Driving Unimpaired

had nothing to do with his choice of car. It wasn't that it gave him the power to storm the highways

at 120 kph. Or that it provided absolute mastery over the sharpest curves tarmac could provide.

Nor was it the elegance and dashing image that comes as a freebie with every Corolla.

It does, however, have everything to do with control. As a young man, Malkan had a bout with polio that left him physically challenged from the waist down. Deciding that it wasn't going to slow down his personal graph, he moved into the family construction business, diversifying soon after into car dealerships.

 

There's a familiar glint in his eye when he talks about his first car, an enthusiasm that certifies him as a card-carrying member of the tribe of car fanatics. Six years ago, Maruti unveiled a version of the 800 that was equipped with automatic transmission and hand controls. Malkan says somewhat wistfully that it was one of the best cars he has ever driven. Its small size and maneuverability were a boon, and getting in and out of the vehicle was a cinch.

When he decided it was time for him to graduate to the world of bigger, real cars, Malkan did his homework like a final year student cracking his last research project. He went in for a Toyota Corona first, ingeniously reworking the hand controls of the old Maruti 800. But the Corona was bought secondhand and began showing its age fairly soon. It was time to go back to school. Malkan studied the manuals of various specially outfitted cars for the physically challenged before he closed in on the 1300cc XL version of the Corolla. It was easy to drive, fitted well within the draconian regulations that govern the import of such cars, and had a fairly simple hydraulic hand control mechanism that adapted well to the user preferences.

Quick change artist

Corolla has rated among the world's largest selling automobiles for the past two decades. It is sold in more than 30 versions and can be spotted in countries that you might have trouble spelling correctly. Though the Corolla moniker has been around for more than two decades now, the car has been subject to continuous facelifts. Every three years the model goes through radical changes; even the car that you see in the picture differs in many ways from the 1996 Corolla model.

Corollas are available in everything from the no frills