𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙎𝙘𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙧- 𝘼𝙩𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖
In 1961, in a small shed at Kaimanam near Trivandrum, Atlanta was born during an era when vintage Lambrettas and Vespas dominated the roads. This indigenous two-wheeler was created by P.S. Thankappan, an engineer in the Labor Department from Chathannoor, Kollam, Kerala. The idea of Atlanta originated with N.H. Rajkumar, the joint director of the Labor Department, who later earned the IAS for his outstanding professional contributions. Rajkumar, inspired by his training in Japan in 1957, envisioned an Indian-made scooter, leading to the creation of Atlanta.

After failing to establish a public limited company, Rajkumar started his own venture, Ranjan Motor India, named after his sons, Anil Ranjan and Vinayan Ranjan. The Travancore Royal Family supported the initiative, purchasing shares worth ₹2 lakh, contributing to the company's total capital of ₹5 lakh. The Atlanta scooter featured a fiberglass body, with most parts, including the piston, manufactured locally. Only the carburetor and dynamo were imported. Dr. Vinayan, Rajkumar’s son, recalls his father’s dedication, often working sleepless nights on the designs and prototypes of Atlanta. He also cherishes memories of driving the Atlanta in 1976-77, a model that he still owns today.

To secure a license for mass production, Thankappan took Atlanta to New Delhi in 1966, during Indira Gandhi's tenure as Prime Minister. Arrangements for the meeting were facilitated by P.K. Vasudevan Nair and former Palakkad MP Balachandra Menon. Thankappan drove the scooter to Indira Gandhi’s residence, where she examined it in detail, demonstrating her knowledge of automobiles. Following her suggestions, a technical committee led by former Labor Minister Dinesh Singh was tasked to evaluate Atlanta. The committee’s members engaged in extensive discussions, and one final test involved a ride in front of India Gate with a committee member as a pillion.

Eventually, approval was granted, and production began in Trivandrum. Priced at ₹1,500 and offering a mileage of 30 kmpl, the company planned to manufacture 22,500 units annually, with dealerships in Kolkata, Madras, and Hyderabad. However, Atlanta struggled to achieve commercial success. By 1971, the company was taken over by the Engineers’ Co-operative Society (ENCOS) due to labor issues, which had forced Rajkumar to step away. ENCOS shifted its focus to manufacturing three-wheelers. At one point, the Birla Group expressed interest in acquiring Atlanta, but the proposal was blocked by T.V. Thomas, Kerala's former Labor Minister, who insisted on keeping the production within the state.

ENCOS eventually evolved into Kerala Automobiles Limited (KAL), and Atlanta faded into history. Thankappan later retired as the Joint Director of the Labor Department and served as the first Managing Director of the Artisans' Corporation.
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