Anybody Wonder why Fiats were modded and raced/rallyed but Ambassadors weren't?
Early Fiats were built Continental European style -- free revving engines, wishbone and coil-spring independent front suspension (Ambys had torsion bar fronts). Fiats had antiroll bar on the rear axle, rubber-bulb windscreen washer, good power to weight ratio. Unfortunately Padmini workmanship deteriorated over the years.
In contrast, Ambassador was always bad -- as bad as the original Morris Oxford/Cowley, unreliable Lucas electrics, unreliable SU dashpot carb.
The Bombay monsoon would flood low lying areas like King's Circle. I remember as a kid that Ambys would easily stall while Fiats soldiered on. No wonder all taxis were Fiats. There were a few "Chhoti-Taxi" Ambys but they didn't quite click with Bombay cabbies.
Ram
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