[arun1100]

Hindusthan Ambassador - The purchase and initial ownership experience

This thread is about the Ownership experience of our 60-year-old Historical Car - The 1960 Hindusthan Ambassador (popularly known as Mark1); drafted along with BHPian funkykar (Karthik Makam).



There is something intriguing about classic cars, especially Fiats and Ambassadors. These are the cars we '80s and '90s kids have seen as we grew up. The simple mechanicals, timeless design, nostalgic memories make these Classics so special for some of us classic car enthusiasts. Owning a car then used to be a very big deal. Affordability is one, the never-ending wait periods were another. One had to wait several years in waiting period to be able to own an automobile. This also made the owner and often the entire family bond with it. Fiat or rather the Premier Padmini has been my favorite classic car, as this is our family's first car and the car I learnt to drive. At home, we still have my Dad's 1991 Premier Padmini, and also Dad's 1997 Chetak and 1971 Bullet. Coming to Ambassador, my Grandfather owned a 1970 Mark2. This was the only car any of our family members owned till the early '90s. Sometime in the mid-'80s, this Ambassador was sold. Years later, my Dad's official car was a 1998 model 1800cc ISZ Ambassador. In my childhood summer holidays, I have been on many drives with my Dad and his driver in this Ambassador across Coastal Karnataka during his official trips. I drove on the highway for the first time in this very Ambassador. For a brief period, I owned a Ambassador Mark2 in 2016, which I eventually passed it on to Bhpian Arun.V. I've lot of fond memories of these three Ambassadors and it was a dream for me to own one such Ambassador sometime in my life.

Karthik was crazy too for owning an Ambassador ever since he drove a couple of petrol Ambassadors. This Ambassador's purchase happened way back in Feb 2020, yes, feels too long back as a lot has happened in the last fifteen months even without a coffee! Karthik and I casually browse the OLX once in a while as means to kill some time. This also gives us a peek at how some of the classics we admire appear. Not that we intend to buy one as we already have a number of Classic cars and scoots at home. But one fine evening in Jan 2020, I stumbled upon an Ambassador Mark1 ad in OLX. The description and the pictures were impressive and hence, I forwarded the ad to Karthik. The seller's location was very close to my sister's house as per the ad. I messaged the seller in OLX and requested him to share his number and also informed him about my sister's house is close to his house. The next couple of days, I was expecting a reply and after a long wait of about two weeks, I got a call from the seller's son. He asked me some basic questions like why I was interested in such an old car and if I had the capability to maintain a 60-year-old Classic car. I briefed him about my experience with classics and only after that, he shared his location and suggested I have a look at the car.

That weekend, on a Saturday morning, Karthik and I visited the seller's home close to MG road, Bangalore in my Dad's Premier Padmini; since it was the weekend, we could enjoy the classic drive together. We knocked at the door and there came the Ambassador owner Mr. Anand Kumar along with him was his Son Naresh. We introduced ourselves and started walking towards their home garage where the Ambassador was parked. But my Padmini caught Anand uncle's attention and immediately he told me he wanted to check out my Padmini first. We all sat in the Padmini and went for a short drive. Uncle was very happy to see a well-maintained classic car and he was convinced I was a prospective buyer as I could easily drive a column shift geared Padmini which is similar to the Ambassador.

Now came the opportunity for us to see the Ambassador. Right in here, inside the closed garage, was the Ambassador which we were so eager to see for about three weeks. We had seen the pics of the Ambassador in the OLX ad, however, these Classics generally look great in pics regardless of the real condition.


Karthik and me were really restless to see the Ambassador in real as Anand uncle was trying to open the shutter. To keep our excitement intact, the shutter refused to open!


We informed uncle we would visit them again the next day. When we visited again the next morning, his son Naresh helped to open the Shutter. I was shivering in excitement, probably the reason for the pic to appear shaky. Lol


And there we saw the Ambassador for real for the very first time!


As Naresh drove their family legacy out of the garage


Look at the 60-year-old history of Indian Automobile gleaming all the way to Glory!


Naresh parked the Ambassador outside their home and uncle told us the history of this Ambassador. History is the car was originally a Kerala car owned by a business family who had their establishment in Bangalore too. The car was bought new in 1960 by the Kerala family and hence the car's original registration number was KLQ 2725. In 1964, the Ambassador was brought to Bangalore and re-registered with the registration number - MYV 5263. For some reason, the car was sold in Bangalore to Anand uncle's Father Mr. M. Krishna Swamy, who was GM in ITC, Bangalore. One interesting bit is that the original owner of the Ambassador - NP Chewing gum factory owner, his grandson was my classmate in school. I will try to get in touch with him and see if they recollect this car!

Anyways, since 1964, the Ambassador has been with Anand uncle's family. In fact, Anand uncle went on to narrate the story that he learnt driving in this very Ambassador in the early '70s. After his father passing away, Anand uncle continued to use it till his retirement. The reason for selling was his old age, health and parking issues.

RC Copy with details of previous registration


Anand uncle then asked me about my education and career. It was then we came to know that we both were Alumni of the same school - St. Germains, Bangalore. Our discussion got very interesting thereon and also realized that we both had been attending the school's OBA every year! We felt very connected by now and uncle was confident that if the car is sold to us, it would be in safe hands.

Anand Uncle offered us a drive in the Ambassador but he suggested he would drive himself. Just for memory sake, I wanted a pic of this drive and took the below pic of Uncle. I was not sure if Uncle would like me to take a pic of him driving. Nevertheless, I showed him this pic later and he liked it. This pic eventually became more valuable; more on it later.


After uncle took us for a short drive, Karthik and I too drove the car around the locality. Below were the first impressions of the Ambassador.

- Original petrol engine and column shift gear. The carburetor was changed by the previous owner from SU carburetor to Solex carburetor.
- Since the car was always parked in a closed garage, the body was quite perfect with almost no rust anywhere and the paint slightly faded.
- The car drove quite well - the engine, brakes, suspension all seemed very good for a 6 decades old car.
- The car was last restored in '80s and untouched ever since.
- Most of the original bit was intact like the grill, bumpers, meters, etc.
- FC and Insurance were Valid.
- Interesting observation was that FC had never lapsed throughout the 56 years of ownership in one family.
- Car was always in running condition. The Ambassador was never hibernated in its lifetime.
- Tyres on the car were really aged and needed immediate replacement.

All this was customary. Deep within, both of us had already made up our minds to acquire this beauty. Uncle invited us to his home for coffee and we continued our discussion. I gave the assurance to uncle that if the car is sold to us, we would surely give her the best time, love, and care. As the family never bought a used car nor sold one, they had no clue how to go about it. Casually, uncle had called Cars24. Uncle told us that the only person who saw the car was from Cars24. He was not ready to sell to such a car dealer as they didn't value the car as much as it deserves. He also said he did not reply to most of them on Olx too as he did not feel they were good enough to acquire their possession. Once uncle made up his mind to sell the Ambassador to us, he finalized the price, delivery timeline etc. In the next few mins and spoke about the transfer of ownership. A week later, we did the money transfer and also initiated the car ownership transfer. The car's FC and Insurance were valid and hence made the ownership transfer easy.

Feb 1st was the day we decided to take the delivery of the Ambassador from Anand Uncle and Naresh. Uncle handed over a big box of spares he had. For us classic lovers, this is equivalent to the gift hamper any child receives during their birthdays. He gave us an insight into the current mechanical condition and gave a heads up on the immediate repairs needed like weak tires etc. This car has been with their family for 56 years, used by three generations of the family, and hence it was a very emotional moment for the entire family to let go of the car.

Anand Uncle and his son Naresh pose with their family Ambassador.


Anand Uncle and his son Naresh. Uncle is now resting his hand on the car emotionally. Their domestic help of few years also felt somewhat emotional too and chose to be around(seen in the background, right side).


I joined them for a group photo


Karthik took a selfie with all of us


Karthik took this video of me driving the Ambassador for the very first time. Just after I started the car, Uncle and Naresh gave their final set of instructions related to the cranking procedure and gear changing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBszLSYClfY

Yay, all smiles!! Karthik and me finally driving our Ambassador after a long effort of completing the purchase formalities


Finding a Classic car and then completing the purchase formalities is quite a task. Considering our passion for the Classics, it's all worth it.
Here's a Balcony view of the Ambassador after we drove her home for the first time.

I just could not stop staring at this beautiful sight!

[arun1100]

Hindusthan Ambassador - History on Wheels!!

Thanks to our D-Bhpian anjan_c2007 (DrAnjan Chatterjee), for sharing this period advertisement and a copy of the Owner's Operation Manual of the Hindusthan Ambassador.



Mark I (1957 to 1962)
In 1957, Hindustan Motors, to further earlier collaboration with Morris Motors, who by then had become British Motor Corporation after merger with Austin Motors, entered into an agreement to manufacture 1956 Morris Oxford series III in India. All the tooling was transferred to Uttarpara plant in India. The car was rebadged as Ambassador (later called Mark 1) was launched in mid-1957 and the early model Morris Oxford series II derived Hindustan Landmaster was discontinued. The new model included deep headlamp cowls and small rear wing "tail fins". The dashboard and steering wheel were completely redesigned. The Landmaster's flat-plane two-spoke steering wheel gave way to a dished steering wheel with three spokes made-up of four wires per spoke, for the Ambassador. Also a new, dimpled bonnet made its debut. These models had an Austin Motors derived 1476 cc side-valve petrol engine. In 1959 the side-valve engine was replaced by a 1489 cc, 55 bhp overhead-valve BMC B-series petrol engine. Source - Wiki.


The Ambassador!


Owner's Manual


BMC B Series 1489 cc engine.docx

OHV 1.pdf

OHV 2.pdf

OHV 3.pdf

Here are the first set of pics of the Ambassador we clicked on the day we purchased the car.

Original 1489cc 55 bhp Petrol Engine


Looks Majestic, isn't it?!


Posing along a house of similar vintage


Quite clear body-line with no rust anywhere around the body


Made In England - Lucas Headlights!!


The dashboard. Original to a great extent. Except for the steering and clock. Horn indicator switch is along the horn button.


The front bench seat. My lil pup, Fudge, posing!


The USP of an Ambassador spacing rear seat. Just like a SOFA!


Meter console. Original and working Smiths Meters!!


SMITHS - Made in England!


SMITHS - Made in England! Note the MPH.


Left glove box


Right glove box. Music system came as a standard fitment for us.


Original Accelerator pedal. The round switch is the original Dip/ Dim Switch! To be operated with left leg.


Quarter Glass


Cabin Light Switch


Just love this Cabin Light!


Glad the roof lining is similar to the original pattern and overly modified with velvet

[funkykar]

Mechanic visit Part 1 - The Amby would often sputter

A month after the Ambassador came home, it was time to get the minor mechanical issues sorted. While we drove the car for a few 10's of kilometers, we noticed that once in a while the car sputters to a halt. Cleaning the Jets would resolve and after few kilometers, it repeated. We changed the petrol filter and very quickly noticed it was getting clogged. As the Amby was not run much specifically the last 2-3 years owing to earlier owner's age and worsening traffic conditions, it appeared the tank was dirty/old fuel was the culprit. As the car was at Arun's home, we checked with the regular mechanic Manjunath who serviced Arun's Fiats. He was glad to learn about the Mark 1 and in no time appeared in front of us. He was more excited and eager to work on it. While working he explained how his dad had a Mark 2 for several years and how as a kid he enjoyed and cherished every bit of his childhood. Any older Amby would bring in a spark in him and his interest levels shoot up.

After listening to what we described, he did not need any verification and simply got started to remove the tank to get her cleaned. Once the tank was removed, we were shell-shocked. The petrol was old, though what we filled had diluted and a lot of rusty dirt. He took quite a while to clean the tank and the small pipes.

The tank being cleaned


Look at the dirt


Manju looking at the engine


Checking under chassis


See how dirty the carb appears


When work calls


Carb was removed to be cleaned



Now that we were getting few things done, I and Arun decided to fast-track some pending service of suspension and brakes. Due to Lockdown restrictions and owing to busy work schedules either of us couldn't capture many pics. Some pics that Arun could capture once a while below:

Some attention to brakes


Suspension also was serviced and reinstalled


Brakes being cleaned


Front-wheel fit after brake work


Work in progress


Fresh petrol


All set


Ready - Grandson posing with Grandpa


Now that the car was well serviced, during Unlock 2.0 we wanted to test drive to ascertain how reliable it was. One evening when I had been to Arun's place, he said let's go on a short drive. Arun's daughter Yashna too was eager to go out and hopped in with us. We filled more fresh fuel and headed on the new Airport road. Was a clear day with low traffic. The car performed exceptionally. Near the ITC factory, we stopped by for some photographs and let the car idle. After around 25 mins, the car turned off and would refuse to start. We started the usual troubleshooting process of checking for spark, fuel etc. We found that there was no fuel coming to the carburetor. This meant either the pump has overheated and not functioning OR fuel is over. Knowing that we filled plenty of fuel, we concentrated on the pump. No matter what we did to cool the pump etc, it wouldn't start. Then we found the fuel filter to be clogged again. We cleaned it up and installed it back and noticed petrol started to flow a little. We knew if we bypass the fuel filter, in no time the jets could get blocked. So on our return, we had to stop every 4-5 km and clean the filter and resume our return journey. This ate up some of our time. It was a race against time as we had to be home before 7 pm, the then Unlock rule. We barely managed to get back home in time. I and Arun knew something wasn't alright and needed the tank to be checked.

Clear sky


Clear road


Posing after a short drive


Arun's Daughty Yashna posing


Arun's Daughty Yashna posing


A selfie before we return


One of the several refuels

[funkykar]

Mechanic visit Part 2 - Amby inching to become a perfect runner!

Manju was busy and I checked with my regular mechanic Mani. He said he will look into it. One of the early mornings, I took the Amby from Arun's place and took it to Mani. He suspected the issue to be the tank itself. He asked how much fuel is there in the tank as the fuel meter shows full. I said maybe 8-10ltrs may be there and I said I didn't know if the fuel meter reading was reliable. Then he started to remove the tank and found the tank to be very heavy. Then with a screwdriver, he dipped to find the tank to be 80% full. To be on the safer side, we had filled fuel multiple times and did not even realize we had filled it close to full . He asked me to run the car and get when fuel is low. I said it was impossible. So he started to remove the fuel using a pipe. The color of petrol was getting darker and darker the more he removed. Finally, after he filled up several cans, he started the cleaning process. A lot of rust came out and after visual inspection inside, he said fewer chances to revive the tank and suggested we replace it. For the car to be very reliable, we decided to get it replaced.

See the color of petrol that was siphoned off. Close to 30+ liters were removed.


The tank before removal


See how rusty the tank is


The replacement tank, nonrusty, needs a little cleaning


The new tank needed some brazing work


The old tank


Amount of rust recovered from the tank after all the fuel was drained and dried


Mechanic Mani, myself, and Arun1100 were in total disbelief when we saw the color of petrol. After all the rust was removed from the tank, all were wondering how the car has still been running despite this. Since then, the car has been running with no hiccups! As the Carburettor had dealt with a lot of unclean fuel in recent times, we decided to overhaul it along and also service the ignition system.

Compilation of few short videos depicting the overhaul

https://youtu.be/VLzToUFRRS4

Distributer being cleaned


All the cleaned components


The tappets being set

https://youtu.be/99qA1Z7zk8w

A new petrol filter and everything assembled back


A short test drive after the works

https://youtu.be/EA5pclUjUf0

A few days later, we decided to proactively replace the radiator fluid. We got some distilled water and a very little coolant mixture and installed it.

Coolant replacement work


Work in progress


Post these works, the Amby performed really well with no major issues.

[funkykar]

Let's flaunt and enjoy the Amby!

A group of Ambassador car owners from Bangalore had been thinking of a meet for quite some time. After they had a discussion among themselves, they decided to have a meet on Sunday, the 31st of January. Arun and I were invited to this meet and we were glad to meet up with the other Ambassadors. Arun1100 has detailed it on this thread (Pics: Ambassador Car Owners Meet, Bangalore).

Some of the pics from that meet:


Lets go


100 years for our car


Meet at Nandi Upachar


Meet at Nandi Upachar


Meet at Nandi Upachar


Enroute


Line up


Returning home


A little later, in Feb 2021 during the 32nd National Road Safety Month, there was an event by Kasturinagar RTO (Earlier called Indiranagar RTO). Distinguished BHPian KPS extended his special invitee to us as well. We were very excited to be part of the event along with KPS's 1947 Daimler DB18 Luxury Saloon. It was such an honor.

Beautiful cold morning


We were the first ones to arrive along with KPS


A selfie before it gets very busy


In no time the place was vibrant


One of the days encountered a very heavy pre-monsoon shower. Below were captured by Bhpian Chethan Kumar (GreenDay) when we were casually driving around Bangalore city.

https://youtu.be/xFLUZVDiBQ4

A couple of pics with my Daughter Risha and Dad (Rarely appears in front of the camera).

Risha Makam


Dad


The customary pics with Bangalore's iconic Vidhana Soudha. Its also a popular hang out for my daughter Risha and Arun's daughter Yashna during the pandemic. We often visit to cherish the beauty and to experience some fresh air and a break from the monotony of being home.

[arun1100]

Life with the Amby across 2020-21

A month after we got the Amby home, there came the Covid-19 Pandemic and the Lockdown-1. Just when we thought the pandemic had settled, there came the second wave and the Lockdown-2. For the past 15 months, we have been using the Ambassador primarily in Bangalore and surrounding areas. Here are some memorable random pics of the Amby along with family members and other vehicles at home!

Classics galore! Karthik's and my cars all parked together sometime during the lockdown!


Undisputed Queen and King of Indian Roads!!


Friend's Premier President joins the PP and Amby!


The blue Amby is a Nova. Karthik's friend's car.


1990 Premier Padmini, 1991 Premier Padmini Economy and the Ambassador. Parked along our farm house road.


A great line-up!


Two Wet Ambassadors! View from our home balcony.


Casual weekend drive


On a bright sunny day of summer '21.


Ready to rule the roads!


Our home in the Blr Cantonment. Again, both of same vintage!


Posing along a colonial building of Bangalore's British era.


After a wash. Ready for a weekend drive.


The Hand Crank Lever!!


Amby and the 2020 Jawa


Amby with the Yezdi


Amby with the Yezdi


Amby with the 1971 Bullet


My Mom posing with the Amby! Since my Grand Father owned a Ambassador Mark2, Mom is quite fond of the Amby!


Daughter Yashna dressed up for the 2020 Dushera


2020 Ayudha Puja!


Just a pose with the two Ambys


Work From Ambassador! Lockdown-1, 2020


Bangalore's reserve forest, Yelahanka


Me, proudly posing with the Amby


Amby and friend Ramprashanth's Padmini in front of the Vidhana Soudha!


This is the Ambassador's safe and covered parking space

[arun1100]

TBD - Trio Bhpians Drive!

Summer of 2021 has been a cool one; thanks to the regular rains and due to the lockdown, there has been very little pollution. Bhpian funkykar (Karthik Makam), Bhpian GreenDay (Chethan Kumar), and I have been on numerous drives in our Classic cars earlier. We have driven to various places like Nashik, Pune, Mangalore, etc in Padmini and Ambassador cars.

Considering the Covid related limitations, for the past one and half years, we have been going only on short day trips. Such trips allow us to be mostly in the car driving around without the need to step out frequently and also no need to stay overnight in a lodge. It was time for a quick drive in this Ambassador! Since Chethan was in UK till recently, we could go on a drive in May '21 just before the Lockdown-2. This drive was special as my pup - Fudge, too joined us! We three took some time off on a mid-summer Sunday and drove to a scenic place on the outskirts of Bangalore.

That's Karthik Makam, me driving and at the rear is Chethan Kumar with Fudge!


Awesome single lane road


Due to the rains, there's a lot of greenery everywhere!


Weather was cool, beautiful roads, driving a 60-year-old, moreover lovely friends - Bliss!


That naughty look after some playtime in the field!


Yay, we three! Sorry, we four!


Chilling!! Otherwise, very tough days for all of us!


We, TRIO!


Fudge, having his time!


Karthik, doing what he loves the most - Drive! Yes, he Lives To Drive!

https://youtu.be/dVIS2o4SVq0

Black Ambassador reminds me of so many old movie scenes; especially the police chasing ones!!

https://youtu.be/J-meVmAvmIA

A place of worship amid nature!


Twilight!


Yet another memorable for drive we Trio! Ambassador has been a great companion for all of us!
Owning and maintaining a Historical car like this 1960 Ambassador is a responsibility for us. We promise to give the best possible Time, Love and Care to the best of our ability.

Originally Posted by arun1100

Anand Uncle offered us a drive in the Ambassador but he suggested he would drive himself. Just for memory sake, I wanted a pic of this drive and took the below pic of Uncle. I was not sure if Uncle would like me to take a pic of him driving. Nevertheless, I showed him this pic later and he liked it. This pic eventually became more valuable; more on it later.
Attachment 2161543

Here is the reason why this photo is so special to me..

Anand Uncle wanted to meet us regularly even after the purchase is over. We were keen to show him the car once all the minor mechanical issues were sorted. One Sunday, I messaged uncle to check if we could drive to his home and asked his availability. He didn't reply. We waited for weeks for his reply, but he didn't. One day, his son Naresh replied back only to share the news that his father had passed away amid the Lockdown-1. It was such a shocking news for us and our dream of uncle driving the Ambassador again remained unfulfilled. So this pic of Uncle driving the Ambassador became so important as that was the last time Uncle drove his beloved Ambassador. I shared this pic with Naresh and he was very emotional.

Customary Team-Bhp stickers!




Dedicated to Team-Bhp Forum mods and members.
- Distinguished Bhpian anjanc_2007 (DrAnjan Chatterjee) has been guiding us with all the information needed right from the purchase to date.
- Bhpian funkykar for taking over in saving and maintaining this Historical car.
- Bhpian Babyhindusthan (Souryadeep Mukherjee) for sourcing the needed parts.
- Bhpian Arun.V (Arun Vasudevan), for answering all the queries related to Ambassador.
- Bhpian IlangoP for all the quick helps in maintaining all our classic cars and scooters.
- Distinguished Bhpian Behram Dhabhar who taught us innumerable things about classic cars. Though he is no more, he will remain in our hearts and with our classics forever.
- Bhpian GreenDay for all the regular quick help in maintaining these Classics.
- Lastly, the Vintage Car and Classics in India Section of this Forum, for the invaluable information.

Regards,
Arun Srinivasan

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[GTO]

What a story, guys! Amazing thread . Will go to our homepage later this week. I would any day buy an Ambassador over a Padmini of similar vintage. You guys should pimp this car up with a silky 1.8 ISZ engine, fatter tyres etc. Will look gangster and have more character than the 2021 Octavia!

Karl had once parked the famous '9999' Landmaster at my place for a few months. I spent so much time admiring its lines. He was also sweet enough to take my Dad for a spin around Bombay at night. We had a blast

[GreenDay]

Glad to be part of such a memorable story Boys

Every single minute spent with Mark 1 takes back to my childhood with our Ambassador. All Thanks to the Authentic Smell which you can’t get in the new generation cars. My memory as a kid, was the Steering wheel and the inner ring [Horn] which was a Magic back then. Also plenty of room inside just like playground for a tiny body of a kid.

This is the only pic that I have got of our Ambassador from the Memory Lane.

[TejasKinger]

What a beautiful day for this story. Coincidentally, Evo India just published an equally wonderful video on their YouTube channel earlier today. Here it is

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGhyLzIxsr4

[KartikeyaL]

Congratulations to all involved for getting a neat car. The thread is a treat to read, with great pictures, details and history.

Looking forward to more pictures and updates as you enjoy this beauty.

[keroo1099]

What a lovely restoration. Brought back fond memories of my dad's Mk2 and much later my uncle's modified Mk4 with a shaved head, ported, freeflow and a few more goodies including a complete retrofit Smiths cluster that I used for a few years when I moved to Bangalore.

Wishing all of you lots of relaxed trouble free miles with the stunning Amby.

[anjan_c2007]

Thanks Arun for the lovely thread with a detailed description of your new, prized acquistion. My thanks to Karthik for his informative posts herein. The wealth of information shared is very useful for the enthusiast and collector. Apart from this, it is like an encyclopedia for beginners who like to learn the art of classic car ownership.

The dirty fuel tank (root cause of all things dirty), clogged pipelines/ fuel filter/fuel pump/carburettor are usual gremlins that emerge in cars that were not in use or refuelled since long. Apart from such issues, very few other issues come up in cars that were usually carefully used and maintained during their lifetime. And once the rectification process is over, other than routine issues that could pop up from time to time, these cars are quite predicatble and reliable.

The following lines in your post Arun are quite touching though. Parting with a car that has been in the home for 56 years is a very, very tough predicament for the owner and his family.

Feb 1st was the day we decided to take the delivery of the Ambassador from Anand Uncle and Naresh. Uncle handed over a big box of spares he had. For us classic lovers, this is equivalent to the gift hamper any child receives during their birthdays. He gave us an insight into the current mechanical condition and gave a heads up on the immediate repairs needed like weak tires etc. This car has been with their family for 56 years, used by three generations of the family, and hence it was a very emotional moment for the entire family to let go of the car.

When my 1955 Landmaster's owner sold his car in 2003 to me (1955-2003), the gentleman Mr Balamukund Kamathikar did not have his dinner on that day and was very disturbed. He used to personally sit through in the garage whenever his car underwent repairs and had never ever left his car in a workshop overnight. Apart from him revealing this to me, the older mechanics who later repaired my car, confirmed this fact. A very valuable lesson from our older generation indeed ! I could visit the first owner a few times and take him and his grandchildren for a ride on his car. Sadly, he passed away in 2007 at age 86.

[vigsom]

Wow !! What a car !!

Takes me down memory lane to a 1960s Ambassador called (Landmaster And Ambassador Picture Gallery)Ginger Gaadi that my Dad, Mom and a 3 year old me drove down in from Assam to Chennai. I grew up looking at this car, and was amazed at the space on offer, and the overall reliability.

Originally Posted by arun1100

- Meter console. Original and working Smiths Meters

- Quarter Glass

1. The console and switches made me jog my memory. Please confirm if my memory on switches is right viz.
L to R : choke - wiper - gnition cum black outer ring for instrument lights - headlamps - starter switch. In the Standard Super 10, the starter was extreme left while the choke was extreme right

2. The quarter glass was like an air cooler - would aid cross ventilation big time

3. The only later cars that I've been in that could come close to the feel of the Ambassador are the Indigo, Manza, sx4 and 2003-08 Corolla.

Originally Posted by GTO

I would any day buy an Ambassador over a Padmini of similar vintage

Same here. The Ambassador is a Raja gaadi, offering far more value for one's money. I've worked on both the Ambassador and the Padmini, and from a maintenance perspective, the Amby is much easier to work on except on the suspension. Example - I changed the speedo cable in our 1971 Mark II Ambassador in 15 minutes while I'd take 30 mins to do the same job on my Premier Padmini. Removing and refitting door panels on the Ambasssdor was pretty straightforward compared to the Padmini.

Featured below are pics of our 1971 Mark II Ambassador which Dad bought in 1991 for INR 25,000, and spent INR 3,000 as capital to rectify the gear box in which gear no.2 had one tooth missing. It was just routine maintenance after that.The car was sold in 1999 when he couldn't drive.