Cherubino, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
“Chal Meri Luna!” – The Story of the Original Kinetic Luna
The original Kinetic Luna is a single-cylinder 50cc moped that saw the light of day in 1972.
A copy of the Piaggio Ciao, built under license from Piaggio, the Luna became a hit in India, thanks to a series of ads that marketed the moped as a low-cost form of transportation that anyone could use.
It didn’t matter whether you were a medical student, a government employee forced to work long hours, or just plain “Mr. Late” – if you had to get somewhere quick, the Luna was there to save your neck.
It was like India’s answer to the Honda Super Cub – only instead of “you meet the nicest people on a Honda,” the Luna became associated with the phrase “Chal meri Luna!” (or “come on my Luna!”).
In short, ads like these made the little Kinetic Luna a hit, and it remained in production for 28 years until production stopped in 2000.
On an Interesting Note…
The “Chal Meri Luna” ads were the TV debut of Indian advertiser Piyush Pandey, who would later go on to become the Executive Chairman for India of Ogilvy.
Kinetic Luna Specs
Luna TFR Plus:
Engine: Single-cylinder two-stroke
Displacement: 49.8 cc
Max power: 1.25 kW or 1.67 horsepowers
Gearbox: Automatic
Wheelbase: 1,100 mm (43 inches)
Front tire size: 2.25 x 16″
Rear tire size: 2.25 x 16″
Source: iloveindia.com
Luna Superstar:
Engine: Single-cylinder, two-stroke
Displacement: 59.57 cc
Max power: 2.2 kW or 2.94 horsepowers
Gearbox: Automatic
Front brake: Drum brake
Rear brake: Drum brake
Wheelbase: 1,130 mm / 44 inches
Front tire size: 2.25″ x 16″
Rear tire size: 2.25″ x 16″
Source: iloveindia.com
