Hindustan Motors — The Ambassador “The Iconic Muscle Car of India”
I still remember the day I went to collect the keys to a new Mark 4 Ambassador on behalf of my father as he was transferred to Hindustan Motor’s truck plant in Halol, Gujarat, India. As a perk, the executive leadership offered its employees the car at a discounted rate. After depositing the check to the office manager, the driver from the office dropped the car at our house. After a few days, I got my first driving lesson from my uncle, who was visiting us.
Going down memory lane, it was a matter of pride for me when I told my friends and relatives that my father worked for Hindustan Motors. The place where India’s Iconic car ‘The Ambassador’ was manufactured. It was a small town with a dedicated railway station — Hind Motor (about 20 minutes local train ride from Howrah Station). It also had all the amenities for its employees. Some included cost-free apartments, a hospital, grocery stores, schools, sports facilities, and an auditorium where Bollywood movies were shown. Today, it is miserable that the town, once vibrant, is a ghost town with only a school and Hindu temple functioning.
Usage of Ambassador
For decades primarily from the 1950s thru the 1980s, the Ambassador car, called the ‘Indian muscle car,’ ruled the roads. No car could come close to it. The car was not only liked by Indians but also became the official car of the bureaucrats, government officials, and political leaders, including the Indian Prime minister, until 2004, when the shift was made to BMW 7 series for security reasons. It was also called the “lal batti car” as it had a red beacon usually used by emergency vehicles. On May 1, 2017, Prime Minister Narendra Modi banned the usage of the red beacon on all government vehicles.
The cab companies chose an ambassador due to its low maintenance costs, rugged nature, ability to drive on bad roads, and accommodate up to six passengers. In 2013, it was named the world’s best taxi, according to Top Gear. It beat the cabs from the UK, USA, Germany, South Africa, Mexico, and Russia. Even today, the Ambassador’s yellow taxi’s still plying on the streets of Kolkata.
The people loved the Ambassador car compared to Premier Padmini or Maruti Suzuki 800 because it could accommodate their large families. It also became the base of many derivations like ambulances, goods carriers, pickup trucks, and a station wagon which could carry up to 14 passengers.
How Ambassador evolved over the years
Hindustan Motors started its operations in 1942 in Port Okha, Gujarat. Its founder Shri B.M Birla later moved the operations to Uttarpara, West Bengal, in 1948. The first car to roll out of the plant was Hindustan 10. In 1954 Landmaster, based upon Morris Oxford Series II, was launched. Ambassador Mark 1 was introduced three years later based on Morris Oxford Series III. This model was available until 1961. For the next 25 years, in 1962, Ambassador went through three models (Mark 2, 3, and 4) revisions, primarily cosmetic. In other words, there were minimal design changes to all three models. One had to investigate the models to discover what features had changed or been added. For more details about Ambassador’s journey and its models, please click here Ambassador | Tableau Public
The ’90s saw the emergence of Ambassador Nova (1990) and Ambassador 1800 Isuzu classic (1992). The Nova was available in two variants — a 55 bhp petrol version and a 37 bhp Diesel-powered version. It was given a facelift with the addition of a new radiator grill, a new steering column, better brakes, and electricals. On the other hand, the Ambassador 1800 Isuzu classic housed the same engine available in Hindustan Motor’s Luxury model Contessa 1.8 GL. In addition, it also revamped the interior by providing front-row bucket seats, redesigning the dashboard, replacing the older metallic one with plastic where dials and gauges were inside the instrument panel, and a five-speed manual gearbox with floor shift. The exterior features included alloy wheels.
The 2000s was the final generation set of cars that were launched. The three models were the Grand (2003), Avigo (2004), and Encore (2013). Again, the changes primarily centered around changing the interior of the car. No attempt was made to make a significant change to the external look of the vehicle. This was a clear example of a company not having any strategic goal to improve its product.
The slow demise of the Ambassador
After 1990 the sales started plummeting with the entry of foreign companies like Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai, and others. The vehicles they manufactured were stylish, gave better gas mileage, and had outstanding after-sales service. See the chart below.
In 2014, Hindustan Motors finally closed the Uttarpara plant in Hooghly, West Bengal, India, after producing about 900,000 vehicles in fifty years. The Ambassador brand was sold to Peugeot Motors for meager 80 crores in 2017. This news broke my heart. I could not believe that a vehicle that was so popular and loved by the Indians had to meet this fate.
I can cite numerous reasons for its closure. Some include no investment in marketing strategies, not seeing the customer’s changing needs, high pricing structure, and no innovation that led Maruti Suzuki to go past sales. I think the primary reason for its downfall was Hindustan Motors’ top management not adapting to the ‘Kaizen’ methodology, which means change for the better or continuous improvement. To state the fact, Ambassador was designed around a monocoque chaise, acquired years back from Morris Oxford series III, and remained untouched for all its manufactured models.
Final Thoughts
Even though Ambassador has exited the Indian roads, I think Indian citizens still possess a soft corner for it. This is despite many options available. So, suppose the rumors about Hindustan Motors collaborating with Peugeot motors to produce a new EV vehicle in 2024 in Chennai, Tamil Nādu, India, are accurate. In that case, I believe the new car could take the Indian market by storm. However, a lot will depend upon how the new vehicle will be designed, manufactured, and launched. The critical factor also would be the management not committing the same mistakes as it did in the past. Instead, it would invent innovation and listen to the voice of the customer. In addition, the management will also need to consider that it is looking into producing a vehicle with parts made in India and looks that, in some ways, remind of the old ambassador. In my opinion, this will be an essential strategy to consider. If this strategy is regarded, the company may seek a competitive advantage over other Indian automakers collaborating with foreign companies. Overall, the lesson the Ambassador car history teaches us is that a company’s product does not stay permanent. It will get replaced if it does not adhere to competition, but its legacy will always remain.
I want to dedicate this article to all the engineers (including my dad), workers who worked at the Uttarpara assembly plant, Hind motor Nursery School teachers (including my late Mom), and last but not least, my friends with whom I had the best time of my life.
