Mumbai, Jan 18 (IANS): Many automobile owners come to love their vehicles so much, they have names for them and think of these as friends -- or even lovers. Now, a new application allows owners to create profiles for vehicles to interact over Facebook.

Classic Stripes Pvt. Ltd., one of the world's largest manufacturers of automotive decals, through their retail brand, Autographix, has launched the new application, so cars and bikes can speak to other cars and bikes.

Of course, it's the vehicle owners who talk. It's just that they do it assuming the voice of their vehicle. The new platform is called Autobook.

"This exciting new initiative from Autographix is based on our brand philosophy that your vehicle is not inanimate. It has a personality, your personality. Hence Autobook is based on the premise that your vehicle is an extension of your own self," said Amit Dakshini, Chief Operating Officer of Classic Stripes.

"It is a one-of-its-kind social networking platform from India, on Facebook, meant exclusively for passionate car/bike owners to take on the role of their car/bike and bring it alive on Autobook," he added.

Innovative new features like creating a profile of your car or motorcycle, giving it its own special name, it's relationship status and a rather extensive profile citing its oil changing preferences, makes the application fun and engaging.

The application can be accessed through the url apps.facebook.com/myautobook/

With this initiative, Autographix aims to reposition the brand as the best medium one could get to express themselves on their vehicle.

"The attempt is aimed at transforming the market by making consumers graduate from using mere 'stickers' to moving to car/bike 'skins'," Dakshini said.

The new application's demo version was used by a select group of people and they were elated to have their feelings transition into social networking.

"I am loving this application, it is good fun. You can talk to your boyfriend as a car, and can update a relationship status as one car is in relationship with another car. It is a total fun zone that will give us a chance to portray ourselves as a car," asserts Anuradha Venkataram, a user.

"I have started using Autobook and this concept is crazy fun. Here we can share so much information related to us and others by simply being a car, not ourselves. It is an ultimate platform for all those who love their vehicles and consider them as best friends," said Sunil Rathi, another user.

Through Autobook, Autographix intends to promote the idea that a car is not just a mode of transport but rather a large canvas on which one can portray one's individuality using different car styling products such as car skins and dashboard trims, among a host of other products, to create a virtual avatar of the vehicle.

"Autobook is a strategic move by the Autographix to help build association with the category while giving our consumers a fun and exciting platform to interact with the brand," Dakshini said.

Established in 1987, Classic Stripes is a Mumbai-based manufacturer of high performance automotive decals and other screen printed applications, with a production capacity of approximately 20mn decal sets per annum.

With over 70% market share in the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) segment in India, Classic Stripes has expanded its global footprint recently with the acquisition of USA based Modagrafics, a leader in retail and fleet graphics

Autographix, the retail arm of Classic Stripes, is a frontrunner in automotive styling products with a portfolio of designer graphics, premium dashboard trims, bumper guards, and clear shields.