Ambassador: the royal car it was

Ambassador: the royal car it was
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Highlights

Ambassador: The Royal Car It Was And Its Journey In India. Hindustan Motors produced the first ever car to be manufactured in India: the Hindustan Ambassador; and ever since then, the car has become permanently etched in every Indian’s memories, especially for those from the 19th century.

Hindustan Motors produced the first ever car to be manufactured in India: the Hindustan Ambassador; and ever since then, the car has become permanently etched in every Indian’s memories, especially for those from the 19th century.

For the younger ones, it might have forced them to grab their wickets and run to the sides of the road as it sped along; the occupants always being distant entities. For the older ones, it might have been a shocking symbol of the leaps in development the world was going through.

Unfortunately, it’s not likely you’ll see it on the roads anymore because Hindustan Motors has stopped its production – though many reports claim that it’s only temporarily.

Here are 7 facts that sum up the journey of the beloved Ambassador through the Indian market:

1. The Ambassador’s make is based on the old Morris Oxford Series III, produced by Morris Motors Limited in Oxford, UK. The production for the car began in 1957; however, under British Raj, the then Morris 10 was being built as Hindustan 10 at a plant in Port Okha, Gujarat.

2. In 1948, the production of the car was moved to Uttarpara, West Bengal. In 1954, after taking licece, the Morris Oxford Series II was built there, and it finally rolled out in 1957 as the Hindustan Landmaster.

3. The vehicle sourced its prower from a 1489cc. BMW B-series diesel engine, becoming the first diesel car in India.

4. 16% of the total sales of the Ambassador came from Government officials as it was the first choice for politicians and bureaucrats.

5. In 1984, Hindustan Motors was producing nearly 1 lakh units of the Ambassador. In 2004, the company set a record of over 9 lakh units.

6. Despite full deprecation achieved by Hindustan Motors’ Uttarpara Plant in the year 2000, the company did not cut the price down of the vehicle. Many experts believe that if they had done so, the car would have survived.

7. In 2013, the Ambassador was crowned as the best taxi in the world by Top Gear, outclassing major international brands like Volkswagen Beetle, Russian limousine, and Black London Cab.

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