[Samba]

Really sad to see the state inside the Hindusthan motors Factory. I stay at Uttarpara and my schooling is done from Hindmotor factory's school itself. Back in 90's when i used to go to school the roads below used to be full of workers and Ambassador cars. But today evening its a completely different sight. Even few days back around 6pm when the factory shift used to change this road was full of workers.

Let me share few pics so you can get an idea of the current condition.

The main entrance gate is closed.


This is the main road to the factory. At 6pm this road is generally filled with workers but now its a different story.




I personally know many people who work over here. But due to this closure they are suffering. I sincerely hope this factory to reopen or atleast HM to do something. Its a sad sight inside specially for me as i have seen this factory in full bloom 20 years back.

[anjan_c2007]

More news about HM and the Ambassador:

(1) Pink slips issued to the managerial cadre

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Ind...cle6086048.ece

(2) An Ambassador Mark II in Assam turned 50 in Assam, the day the Uttarpara plant got closed

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/...18,987,495,666

(Both are contributions by Member Mr Manoj Kumar, on our Ambassador and Landmaster FB Page)

(3) A rediffnews item about the iconic car:

http://www.rediff.com/business/slide...r/20140605.htm

[Ray32825]

For those that did not get to see 'The Best Taxi in the World' episode of Top Gear -

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v...type=2&theater

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by Samba

I sincerely hope this factory to reopen or atleast HM to do something. Its a sad sight inside specially for me as i have seen this factory in full bloom 20 years back.

Why is the govt. keeping mum on this issue. When GM went bankrupt, the US govt bailed it out. As such we have lost companies like Standard Motors. PAL etc.
Why to loose one more one.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Why is the govt. keeping mum on this issue. When GM went bankrupt, the US govt bailed it out. As such we have lost companies like Standard Motors. PAL etc.
Why to loose one more one.

Could it be that the GOI doesn't see any great profits in restarting this plant and restarting HM afresh.

A set of new vehicles in competition to the current set of cars is a bit difficult though not impossible. May be they can do cars like Premier Rio. All they need is a management change and motivation to kick start things.

Anurag.

[Samba]

Originally Posted by suresh_gs

Why is the govt. keeping mum on this issue. When GM went bankrupt, the US govt bailed it out. As such we have lost companies like Standard Motors. PAL etc.
Why to loose one more one.

Ambassador hardly gets any sale. The only sale it used to get was from the Taxi market in Kolkata. But Kolkata government gave permission to cars like Indigo cs, Dzire, Fiesta Classic, Etios, Manza to ferry as no refusal cabs. That was the final nail on the coffin for this car. Earlier ministers used to prefer Ambassador but later it was too replaced by mostly SX4's.

This plant is a big plant. But the infrastructure is few decade old. Now they have even sold few plots from there factory but it got disputed due to some reason. Accumulating all in one word the company is in total mess and its nearly impossible to recover. If government wants HM to reopen the plant and HM do so then who will buy the car? And without sale they cant patronize so many employee's/workers so they had to shut it down. At the current scenario employee's already complain of getting there salary in a delay of 2-3 months. So if they drag it more am afraid the situation can be even more worse.

There were several blunders made by the company too. About a decade back Trekker was a big hit in the rural market. But suddenly HM management decided and stopped the production of Trekker and the place was taken by Mahindra and Tata. Later when there changed management realized the mistake and reintroduced the Treker & the market was already gone. HM made a pick up van called HM winner. The van looked odd and it flopped in the market badly. Where as Tata with its Ace was an instant hit. When the Ambassador needed a make over or a hatch should be released they just didn't do it, instead they pushed the decade old Ambassador. To make the car look contemporary they added body colored plastic bumpers instead of the steel bumpers which always looked classy. Kolkata cabbies complained these plastic bumpers get cracked in minor hits. So what HM did was for private cars they gave plastic bumpers and for cabs they again started giving steel bumpers! This may be the only car in the 6 lakhs price bracket which do not come with a left orvm or an internally adjustable orvm! Above all when BS V is on the cards Ambassador was not able to make a proper BS IV engine. All these jointly killed the brand Ambassador.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

A set of new vehicles in competition to the current set of cars is a bit difficult though not impossible. May be they can do cars like Premier Rio. All they need is a management change and motivation to kick start things.

Anurag.

Currently its impossible. The management is already in huge debt. The only way out can be if they sell the whole factory to some big shot who can invest and start things from the scratch. What Tata did, he shifted in making contemporary cars but Birla never gave a try on that and failed big time.

[Ray32825]

Sorry, but I just could not resist sharing this

[rajeev k]

Artists pay tribute to Ambassador car
source & Link:
http://indianexpress.com/article/lif...mbassador-car/

As Hindustan Motors hits the brakes on the Ambassador car, artists gear up to visit memory lane through their installations, paintings and parties.
1. Hetal Shukla has been working on the Ambassador for the last seven years, with installations such as Polar Bear, Ambey-Se-Darr or Make Me Famous at art festivals in and outside the country.

2. Paul Fernandes’ cartoons capture the quaint charm of
Bangalore in the ‘60s and ‘70s. His poster The Ambassador of
India shows the iconic car in its many avatars.

3. Subodh Gupta’s penchant for everyday objects and the old-world steered him towards the one commodity that symbolizes the ordinary in India — the Ambassador.

4. At the 2013 edition of India Art Fair, artist Mahbubur Rahman’s
Replacement, a multi-media installation, had the Ambassador
covered in black leather with a swarm of leather boots tumbling out
of its boot.

[anjan_c2007]

Some more news from 10/06/2014. It interprets that the sacking of 240 managerial personnel at HM was to create a psychological impact on the workers:

http://www.steelguru.com/indian_news...ra/341213.html

[motomaverick]

Its sad to see the icon go away but then it was inevitable. The product did not see any change in the design except for some plastic parts being added. As always its the management that makes or breaks a company and here is a classic example of breaking a brand. If GM could transform the 70's camaro to the current version, HM should have taken a leaf out of GM and concentrated in churning out affordable family cars that looked good in the current times.

I don't think GOI will be bailing out the company, there is no immediate profit, the only other way is to auction it and unless there are any buyers it will be curtains for HM.

[anjan_c2007]

The media is reporting about the Great Indian car's obituary with reminiscences :


Ambassador Drives into Sunset, Memories Live on - The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com



The Amby bids goodbye : Auto, News - India Today
indiatoday.intoday.in



http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/36375033.cms

( These are contributions by Member Mr Manoj Kumar, on our Ambassador and Landmaster FB Page)

[anjan_c2007]

Some more media reports about the Ambassador :

http://www.business-standard.com/art...1101349_1.html

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Ind...?homepage=true

( These are contributions by Member Mr Manoj Kumar, on our Ambassador and Landmaster FB Page)

[rajeev k]

The IBN Live narrates 17 reasons why we will always love and miss the grand old lady of Indian roads. Worthy of a dekho.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/saying-go...474710-79.html

Watch this TV broadcast by a German channel on the Ambassador and Hindustan Motors during 2013 as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmPprykLja4

[anjan_c2007]

Father's Day reminiscences by the author here of the Grand Ol' Car that is likely to be relegated to history:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarmis...b_5496363.html

(posted by Mr Manoj Kumar, Member, Ambassador FB Page)

[anjan_c2007]

The international media is focussing their spotlights on the Grnad Ol' Amby. Aljazeera too joins the list in paying tributes to the iconic car.

In Pictures: India's iconic Ambassador car
www.aljazeera.com

Suspension of classic automobile and "grand old lady" marks end of an era and also uncertainty for workers at...