[ad3952n]

This goes out to all the Ambassador lovers. Probably for the first time an Amby cab is used for drifting on a track. However, I am sure, we are never going to see it again in this avatar.

It may look dated compared to today's rides but our rides today lack the structural strength that this car had and for me it's the benchmark of elegance and character.



Source: https://www.facebook.com/autogadgetb...type=3&theater

Thanks.

[svsantosh]

Fun fact :

West Bengal was once the only (Right?) state with a Car Factory in whole of India? Or at least WB was the state that produced the most number of cars on Indian roads (Amby & Fiat being the only 2 at a time)...

And today (for sure) there are 2 car factories where nothing is made :( Talk about "Taking the horse to the river to drink, but instead the horse asked for a cola"...!!

This is where Delhi/Chennai (other cities too) made Ghee out of water!!

[gearhead_mait]

Originally Posted by ad3952n

This goes out to all the Ambassador lovers. Probably for the first time an Amby cab is used for drifting on a track. However, I am sure, we are never going to see it again in this avatar.

It may look dated compared to today's rides but our rides today lack the structural strength that this car had and for me it's the benchmark of elegance and character.

Thanks.

I have watched this video. Ambassador was the winner of all the cabs in this competition.

It's structural strength is awesome! But I fear, that is case of a head-on collision, this structural rigidity will be its doom (i.e. the strong iron body unable to collapse and passing on the thrust to the driver and passengers only).

[YaeJay]

48 posts. So how many of us have owned one, or rather had one in their family? Just curious. I would say the same about an enfield bullet, a fiat and a MM cj etc. On another prespective, what is the average life span of any morden car these days. I think it did quite well even with no updates in all these years.

Lets hear some numbers.

TNS 2977. thats what I grew up with. We should atleast have 30 more.

[ad3952n]

Originally Posted by YaeJay

So how many of us have owned one, or rather had one in their family? Just curious. a fiat and a MM cj etc. On another prespective, what is the average life span of any morden car these days.

Lets hear some numbers.

My Ambassador was 1990 model with White Color and number was DL-3CA-0809 and my 2nd owner Premier Padmini was in pacific Blue shade from 1991-October 2006 with number DL-2CB-8381.

The average age of a car model these days is 7-8 years as per brand it belongs to but the life span may differ under ownership due to various reasons depending upon a owner's point of view.

Thanks

[stanjohn123]

Am I the only one who read that this is not the end of Ambassador, but rather just a temporary suspension in production.

Honestly I really do not want to see the same Ambassador on the road anymore. But I wish if they would change the chassis , materials and modify the design just a bit to maintain the same traditional look, it would be awesome.

HM Just give the car to DC and see what they can do. Who knows, it may just be another hit.

[AkashN]

It is indeed a tough moment, especially for those who find it difficult to part ways with their Amby - me still seeing many brandishing ones in many remote Kerala households. It should be given a face-lift is what many may advocate, but till when?

Its robustness will of-course be missed in today's aerodynamic fibre bodied beauties.

Good bye Amby !

[volkman10]

Amul's tribute to the icon!

[a4anurag]

Was just browsing through HM Ambassador on the net so found a PPT file that describes the Ambassador along its stages.

Felt it is worthy to mention it here hence posting the screen shots.

The 'Mark' Evolution: Mark 1 to Mark 4:


Ambassador Nova:


Ambassador 1800 ISZ:


Ambassador Classic:


Ambassador Avigo:


General:

SOURCE: http://www.slideshare.net/mohammedumair/ambassador-plc

Wish my dad retained the Ambassador till I was major and allowed to drive. Miss that car a lot and always wanted to drive it but sadly missed it!

Anurag.

[suresh_gs]

Originally Posted by stanjohn123

Am I the only one who read that this is not the end of Ambassador, but rather just a temporary suspension in production.

Honestly I really do not want to see the same Ambassador on the road anymore. But I wish if they would change the chassis , materials and modify the design just a bit to maintain the same traditional look, it would be awesome.

HM Just give the car to DC and see what they can do. Who knows, it may just be another hit.

HM did not have many options for the customer to buy (Amby and Contessa) while the erstwhile STAMPRO had Pennant, Herald, Gazel, Standard 10, Standard 2000. In terms of styling , Standard 2000 was way ahead of it's times in India. It was the engine that screwed up the vehicle and finally the factory.
HM could have come up with different models to sustain in the market but they refused to change.

[rsidd]

Originally Posted by svsantosh

Fun fact :

West Bengal was once the only (Right?) state with a Car Factory in whole of India? Or at least WB was the state that produced the most number of cars on Indian roads (Amby & Fiat being the only 2 at a time)...

And today (for sure) there are 2 car factories where nothing is made :( Talk about "Taking the horse to the river to drink, but instead the horse asked for a cola"...!!

This is where Delhi/Chennai (other cities too) made Ghee out of water!!

Actually, Standard Motors made cars in Madras from 1949 until 1978, and again briefly in the 1980s. So there was only a brief window between 1978 and 1983 (when the first Maruti 800 was produced) when there were only two manufacturers. The Standard Herald (later Gazel), based on the British Triumph Herald, was quite common on southern roads. Here's the wiki.

[navin_v8]

I for one feel sad to see the sun setting on the iconic Ambassador. It was once THE car to be in atleast in India. I have travelled in the Ambassador numerous times and it gave me a feeling of the yesteryears. I am a sucker for everything vintage, like many have said here Ambassador is to a car what an Enfield Bullet is to a motorcycle for us Indians and I am proud about that.

I remember sitting in the Ambassador while I was a kid when we used to visit Kerala during vacations. I used to see Ambassadors lined up outside the airport and also the railway stations to ferry the passengers. It was a delight to see those line of Ambassadors all gleaming and shining with their chrome embellished grill, round headlamps and that massive body with more metal than plastic and fibreglass. It looked regal like a classy British Gentleman and very stately. I used to like the Ambassador even more than the Premier Padmini(Fiat 1100) due to its humongous size. Last year we had visited Kerala and we asked the tour operator which cars(sedans) are available and they said Tata Indigo, Maruti Swift Dzire, Toyota Etios, etc. I asked them whether they have the Ambassador and to my delight they said yes. I looked at my parents and they smiled and were all game for the Ambassador such was the connection/relation with the car. As soon as we took an exit from the railway station I saw an off white/cream color Ambassador 1800 ISZ standing there for us. My parents and I saw it and went back the memory lane, it was nostalgic and touching. My father was so happy that he said he wanted to sit on the front seat and we took the back seat and the ride although was a bit harsh but no one was complaining and we were all happy. I told my parents that one day I would buy myself an Ambassador although I have driven the likes of Opel Astra, Mitsubishi Lancer(current), etc. I steel have a special place for the Ambassador for its iconic Morris Oxford Landmaster lineage.

Sorry for being emotional but couldn't help it. HM's lousy management has to be blamed for this debacle, they could have turned around this iconic car like Royal Enfield did to the Bullet Standard CI and Mahindra did to the Jeep Kaiser in the form of Thar. I came across this link and thought of sharing this with all.

http://indianautosblog.com/2013/07/a...3-launch-88534

I took a look at the second image and was floored. But a company like HM doesn't have the willingness to make this happen. Rest in Peace Ambassador.

[rsidd]

Lots of people are quoting Mahindra Thar and Enfield Bullet. The point is, Bullet never had serious competition within India in the muscle-bike category, and is much, much cheaper than foreign brands. This is not to take away from what they have done, but they do offer something nobody else does. And Mahindra has many products -- the Bolero is much more important to them, they couldn't have stayed afloat on the Thar alone. What does Amby offer? Not performance, not comfort (sorry Amby apologists, it has terrible suspension and, in most cases, hard unsupportive seats), not fuel economy, not price. It used to be that "any roadside mechanic can repair the Amby" but now Maruti has gained that reputation, plus a new car doesn't even need much repair for years if you service it regularly. The only thing the Amby has is nostalgia. HM's mistake is not in taking the Amby lightly -- it is in taking the Amby too seriously, thinking its long-standing "official car" status is enough, not trying to develop other products (other than the poorly-managed Mitsubishi partnership). Well, there was the Contessa, I guess -- another piece of outdated technology.

A modernised Amby may have survived somehow, but the Volkswagen Beetle, Fiat 500, etc did quite poorly in India -- a 21st-century Amby along those lines would have needed to offer compelling value at a compelling price.

The only hope is that another manufacturer buys the rights to the name and introduces new models, as happened with Rolls Royce.

[sandeepmdas]

Originally Posted by YaeJay

48 posts. So how many of us have owned one, or rather had one in their family? Just curious....We should atleast have 30 more.

KLO 5657 (Mk3 - this car's "allotment letter" came with "no colour option"; that is, the dealer will allot you a car of their choice as per availability. My dad was looking for an off-white, but ended up with "Limestone". )
KLV 7497 (Mk II - my dad bought this one as an used car.)

[svsantosh]

All my summer vacation travel involved some Amby (TAXI) some where in India.

I distinctly remember...

1) The 2 bench seats

2) Door had a unique amby thud

3) Agarbathi inside heater/glow plug socket

4) mega boot

5) super comfy leaf suspension on rear

6) fill a few liters at the start of the journey (cost vasool, rest profit)

7) hill station ambys used to add 100-200ml of petrol for cold starts/antifreeze

8) I never remember a puncture (must be the hard bias!)

9) As recent as the 1st all-family vacation/piligrimage after wedding in mid-2009 included a trip in the mighty amby






Last but not the least -

10) The last time I travelled in the Iconic car was in Oct-2011, from DumDum to Salt lake

Amby is going to RIP forever in WB and in our minds too...