Good ol’ Amby: Mumbai-based fans of the Ambassador react to news of the classic car’s electric revamp

Growing up in the late 70s and 80s in Mumbai, Sanat Dattatraya Patil had the opportunity to travel in the Ambassador very often. It was among the three popular cars - including Fiat and Jeep -plying on city roads then. "I have a lot of memories with the Ambassador because of my relatives who worked with the government, and my father who had a Jeep and an Ambassador." Ever since, he always wanted to own one. Fast forward to 2009, Borivali-based Patil, while on a visit to Kerala for a friend's wedding, happened to sit in a golden Ambassador and that instantly reignited his love for the car. "By this time, there were very few Ambassadors in Mumbai and while travelling in Kerala in the car, I decided I was going to buy an Ambassador in Mumbai."

The Hindustan Ambassador, known simply as ‘the Ambassador', was an iconic car manufactured by Hindustan Motors from 1957 till 2014. However, over the years, it completely disappeared from city streets as newer, bigger and comfortable cars arrived. Recently, reports emerged of Hindustan Motor and Peugeot working on the engine and design of a new model of the vintage brand at the Hindustan Motors Chennai facility. With a plan to launch the new model by 2024, Mid-day Online spoke to three Mumbaikars, who took us through the effort it took to get their hands on the original Ambassador. They also reacted to the news of the upcoming electric version in the works.

Borivali-based Sanat Patil decided he wanted to buy an Ambassador after he spent time in the car on a trip to Kerala in 2009. He went on to purchase the 1970 model Mark II for Rs 22,000 the same year. Photo Courtesy: Sanat Patil

Love letters for Amby
Patil is one such lover of the Ambassador, who came back to the city from his Kerala trip with a mission to purchase the car. He immediately visited Thane, where he had earlier spotted a few dealers. The dealers were astonished by his rare demand and asked, "Do you really want an Ambassador?", Sanat tells us. They were convinced after his affirmation. Following brief negotiations, Sanat purchased the 1970 model Mark II for Rs 22,000 the same year. Such was his love for the vintage car, the first manufactured in India, that amid his busy schedule, he kept it in the garage to restore it to factory specifications. This meant he had to source parts from all over the country, including Kolkata. He brought it out on the road a year later with happiness that was beyond measure. Now, Patil, who is an owner of two other cars, takes it out once a month for a trip outside Mumbai with friends and family. The lack of an AC in the car doesn't make it a favourite among non-enthusiasts, the former corporate banker-turned-organic farmer says.

Elsewhere, in Thane, Abhilash Nambiar also had a similar feeling in 2011. Nambiar says the car is visible a lot in his native state Kerala, and in Kolkata, more than any other place in India. "I casually told somebody that I want a good-looking Ambassador in good shape to add to my collection of Jeeps. Suddenly, I realised that there were hardly any Ambassadors here in Thane or even in Mumbai for that matter and ones in good condition were scarce."

A Jeep aficionado, Abhilash Nambiar added the Ambassador to his collection in 2011 and takes it out every Sunday for a ride. Photo Courtesy: Abhilash Nambiar

Fortunately for him, the 47-year-old found one in the Hindu Colony in Dadar almost a month after he spoke to a mechanic in the area. "The owner of the car had passed away and the car was just lying in the basement. So, I paid Rs 4 lakhs and picked it up." Nambiar fell in love with the car as soon as he sat in it and drove it for the first time, to the workshop for 10-15 km. The Jeep aficionado even rechristened it as a ‘Jeep car' as while driving it, he felt he was driving his Jeep. "My friend's father was a great Ambassador mechanic of his time, so I told him, ‘Uncle, you have to refurbish this for me' because they are very tricky vehicles."

He goes on to tell us that during his travels he realised why the car was unique - it was because of its monocoque chassis. "If you own the car, you need to take care of it because it will start to rust and has to be painted every three to four years. So, with this chassis, the car starts losing its shape to the extent that you can't even close the door because it is all one big part," says the city-based businessman, who owns eight vehicles. His car has an Isuzu diesel engine, unlike the petrol engine owned by Patil. "The beauty is that when you take this car out on a ride, it gives you one of the best ride qualities available. It is much more comfortable than riding any of the modern SUVs today," adds Nambiar, who fell in love with collecting cars almost 20 years ago. The car, which he fondly calls ‘Amby' is a 1988 model that he takes out every Sunday.

Abhilash Nambiar fell in love with the car as soon as he sat in it and drove it for the first time, to the workshop for 10-15 km. Photo Courtesy: Abhilash Nambiar

Ambassador like family
Yash Samant, another Borivali resident like Patil, has a history with the car. Though he is only 24 years old, he learnt that his family's association with the car goes back almost 50 years. There weren't many other options for a family car at the time. and although it was slow, it was smooth, he says. "The Ambassador we have was bought by my great grandfather in 1977 as a pre-owned vehicle and has been there ever since. It was passed on to my father and now me," Samant shares. "When I was born, I actually came home in the car."

The magic of the car has even made the third-generation owner passionate about old-time cars, which he documents on his YouTube channel called 'Fix Paana'. "Classic cars and motorcycles have now become a hobby of mine," he adds. This isn't the only Ambassador the family has, as they recently purchased a 1958 Ambassador from a family friend.

The magic of the car has even made Yash Samant, the third-generation owner passionate about old-time cars, which he documents on his YouTube channel called 'Fix Paana'. Photo: Yash Samant

How about a revival?
With the news of its revival circulating in groups of car enthusiasts and collectors, Patil, speaking for the community, says they are quite happy even though there is limited information available. While the 50-year-old says they are happy about the car being electric, "the feel and nostalgia of the petrol engine car" will be missing. "My curiosity is how will they translate this legacy, passion and long history of the Ambassador brand into a new electric vehicle? It will also be interesting to see how they establish the link between the new and the old, which will matter a lot for fans like us," he adds. In fact, Patil sees scope in tourism too as he has noticed that a lot of foreigners want to travel in this iconic car over others.

However, Nambiar likes to compare the revival to that of the iconic Java motorcycle, which was done by Mahindra and thus he says it would be incorrect to compare the old Ambassador to the new one. "It would be automatic and just a very nice car. The kind of association you would have with the Ambassador of the 80s and 90s is not something you would get in a modern car," he guesses.

The young fan Samant is hopeful. "The future is electric and it will be nice to have an electric Ambassador. I hope they will retain the aesthetic or the style of the old Ambassador somehow," he wishes, adding that that shouldn't be something they do just for the sake of it.