Tata Motors showrooms across the country witnessedheavy footfalls Thursday as thousands of people queued for application forms tobook their much-sought Nano, the jellybean-shaped small car.

Delhi, which has over 15 Tata Motors outlets, witnessed more than 7,000 eagercustomers rushing to book the "people's car" at the opening of the17-day booking period. A-One Motors, a dealership on Barakhamba Road in theheart of the national capital, alone saw more than 1,200 people. More than1,000 forms, each costing Rs.300, were sold.

Over the next 16 days, interested buyers can applywith an upfront payment of around Rs.95,000, or Rs.2,999 if they wish to getthe car financed. Direct financing has been made available through 18participating banks at 9-14.25 percent interest.

The car can also be booked online through the net banking gateway of over 28banks. The online form will cost Rs.200. But that alone will not assure them aNano, which the $62.5-billion Tata group chairman Ratan Tata had promised todeliver for Rs.100,000 at factory gates.

A lottery will decide the lucky 100,000 who will driveout the Nano in the first phase - the result of a Rs.20-billion investment, andfive years of research and development by a 500-member team, which even fetchedthem 34 patents.

Tata Motors officials said over 50,000 forms have been sold across India beforethe booking date and the numbers were likely to multiply over the the next twoweeks. "We have had more than 300 people visiting our showroom sincemorning today (Thursday) and have sold about 200 forms," said RajeshDeswal, a sales representative at A-One Motors' Moti Nagar outlet in westDelhi.

Among those who booked the Rs.100,000 ($2,000) car wasnoted filmmaker Muzaffar Ali, who sought financing through State Bank of India(SBI) and filled the form at midnight in Lucknow.

"We were prepared ever since the booking date was announced and had madeall preparations to meet the rush," SBI chief general manager Shiv Kumarsaid.