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Lal Bahadur Shastri Took Loan to Buy Fiat Car, Exemplifying Simplicity
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News18•02-10-2026, 08:30
Lal Bahadur Shastri Took Loan to Buy Fiat Car, Exemplifying Simplicity
- •India's second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, known for his simplicity, took a loan to purchase a personal car.
- •The family decided to buy a Fiat car, which cost around Rs 12,000 at the time, with Shastri having Rs 7,000 in his account.
- •Shastri borrowed Rs 5,000 from Punjab National Bank (PNB) to cover the remaining cost of the 1964 Fiat, registration number DLE 6.
- •Upon his unexpected death in 1966, the car loan had not been fully repaid; his widow, Lalita Shastri, cleared the outstanding amount from her pension.
- •Today, the cream-colored Fiat is displayed at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial in New Delhi, symbolizing his modest lifestyle.
Key Questions Answered
Lal Bahadur Shastri used approximately Rs 7,000 from his bank account and secured a Rs 5,000 loan from Punjab National Bank to cover the rest of the Rs 12,000 cost for the vehicle.
Because the loan had not been fully repaid when Shastri died on January 11, 1966, his widow Lalita Shastri cleared the remaining balance using her government pension.
The cream-colored 1964 Fiat with registration number DLE 6 is currently preserved and displayed at the Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial in New Delhi.
