I learnt to drive in this 1986 car. Sadly, it was sold in 2006 after my uncle tragically passed away. I had vowed to find it and restore it.

BHPian AmbyLSX recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello TeamBHP,

I’m excited to share a personal project that I've been chasing for years, and I could really use your expertise.

Quick intro

I'm based in the U.S. but my roots are in Ooty and Coimbatore, India. I learned to drive in a 1986 Ambassador with my uncle. Sadly, the car was sold in 2006 after he tragically passed away, but I vowed to find it and restore it. Fast forward to today, I've finally located and purchased that very Ambassador. It's currently at my family home in Coimbatore, and I've attached a photo for reference.

I'm committed to restoring the car to its original condition and am open to shipping it anywhere within India to ensure top-quality work. Do you have recommendations on specialists or shops I should reach out to?

As a thank you for any advice you can offer, I'm more than happy to assist anyone here with automotive parts or expertise from the U.S., as I'm an enthusiast who also races (spec miata, WRL endurance series).

Here's what GTO had to say about the matter:

Restoring an Ambassador, Padmini, Mahindra Jeep or similar vehicles is a relatively simple exercise. Parts still aren't that tough to find, there is ample jugaad possible & the cars are mechanically very simple. Be sure to only go for top-quality labour & endless dollops of rust-proof treatment (use Wurth products).

I like the work Viraat does at his garage in Delhi. He is also BHPian Viraat13.

You must go through the restoration threads of Ambassadors & Landmasters for additional tips & advice.

You are very lucky that the USA has made it possible to import cars over 25-years old.

Here's what BHPian justin.das had to say about the matter:

Which Engine and GB is your car running On? Diesel or Petrol? Try contacting Being Vintage. Location : Trivandrum , Kerala

Here's what BHPian dhanushs had to say about the matter:

First of all, congratulations on getting back the very same car. You are extremely lucky that an Amby today is not scrapped. Even my F-I-L had an amby which he wanted to keep for long, but ended up scrapping it.

As for restoring, I would advise you to spend the same amount of effort you put into tracking the car and buying it, into finding out a good garage. Let Team-BHP be a good start for that.

Also, note that most times restorations mostly focus on the cosmetic element as that's what shows the money's worth. However, please go that extra mile to even engineer the car to mechanical perfection. Only then you will have the cake and can eat it too.

Here's what BHPian sandeepmdas had to say about the matter:

I learnt to drive in a 1980 Amby Mark 3 in 1986, in Kerala. In those days, Coimbatore was considered as the best place in India to "dieselize" and air-condition the Amby. In fact, immediately after my driving lessons, the Mark 3 petrol was converted to Matador Diesel, a King (or National) AC was fitted, radiator was changed, the front bench seat was replaced with 2 bucket seats, column-shift gear lever was replaced with "platform gear", a Pioneer Stereo cassette player was fitted and all glasses were changed to tinted ones. Repainted and also treated with some MRF anti-rust product. There were two proud decals in the boot when she returned: Power Brake and A/c No Hand Signal Only to be sold in 1990, due to bad times.

Everything was done in Coimbatore, all the above. Where have gone all those expert "mestris" and master mechanics? I don't know about the current situation in Coimbatore, but I sincerely hope some of those legendary workshops are still there.

Here's what BHPian Geo_Ipe had to say about the matter:

As someone who has used a 1979 Ambassador in the recent past, I'll be able to throw some light here.

Working on the Ambassador isn't too difficult yet, I had 3 different mechanics who were competent in what they did in Vellore, a smaller town than Coimbatore.

Mechanical restoration will depend on what engine + gearbox the car has. A lot of 80's Ambassadors currently have the Matador diesel, which is quite an efficient and easy-to-maintain motor. If your car has the original column shifter, you'll need a mechanic who has worked on those before, which are available aplenty in Coimbatore.

As far as the exterior trims & cosmetics are concerned, you'll have to do a lot of hunting for original parts like the Mark 4 specific grille, steering wheel etc. Sellers are already quoting exorbitant prices for these items and once they know you're an NRI, they'll most definitely try to rip you off further!

I'm not sure if you're planning to be in Coimbatore for the restoration process or if you're planning to execute the whole thing remotely from the US. If the latter is the case, you may be better off approaching shops which specialise in these matters, instead of asking someone to do mechanic hopping. Waiting for more pictures and the list of work to be done on the car, so that people can advise you better.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

The event was organised by the VCCCI and the prize that my vehicle won was for the Best Maintained Indian Heritage Class.

BHPian acestormtrooper recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello All,

So finally I got her restored. I had gone to Brotomotiv in Pune but realized that they prefer working on new cars rather than something which would consume more time.

Just after restoration, I participated in the Vintage Car Fiesta organized by the VCCCI in Pune on 09.04.2023. It was great to interact with like-minded people there.

Below are some of the images post-restoration and from the event.

Got the 3rd prize for Best Maintained Indian Heritage Class.

Apart from meeting like-minded people, I got to learn a lot from them.

More pics and videos are coming up soon along with detailed information about what was done in the restoration and what is planned.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

My parents were passionate about touring by road and I have been traveling to different parts of India since 1966, in the Landmaster/Ambassador, until 1988.

BHPian Iksvaku recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I used to live in the tea gardens of Assam. My parents were passionate about touring by road and I have been travelling to different parts of India since 1966, in the Landmaster/Ambassador (different models, across the decades), until 1988. I have continued to do so, in more modern cars.

There is no doubt that modern cars have made life much easier. Once-a-year maintenance, minimal regular checks, higher-output and more efficient engines, much better brakes, the hop-in-and-go ability for long drives etc.

My comments below are in response to observations of other forum members and are based on highway and cross-country travel (all over India, Nepal and Bhutan) in the Ambassador.

• Our optimum (fuel consumption versus travel time) long-distance driving speed was 70kmph. The average speed would be 50kmph. We would drive from 06:00 hours to 15:00 hours (or less). We never had the problem with overheating.

• When we were posted in Darjeeling, we used to drive the Ambassador up an extremely steep incline (3rd gear + 4-wheel drive in our 1956 Land Rover), even with full load when we were returning from one of our tours. The only problem was holding the car on that incline, when faced with opposing traffic.

• Yes, we did carry a full set of tools, hoses, belts, fuses, spare oils, distilled water, a 20 litre jerrycan of fuel, towing rope, an extra spare tyre etc. I do not remember using anything other than spare tyres, on two punctures in 22 years!

• Since we changed to new models every three years, I do not remember rust being an issue.

• Servicing on a monthly basis was the norm, so it was not an inconvenience. Living in remote areas, our cars used to typically run 30,000 km per annum, being sold after they crossed 1,00,000 km.

• Yes, there were no safety measures, yet we never had any accident injuries due to the solid build.

• A single IRVM was the norm, so we never missed ORVMs.

• Smoke from the exhaust was not an issue if the car was maintained, except on cold starting.

• Fuel consumption was extremely variable, from car to car, due to the fact that every Ambassador car was unique. There really was no concept of uniform quality. The standard was 12kmpl. One car, which we had in the 1980s used to give us 17kmpl! Please note that our use was 100% open road driving.

• The bench seats were also of variable quality, from car to car, ranging from extremely soft to extremely hard. Yet, we were used to spending up to 9 hours a day in it without getting off as cripples!

• Starting was never an issue. Even when we were in Darjeeling, where the Land Rover was the regular car, it was my job to run the Ambassador engine every morning for 15 minutes. The process was to use the starting handle for 20 turns (I used to treat it as a part of my exercise regimen :-), then pump the accelerator and start the car.

• Only the first gear was not synchronised. We did not need to double clutch, though it was fun to do so!

• Swallowing petrol while clearing fuel line blocks is something I really do not miss!

• Manual steering was a workout only at low speeds. Since were in an open road environment, steering effort was not an issue.

• We never had a problem with reliability on our long drives. Small issues, such as fuel line blocks and distributor cleaning were all on local drives.

• Standard checks for oil, water and tyre pressure was done daily. Most of the maintenance would be done at home, weekly. After converting to modern cars, it took me a long time to stop opening the bonnet every day or checking tyre pressure weekly (once nitrogen was introduced).

• Painting the upper half of the headlamps black was only done at wartime.

• In the 1980s, we were posted in the hills and the virtually non-functional hand-brake of the Ambassador demanded the development of right-foot skill in lighting quick shifts from brake to accelerator.

• Changing tyres was a challenge! My mother used to time me and my record was 7 minutes.

• Central locking was not an issue as we never locked our car unless we went out of the state on a road trip. The moment we crossed our home state border “lock the car” became my father’s constant refrain at every stop.

• The high-beam/low-beam switch on the floor beside the clutch was actually quite convenient. In-between, the switch became a pull-push one on the centre panel (can we really call it a dashboard?) which was quite tricky to operate in high-speed (80kmph, in those days) night driving on the highway.

• Child locks existed! As far as I remember, all our cars had child locks on the rear doors.

• The requirement for a full-car check-up before a long tour is definitely not missed. Please note that (local) regular airport trips for us was of 220kms.

• Load capacity was at a different level. I have crammed up to 12 friends into it on a short trip within Kolkata. In one of our postings, Ambassador taxis used to run with both the left doors and the boot open. Five people in the front, six in the back, three people out of each left door and four people in the boot.

Checkout BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Rust was a major, major problem with cars like the Ambassador, Contessa, 118NE, etc.

GTO recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

For those of us who've driven in the 90s (and before), today's cars are relatively fuss-free to drive & own! But things weren't so simple a couple of decades ago.

The old car problems I don't miss at all:

• My Padmini, Ambassador, 118NE & Jeep overheating when climbing the Lonavla & Mahabaleshwar ghats. Today, even a little Santro will do 10 climbs without breaking into a sweat.
• Stocking up on hose pipes & belts because the quality of those in my 118NE was so poor, they'd always break. Ditto for the Jeep.
• Rust was a major, major problem with the Ambassadors, Contessas, 118NEs etc. Doing body work every 3 years was usual stuff for us as we live right next to the beach.
• Servicing every 3 months / 5000 km was a royal pain. Today, 1-year services with 10000 - 15000 km are standard-fare.
• Short 6 - 12 month warranties. Extended warranties of 7 years were a dream then.
• No safety. No crash testing. No airbags. No ESP.
• While budget hatchbacks have 90 BHP today, we used to roam around in ~40 BHP cars which were simply underpowered. It was a common practice to switch off the a/c when going up an incline.
• I don't miss those dangerous two-lane highways at all. There were no dividers and to overtake, you had to go over on the opposite side. Heck, I remember so many 1-lane roads then. If even a tempo came from the opposite side, you had to throw half your car off the road.
• Today, the service advisor is expected to go out of the way for you, treat you well, you will fill up forms to rate their service and so on. Back in the day, it was you who had to schmooze the service advisor for "good service", treating your car well and getting stuff approved in warranty. We used to send Diwali gifts to them

Here's what BHPian porsche_guy had to say about the matter:

Mirrors!

Although this might not constitute as a really old car problem but having 3 mirrors on/in the car was something quite rare and often restricted to the top variants of cars. It is truly astonishing how such simple things were given a toss those days.

I cannot be more thankful that we are getting passenger side mirrors as standard these days. Absolutely cannot imagine driving without them these days.

Here's what BHPian achyutaghosh had to say about the matter:

Manually sucking fuel for the old 1969 Fiat 1100 carburettor when the pump would not work. I have consumed petrol and burped petrol fumes so many times.

Not sure how many in the forum have done this, but thank God we do not have to face this situation now!

Here's what BHPian kurmist had to say about the matter:

• "Dhakka starts" (push starts) for when the battery was low. Lots of people pushing the car, each one shouting "uthao, uthao" (for releasing the clutch) and then all cheering when the car finally started.
• Repairs costing a few hundred rupees rather than lakhs.
• Simplicity of cars. I remember repairing my dad's Fiat Padmini literally overnight after bashing in the side (dad never found out till much later when I confessed, lol).

Here's what BHPian Guna had to say about the matter:

• I am happy that we don't have to paint the upper half of the headlamp black.
• No bench seat for the driver/co-passenger, which means no kids sitting in-between and cramping you to operate the gear lever.
• No need to give hand signals.
• I don't have to hand over the keys to the guys at the petrol bunk to open the fuel lid cap.

Here's what BHPian @og_adi had to say about the matter:

I have always been a great admirer of some of the old cars which carry timeless design elements. Sure, all these cars come with great setbacks but somehow everything dies down with just a look at them. If however there are some things to complain about, this would be my list-

• Smoke from the exhaust- Most classy cars have a habit of drinking a lot of fuel and leaving behind a lot of smoke.
• Poor suspension setups- I'm pretty sure automakers weren't familiar with the concept of bending metal in a helical way so as to make it compressible then. I've been in the Ambassador and Padmini quite a few times in my life (Was brought back home for the first time when I was born in an Amby) and though the experiences were memorable, rides were painful. Trust me, spend a few hours in these cars over bad stretches of roads and you either fix your backache or suffer from it for the next few weeks.
• Poor drivers' cars- This point doesn't apply to some but dad tells me how the cars pulled towards different directions even on a plain, straight road. Apart from that, though the manual steering sounds fun to hear, they sure were a pain to handle.
• Even though they have many drawbacks, I find them beautiful as I age. Maybe it's their charm that one can only understand once they're gone.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Dad negotiated and the car was finally his for INR 25,000, which was a great deal then for a 20 year old Ambassador.

BHPian vigsom recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Introduction:

This story dates back to 1991, and features a 1971 Ambassador and the great journey our family had with this Raja gaadi until we parted with the car. These posts are my small way of paying a befitting tribute to:

• This great car that ruled the Indian roads for several decades, and
• All those passionate owners who held OR still hold this car and have only smiles to report in their period of ownership.

Many readers who never got a chance to experience this car would perhaps gain from a virtual experience here.

Background:

Year 1990 : My Dad, a retired Indian Army officer was longing to own a classy Ambassador. He came across some low odo great examples for INR 85,000, which was huge money those days. My Mom dissuaded him from spending so much for a car that wasn’t going to be put to much use.

Post retirement from the Indian Army, Dad held several appointments culminating in one in Chennai. Dad was known to throw surprises. I remember a day in 1990 when he suddenly turned up at home in the city that we were in, rang the doorbell, and when we opened the door, we saw him and a Lhasa Apso in tow, whose pink tongue was out more than it should have. Before his arrival, Dad had said nothing about the Apso at all. Poor Tipsy, the Apso, had travelled 10 hours by train and took a 7km long walk from the station all the way home. Dad then told us that Tipsy, a 3 year old, was being given away by someone who was relocating from Chennai to Australia, and that’s how Dad got him. The Ambassador’s arrival was something similar - a pleasant surprise that took a while to sink in !!

Arrival of the Ambassador:

By around May-1991, Dad was preparing to move to our city and get into full retirement as I’d landed a job while in my final sem. We were also preparing to move into our own house here. While all this was on, Dad comes home, rings the doorbell, and we see yet another surprise - a greyish blue Mark II Ambassador at the gate.

How did this Ambassador happen?

Dad then told us about how the car came home. He was anyways wanting an Ambassador, and when he knew he was going to settle down, he apparently kept looking for one that would fulfill his requirements plus not hurt the pocket too much. That’s when one of his friends sounded him about this car that was being used by a company manager who was relocating. This was a 1971 Ambassador with the company manager being the fifth owner. Dad negotiated and the car was finally his for INR 25,000, which was a great deal then for a 20 year old Ambassador.

Was this a too-good-to-be-true car?

Yes it was. I do not remember what the odo reading was but the car was mechanically and structurally sound except that when in the second gear there’d be a khat khat noise from the gearbox. That meant that the main shaft in the gearbox warranted replacement. The bodyline, paint, suspension were all in great shape. Tyres were average.

First jobs in the Ambassador:

Gearbox:

In the first ten days of the car coming home, the car ended up in a workshop for the gearbox job. IIRC, the main gear cost us INR 2,500 and the labour was some INR 500 or so. The part that came out of the car showed one tooth on no.2 gear missing.

Seats and door panels:

Although the seats and door panels of the car were finished in blue/grey art-leather, it did look a little gaudy. While Dad was figuring out what to do, he suddenly came across a set of light brown velvet seat covers that were available for peanuts. Reason: the upholstery guy we know had made this for one of his customers, but he got the shade a bit wrong and was making a new set. Although light brown wasn’t a great match for a greyish blue exterior, the set didn’t look too bad either. Finally, I got down to removing the door panels, fitting the brown door pads in place of the gaudy blue, and fitting the seat covers too. This was the first time I was doing upholstery fitment in any car, and surprisingly I found the fitment rather effortless. The end product looked way way better than the gaudy blue.

Evolution of the Ambassador:

The Hindustan Ambassador was based on the Morris Oxford series III model, first made by Morris Motors Limited in the United Kingdom. This post provides a quick overview of the journey of the Ambassador from the Mark I to the Mark IV.

Exterior:

It was primarily the front look that would change marginally in the various avatars that the Ambassador featured – from the Mark 1 to the Avigo.

Mark I:

Mark II:

Mark 3:

Mark 4:

Nova:

Grand:

Avigo:

Interior:

While the front of the car looked pretty much the same from Mark III onwards, the dash would feature more significant changes from one avatar to the next

Console - Mark I:

Console - 1965-1969 with oil pressure gauge:

Console - Mark II later without oil gauge:

Console Mark 3

Console - Mark 3 modified with oil pressure gauge and temperature gauge:

Console - Mark 3 Deluxe and Mark 4:

Console - Nova:

Console - Grand:

Console - Avigo:

Engines:

1476cc petrol -> 1489cc BMC B-Series petrol and 1489cc BMC B-Series diesel -> 1817cc Isuzu petrol and 1995cc Izusu diesel.

Engine bay with the 1489cc petrol - Note the wet type air filter and the see-through fuel filter.

Engine bay - 1489cc petrol - Sample image courtesy Bhpian anjan_c2007:

Engine bay - 1800cc petrol - Image courtesy Bhpian musicmanaman:

Engine bay - 2000cc diesel - Image courtesy Bhpian sidindica:

Continue reading on BHPian vigsom's 1971 Hindustan Ambassador for BHPian comments, insights and more information.

The Mark 1 Ambassador was built from 1957 to 1962.

Bell Bottom - an action thriller starring Akshay Kumar, was released earlier this year on August 19. But, we're not going to talk about the movie itself.

Eagle-eyed BHPian Leoshashi spotted something really interesting. The Mark 1 HM Ambassador used in the movie has the same number plate (DIA 6479) as the first Maruti 800 that was delivered.

As you may know, the first Maruti 800 was delivered to Harpal Singh, who had received the keys to the car from none other than the then Prime Minister of India Mrs. Indira Gandhi.

Interestingly, the first Maruti 800 rolled out of the factory in 1983. However, the Mark 1 Ambassador was built from 1957 to 1962.

We're not sure why the director decided to use the same number plate. Nevertheless, it's an interesting catch.

Thanks to BHPian Leoshashi for sharing this information with other enthusiasts!

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.

BHPian arun1100 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hindustan Ambassador - The purchase and initial ownership experience

This thread is about the ownership experience of our 60-year-old Historical Car - The 1960 Hindustan Ambassador (popularly known as Mark 1); 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 in which 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 the Ambassador, my grandfather owned a 1970 Mark 2. 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 Mark 2 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 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 scooters at home. But one fine evening in Jan 2020, I stumbled upon an Ambassador Mark 1 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 that 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 on the door and there came the Ambassador's owner, Mr. Anand Kumar, and 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 him 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's 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 bits were 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 minutes, he 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.

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!

Continue reading arun1100's review of his 1960 Ambassador and BHPian comments for more insights and information.

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.

The electric Ambassador pulls a truck which weighs 14.5 tons.

An electric Hindustan Ambassador converted by He-Man Auto Robopark has shown its capabilities by pulling a loaded truck in a new video. The video was uploaded on the Kerala-based company's YouTube channel.

The total weight of the loaded truck is 14.5 tons. The electric Ambassador produces 275 Nm @ 1,500 rpm. It has a 0-100 km/h time of 12 seconds and a top speed of 120 km/h. Reports suggest that it has a 20 kW battery back and the motor produces 53 BHP. It is said to have a range of 100 km on a single charge and takes 8 hours to charge the battery.

According to a comment in the YouTube video, He-Man Auto could be developing an electric version of the Contessa.

In the UK, Lunaz is converting classic Rolls Royce cars to electric vehicles.

Hindustan Motors, India's oldest carmaker, has posted a net loss of Rs. 11.25 crore for the period April-September 2015.

In May 2014, Hindustan Motors suspended production of the Ambassador car at its Uttarpara plant. The company had declared itself a sick unit to the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR).

The company cited worsening conditions at the plant including very low productivity, growing indiscipline, critical shortage of funds, lack of demand for the Ambassador and large accumulation of liabilities for stoppage of production.

For the year 2014-15, the company recorded a loss of Rs. 41.90 crore. While it had accumulated losses of Rs. 201.01 crore till March 31, 2015, it had a share capital of Rs. 104.41 crore. The company’s current liabilities exceeded the current assets by Rs. 73.66 crore.

Hindustan Motors also went on to declare lay-offs at its Pithampur plant later in the year.

In a note to the accounts, Hindustan Motors has said "These condition indicate the existence of material uncertainty about the company's ability to continue as a going concern."

Source: Business Line