Padminis, Ambassadors and the Indian vehicle scrappage policy

We find our childhoods and good old sweet memories in them than the ever so prestigious 1929 Phantom - II, which is a true classic. We grew up watching our fathers and brothers driving and maintaining them and I am very sure that many of us here already own a couple of them. I am one of those people who finds joy in searching for parts that are not in production anymore, procuring them and installing them in the said cars.

Retrogrease recently shared this with other BHPians.

I never thought that my first post on Team-BHP will be filled with anxiety and a slight panic.

There is a line between the vintages that run our streets and the yesteryear cars, namely the Hindustan Motors Ambassadors and the Premier Padmini sedans which are the most commonly owned by us Indians. We find our childhoods and good old sweet memories in them than the ever so prestigious 1929 Phantom - II, which is a true classic. We grew up watching our fathers and brothers driving and maintaining them and I am very sure that many of us here already own a couple of them. I am one of those people who finds joy in searching for parts that are not in production anymore, procuring them and installing them in the said cars.

Now there has come a time, I look at them with uncertainty and anxiety about their future. None of them fall into the elite vintage category. One being a 1986 model and the other a mere 1998 model. I am afraid that they might be taken away from me to meet their eternal death at a scrapyard where they join broken sinks and rusty barrels. Their non metallic parts ending up in a landfill and the ones that can be salvaged become a part of a brand new Skoda.

The reason for my anxiety is panic selling of the owners who held on to these cars as part of family. Now that the scrappage policy plan is on top gear, they view these old cars like tumors and are eager to get rid of them. Well, I don't want to get rid of my years long devotion and attention that I have put into my cars and I'd want to continue doing so.

The media reports says that there has been no definite categories as of such and all cars above 15 years are likely to be scrapped and no mention of the once most commonly used brands. Since there are no hard facts at the moment to be worried of, it certainly has started brewing a small fire within me. I have attached their pictures of the cars I proudly own.

Thanks to Retrogrease once again! Check out BHPian comments for more insights & information.