Maruti sets new world record with Swift parade

Maruti Suzuki, India's largest carmaker, set a new world record gathering proud owners of its sporty Swift model yesterday.

The record had nothing to do with speed, however, notwithstanding the Swift appellation, but had to do with the highest number of Maruti Suzuki cars to parade down the street together.

Maruti Suzuki lined up 342 Swift cars at a "parade" in Gurgaon yesterday setting the record for "the world's largest parade of Maruti Suzuki cars."

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 enter the Guinness records along with other firsts, including the "most nails filed and varnished in eight hours" and "largest serving of falafel," set this month.

The Swift record could have been higher as more than 1,400

Swift owners had gathered in Mumbai, and 600 came together near Chennai yesterday as part of the nationwide celebration of the five-year anniversary of the Swift's launch. However, with the city traffic what it is these days, it was difficult to get drivers drive in line. So, Guinness is still reviewing whether the other gatherings did make the cut for records.

Though Maruti's record seller, the Maruti 800 has been around for decades now, Maruti has never attempted anything similar to the Swift parade even with millions of 800s now on India roads, which is more than four times the number of Swifts out there.
 
"Today's world record is a testimony to the ever-growing popularity of the Swift. The new record is a victory for all the 4.5 lakh Swift owners," Maruti Suzuki executive officer for sales and marketing Mayank Pareek said.