Mahindra To Auction Serial No. 1 New Thar To Support COVID-19 Relief Efforts

It will be emblazoned with a Thar #1 badge and bear serial number 1 on the plaque

Update (02/10/2020): Mahindra has launched the second-gen Thar with prices beginning from Rs 9.80 lakh (ex-showroom). Read more about it here.

• The second-gen Thar is a highly anticipated model which now gets modern comforts too.

• Mahindra is organizing an online auction for the very first Thar to raise funds for charitable organisations working on COVID-19 relief.

• The auction is open to everyone and will be held from September 24 till September 27.

• Mahindra will also donate an amount which will be equal to the winning bid.

• The Thar will go on sale on October 2.

The second-gen Mahindra Thar is due to launch on October 2 and the carmaker has decided to use the all-new off-roader’s popularity for a charitable purpose. The very first customer model is being auctioned off to raise money for select organisations and charities that have been supporting the COVID-19 relief work.

This special Thar will feature a ‘Thar #1’ badge that will be representative of its uniqueness. It will also bear the generous owner’s initials while the decorative plaque on the dashboard will say serial number 1. Another special touch recognising it as the first customer car off the line will be the number 1 embossing on the seats. That’s not all. Mahindra will also match the highest bid to add to the total charitable amount.

The online auction for the #1 Thar will be held between September 24 and 27 and is open to everyone. Interested bidders will have to put down a refundable caution deposit and you can register for the auction by clicking on this link here. The winner of the auction can decide between three charitable organisations that will benefit from their bid which are as follows:

• Naandi Foundation - working to create sustainable livelihoods in the food and agriculture sectors post COVID-19

• Swades Foundation - building rural life and livelihoods as part of COVID-19 relief

• PM Cares fund

Mahindra is offering the new-gen Thar with the choice of a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engines. Both engines will be available with the option of 6-speed manual and 6-speed automatic transmissions while 4WD is standard. The winning bidder can choose the engine and colour of the first Thar which will be based on the top-spec LX variant. That’s the one which comes with features like electric AC, roof-mounted speakers, cruise control, 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a roll-cage.

Also read: New Mahindra Thar: What The 3 Variants Have To Offer

We expect the second-gen Mahindra Thar to be priced between Rs 9.89 lakh and Rs 12.99 lakh (ex-showroom), so it’ll be interesting to see how high the winning bid will be. It won’t have any direct rivals at launch, at least until the new-gen Force Gurkha is launched later this year. The Thar will also take on similarly priced compact SUVs like the Hyundai Venue, Kia Sonet, Mahindra XUV300 and even the Renault Duster.