As a matter of policy he took on only cars that were not of British origin – American models from the Hudson Motor Corporation and French ones from Renault. The Company then diversified into dealerships for cars and trucks, with office and showroom at the intersection of Ritchie Street and Mount Road. In a way he was one of the founders of the auto parts hub that Pudupet has now become. This proved successful and, emboldened by this, and also realising that automobiles were the business to be in, he launched Rajagopal Motor Works, with workshops on Lang’s Garden Road, Pudupet. The first contract was from Simpson’s to assemble fire pumps from the completely knocked down kits that the Company was importing.
In 1922, or thereabouts, he left to start a business of his own.
It owes its name to M(adipakkam) Rajagopal Naidu, who began his career in 1915 or thereabouts as a mechanic with Simpson’s and later moved up the ladder at Addison’s. The offices of Ashok Leyland, standing where Halda once was
But while it lasted, it was a name to reckon with. The intersection of Sardar Patel Road and Anna Salai (Mount Road) is still known as the Halda Junction, though chances are that very few of the present generation would even know of the Indo-Swedish collaboration that once dominated that corner.
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