Upali’s fascination with numbers
View(s):Upali Wijewardene, the business tycoon whose 32nd death anniversary fell on February 14 was a man who believed in special numbers for his vehicles.
Upali Wijewardene
Upali drove his mother’s six-cylinder Opel Kapitan 4 Sri 300 in the 1960′s at the Katukurunda Night Races. After graduation from Queen’s College, Cambridge, England, Upali would be seen driving his two-door MG Twin Cam 3 Sri 4444 on the Mahagastota and Radella Hill Climbs. Upali then used his uncle Senator Sarath Wijesinghe’s Humber Hawk Saloon Car 3 Sri 3000.
In 1969 Upali imported a brand new Humber Septer 5 Sri 3000 from England.
In the early 70’s, Upali produced UMC Mazda cars at his Homagama plant. His first assembled vehicle was 5 Sri 7473.
The second vehicle was 5 Sri 7512 which he presented to the Kelaniya Raja Maha Viharaya. The third vehicle was sold to Lawrence Tudawe, Founder Chairman of Tudawe Brothers.
Upali kept a Mazda–5 Sri 9115 for his Colombo use and 6 Sri 9999 was parked in Sunnycroft Bungalow, Nuwara Eliya, for use when he flew to the hill resort in his Bell Ranger 206 helicopter.
He bought his black Toyota Crown 6 Sri 6666 in 1975 during the time of CRA permit.
For his wedding to Lakmini Ratwatte in 1975, Upali imported a Mercedes Benz 280′s 6 Sri 
7500. This was the first – 116 model Mercedes Benz “S” class imported to Sri Lanka.
In 1978, Upali assembled an Italian Upali Fiat 128, and had an 8 Sri 7117 Fiat Car.
Upali also imported a red Mazda 929 Station Wagon 7 Sri 345 and a yellow Mazda 323 two-door sports car 7 Sri 5000 in 1977 from Japan. Upali had the local agency for Japanese Mazda and Italian Fiat vehicles in Sri Lanka.
In 1979, Upali was the Chief Guest at the 75th anniversary celebrations of the Automobile Association Motor Show at Galle Face in recognition of his pioneering efforts in assembling motor vehicles in Sri Lanka.
In 1981 Upali got his last vehicle – a red Mitsubishi Lancer 13 Sri 7117 to race in the Nuwara Eliya Road Races.
On Friday 13th 1983, his private Lear jet mysteriously disappeared when he was returning from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Sri Lanka to celebrate his 45th birthday on February 17.