the company for three more years before they eventually wound it up.
Nevertheless, Menon’s legacy lives on, and in his honour, the new Aravind Automobiles website launches on the 50th anniversary of his death.
THE FIRST LADY
Karthiyayanni Menon was the only non-IAS woman to become Joint Secretary in Kerala in 1947. Known to be a highly educated and well-spoken lady, she married the founder in 1951, a year before he started Prompt Motors.
Karthiyayanni treasured the Model 3 throughout her life. Even more so from the moment she transferred the car to her name in 1971, a day after the founder’s death. Indeed, she appointed a carefully selected chauffeur to drive her in the car to the family temple each Friday.
While she had three sons and a daughter, she would often tell her first grandchild that Aravind would go to the firstborn – and then to his firstborn. But during her final moments in September 2001, much to everyone’s confusion, she was to extend her frail hand to the grandchild and mutter the last words he would hear – “KLR fifteen fifty-two, take care of KLR fifteen fifty-two”.
A quarter-century later, Rathish R Menon, the grandson, was to become the refounder of Aravind Automobiles.
Karthiyayanni Menon was the only non-IAS woman to become Joint Secretary in Kerala in 1947. Known to be a highly educated and well-spoken lady, she married the founder in 1951, a year before he started Prompt Motors.
Karthiyayanni treasured the Model 3 throughout her life. Even more so from the moment she transferred the car to her name in 1971, a day after the founder’s death. Indeed, she appointed a carefully selected chauffeur to drive her in the car to the family temple each Friday.
While she had three sons and a daughter, she would often tell her first grandchild that Aravind would go to the firstborn – and then to his firstborn. But during her final moments in September 2001, much to everyone’s confusion, she was to extend her frail hand to the grandchild and mutter the last words he would hear – “KLR fifteen fifty-two, take care of KLR fifteen fifty-two”.
A quarter-century later, Rathish R Menon, the grandson, was to become the refounder of Aravind Automobiles.
THE FIRST LADY
Karthiyayanni Menon was the only non-IAS woman to become Joint Secretary in Kerala in 1947. Known to be a highly educated and well-spoken lady, she married the founder in 1951, a year before he started Prompt Motors.
Karthiyayanni treasured the Model 3 throughout her life. Even more so from the moment she transferred the car to her name in 1971, a day after the founder’s death. Indeed, she appointed a carefully selected chauffeur to drive her in the car to the family temple each Friday.
While she had three sons and a daughter, she would often tell her first grandchild that Aravind would go to the firstborn – and then to his firstborn. But during her final moments in September 2001, much to everyone’s confusion, she was to extend her frail hand to the grandchild and mutter the last words he would hear – “KLR fifteen fifty-two, take care of KLR fifteen fifty-two”.
A quarter-century later, Rathish R Menon, the grandson, was to become the refounder of Aravind Automobiles.
The remarkable cars built by our founder as part of one of the most iconic Indian brands.