[pgcars]

Dear Everyone,
I am a new member to this Team BHP forum and wish to post the pictures of my recently acquired Ambassador Mark 2. The car is 1968 make (WBG Regn, Beltola, Kolkata) and interiors / exteriors have been maintained by the ex owner in mostly original state with some minor alterations. Visible alterations are : Fuel Meter ( V3 fitted), Battery indication ( Amp Meter ; supposedly it is from a Mark 3 of the mid 70s) the tail lamps (from Mark 3 / Mark 4) and the AC Dynamo replacing the DC type. ( Excuse for the inside bonnet pictures)

Cheers,
Probhat

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by pgcars

Dear Everyone,
I am a new member to this Team BHP forum and wish to post the pictures of my recently acquired Ambassador Mark 2. The car is 1968 make (WBG Regn, Beltola, Kolkata) and interiors / exteriors have been maintained by the ex owner in mostly original state with some minor alterations. Visible alterations are : Fuel Meter ( V3 fitted), Battery indication ( Amp Meter ; supposedly it is from a Mark 3 of the mid 70s) the tail lamps (from Mark 3 / Mark 4) and the AC Dynamo replacing the DC type. ( Excuse for the inside bonnet pictures)

Cheers,
Probhat

Welcome aboard, that's a very pleasing looking Amby you have. Any idea if the shade the original?

Enjoy using the car and don't worry too much about minor cosmetics, the important bits are in place

[pgcars]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Welcome aboard, that's a very pleasing looking Amby you have. Any idea if the shade the original?

Enjoy using the car and don't worry too much about minor cosmetics, the important bits are in place

Thanks Karlosdeville for the compliments. I am informed that HM introduced the "Oxford Blue" shade in 1968, the shade in my car, "Aero Blue" could possibly be a sub-variant of Blue to the originally launched "Oxford Blue". Being from Kolkata, I have seen some old Ambys having this colour....

An ad posted in OLX.in reg. vehicle sales, depicts a neat Ambassador Mk 2 , 1973 make having the same colour , "Aero Blue". Pls. check the link below:

http://mangalore.olx.in/a-mint-antiq...-iid-681150756

[anjan_c2007]

A mid 1960's Mark II dressed up as a Mark 4. Now in a workshop in Kolkata waiting for better days ahead.

The car has been modded though, with the door levers too changed.The front quarter glass has also been sliced.

[car love]

Hi Anjan, I saw this modified Morris on your facebook page, any details of it please?...it looks sweet.

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by car love

Hi Anjan, I saw this modified Morris on your facebook page, any details of it please?...it looks sweet.

This car belongs to one of our Members from either Austrailia or New Zealand and was posted more than a year back, to the best of my knowledge. There are many more pictures of this car as posted by him on the FB page.

[pgcars]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

A lovely 1965 Mark II owned and renovated by Mr Shrivardhan Kanoria, of Kolkata. The pictures are clicked by him and have been sent to me by FB friend Mr Souryadeep Mukherjee.

Dear Mr Anjan,

This 1965 Mark II has been nicely restored no doubt... and that too by Mr Shrivardhan Kanoria, a reputed car restorer in Kolkata, however a couple of observations:

a) The Mark II logo on the trunk should not be there, this being a 1965 model ( The logo on the trunk as we know came with the later version Mk IIs around '71/'72 models)

b) The sun shade is not a period look one, the ones that were put up as non OEs in 1960s' Ambys were flat types and not the oval type as is appearing here)

Anyways three cheers to such a nice restoration and thanks to Mr Souryadeep Mukherjee as well for providing the snaps..

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by pgcars

A lovely 1965 Mark II owned and renovated by Mr Shrivardhan Kanoria, of Kolkata. The pictures are clicked by him and have been sent to me by FB friend Mr Souryadeep Mukherjee.

Dear Mr Anjan,

This 1965 Mark II has been nicely restored no doubt... and that too by Mr Shrivardhan Kanoria, a reputed car restorer in Kolkata, however a couple of observations:

a) The Mark II logo on the trunk should not be there, this being a 1965 model ( The logo on the trunk as we know came with the later version Mk IIs around '71/'72 models)

b) The sun shade is not a period look one, the ones that were put up as non OEs in 1960s' Ambys were flat types and not the oval type as is appearing here)

Anyways three cheers to such a nice restoration and thanks to Mr Souryadeep Mukherjee as well for providing the snaps..

Thanks pgcars for the points raised. Yes indeed, the trunk logo came alongwith the brown sunmica dashboard. Too add to your list, the car is fitted with a Solex carburettor and not the OE, SU, of those times.
Some pictures of the early 1970's Ambassadors.

[pgcars]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

Thanks pgcars for the points raised. Yes indeed, the trunk logo came alongwith the brown sunmica dashboard. Too add to your list, the car is fitted with a Solex carburettor and not the OE, SU, of those times.
Some pictures of the early 1970's Ambassadors.

Thanks Mr Anjan for the pictures. It is indeed desireable to put the OEs back in place to such a beautifully restored period Amby.


Had a query....

Any idea if the Morris Oxford, ISIS Mk I & II, of which the HM Hindustan 14, Landmaster, 1st Generation Ambassador and the Mk II were the exact prototypes in India, ever imported in to India.

There have been many cars imported in India in good numbers including Morris Minors, various Fiats, Hillman Minx and the VW Beetle to name a few that comes to mind instantly..

However, I do not recall having come across any ISIS with the 2.6 L engine being imported in India. Any specific reason behind...

Interestingly, Morris Minors had their Indian counter part... the Baby Hindustan

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by pgcars

There have been many cars imported in India in good numbers including Morris Minors, various Fiats, Hillman Minx and the VW Beetle to name a few that comes to mind instantly..

However, I do not recall having come across any ISIS with the 2.6 L engine being imported in India. Any specific reason behind.

Incidentally the Hillman Minx and Morris Minor both were assembled in India at some point.

I believe there was an Isis in Bombay back in the day.

When the Landmaster and Amby were available in India it didn't make much sense to import an Isis which essentially was the same car but with a larger, more thirty engine, and I'm sure would have been considerably more expensive.

[anjan_c2007]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

Incidentally the Hillman Minx and Morris Minor both were assembled in India at some point.

I believe there was an Isis in Bombay back in the day.

When the Landmaster and Amby were available in India it didn't make much sense to import an Isis which essentially was the same car but with a larger, more thirty engine, and I'm sure would have been considerably more expensive.

Originally Posted by pgcars

Thanks Mr Anjan for the pictures. It is indeed desireable to put the OEs back in place to such a beautifully restored period Amby.


Had a query....

Any idea if the Morris Oxford, ISIS Mk I & II, of which the HM Hindustan 14, Landmaster, 1st Generation Ambassador and the Mk II were the exact prototypes in India, ever imported in to India.

There have been many cars imported in India in good numbers including Morris Minors, various Fiats, Hillman Minx and the VW Beetle to name a few that comes to mind instantly..

However, I do not recall having come across any ISIS with the 2.6 L engine being imported in India. Any specific reason behind...

Interestingly, Morris Minors had their Indian counter part... the Baby Hindustan

Actually, import duties were minimal prior to 1955 on CKD imports.Most manufacturers preferred the CKD route to assemble their car model here. During the period till sometime in the 1940's CBU's were freely imported with a bare minimum duties.

Come 1955, the government tightened import laws and the imports (even CKD kits) were taxed heavily.Exemptions were for the three licensed car makers Pal, HM and STAMPRO (then Standard Motors) who were supposed to show their committment and develop a permanent industrial base in India. Hence the other CKD car makers with no long term interest closed shop and fled. Ford and GM were among those who left. Chrysler was here through PAL and left after all its CKD kits were consumed. The Dodge Kingsway, Plymouth Savoy and the Desoto Deluxe/ Custom soon saw their last days here by 1956. Hillman was using the API assembly line at Bhandup, while Austin was using the Leyland assembly line in Ennore, Madras to assemble their imported CKD kits. they too fled come 1955 as laws were not conducive.

Fiat was licensed to make small cars, HM to make the larger car and Standard to make their Standard Super 10. These car makers also had the licence to make light trucks (the Standard 20 van was decided upon by Stnadard later on in the 1960's). Mahindra assembled the Willys CJ 2 A and later the CJ 3 B. They had licence to make the Willys Station Wagon. After the Station Wagon faded in the early 1960's, they brought in the Jeep pick-up FC 160. It ws the government that decided what kind of cars and trucks a manufactuer could make and not the market demand.

Just prior to 1955, these car makers imported the Minor (Baby Hindustan was assembled for a short period by HM after Morris Minor imports had to be stopped) , Standard Vanguard and Fiat 500/ Topolino.

But the law allowed them to make only one car model each, after the date in 1955 and so they chose the Fiat 1100 Millecento, Landmaster and Super 10 (the Super 8 was assembled prior to that) respectively.

Very soon the phased manufacturing programme (PMP) was introduced and indigenisation became compulsory by 1965. So we saw the dissappearence of the Smiths, Veglia and other speedos, Lucas and Maranelli electricals, Del'orto and SU carburettors and so many other imported components.

Back to the topic, Morris Motors models like the ones mentioned by pgcars were assembled by HM. Besides, Morris imported their Morris 8 in many avatars since the 1930's into the Indian market.The Morris 8 competed with the Austin 8 and Standard 8 (Flying eight). The Morris 10 was not imported as we had our Hindustan 10 and so also the MO Series as we had our Hindustan 14 later on. Later on, after the Morris 8, they ushered in the Minor.

The Isis though introduced in 1932 by Morris Motors, was never even imported as a CBU anytime earlier ! Morris preferred to import its other select model range for sale here.

The later Isis I introduced just prior to 1955 (2639/ 86 bhp six cyl engine/ top speed 145 kmph) could have come through the CKD route when imports were quite rampant and freely allowed. Post 1955, there was no chance of any Isis coming in, unless > 100 % custom duties were paid. So the only chance for Morris Motors to usher in the Isis was prior to 1955. They preferred not to, perhaps because it was a low volume car. Not more than 10,000 each of the Isis I and II were manufactured in their U.K. plant at Oxford, U.K.. Very few are known to survive now. The estimate is below 200 in all, if I am not mistaken all over the world.

[pgcars]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

They preferred not to, perhaps because it was a low volume car. Not more than 10,000 each of the Isis I and II were manufactured in their U.K. plant at Oxford, U.K.. Very few are known to survive now. The estimate is below 200 in all, if I am not mistaken all over the world.

Thanks for the detailed and meticulous note, Mr Anjan.
Import duties , look alikes with the period Landmaster and Ambassador and Low volume production of the ISIS , prevented it from being imported in to India.

[anjan_c2007]

Some links with the Ambassador nostalgia:

http://www.yentha.com/news/view/feat...you-ambassador

http://blueseabluesky.blogspot.in/20...white-car.html

http://blrgourmand.blogspot.in/2014/...with-amby.html

http://www.revant.me/2014/05/amby-360.html

(all links posted by Mr Manoj Kumar on the Ambassador and Landmaster FB Page)

[anjan_c2007]

Some pictures of Ambassadors from Kolkata sent by FB friend Mr Souryadeep Mukherjee.

















A 1970 Mark II ( 2 pictures above )

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

Some pictures of Ambassadors from Kolkata sent by FB friend Mr Souryadeep Mukherjee.

A 1970 Mark II ( 2 pictures above )

For this car we can draw parallels to the one used for the brochure. See why?