Hindustan Ambassador. 1959–2014 (prod. 4,000,000 approx. to 2004). 4-door saloon, 5-door estate. F/R, 1466 cm³ diesel, 1489 cm³ petrol (I4 OHV), 1817 cm³ petrol, 1817 cm³ CNG, 1817 cm³ LPG, 1995 cm³ diesel (I4 OHC). Indian version of Morris Oxford III, originally Hindusthan Ambassador. Mk II from 1963, Mk III from 1975. Estate built for a short time in the 1970s but never took off. Mk IV from 1979, with diesel added. Isuzu 1·8 engine from 1990, for Ambassador Nova; Ambassador Classic from 1999. Still very popular to the end of its life, usually favoured as ministerial transport, with taxi market accounting for many sales in some Indian cities. As more modern transport became commonplace in India, the Amby steadily disappeared. Heavy, not that well built, and dynamically well behind the times. Production officially went into hiatus in 2014, and never restarted.

Manufacturing location: Uttarpara, West Bengal, India

Marque: Hindustan | Model: Hindustan Ambassador | Predecessor: Hindusthan Landmaster

q.v. Hindustan Ambassador Avigo

Off-site links

• AROnline: ‘Around the world: Hindustan Motors’
• A. Malik and S. Mitra: ‘Birlaji's jalopy’, India Today, February 11, 2002
• A. Roberts: ‘Jewel of India’, The Daily Telegraph, May 12, 2007