Hindustan Motors stopped production of the Iconic Ambassador car in their West Bengal plant this week. Once known as the mascot of moving India, to be history now and considered as vintage.
Ambassador known to be the official car used by prime ministers and bureaucrats, and stood for power, stodginess and authority. During the days when it was used, it was known to stand for social prestige and high economic status at the personal level. It has been a way for millions who formed the idea of a shape of a car based on the Hindustan Motors’ Ace production. The first car rolled out in 1957, astonishing survival till date. The major challenger to Ambassador was the Maruti 800 which shelved before it. Today, popular tastes and the change in requirements of the consumers has resulted in Ambassador’s off road way and new, better vehicles are ruling the roads now. Technology overcame the mascot.
The company is steeped in debt and its production trickled down to a few. The shift from Ambassador to sleek, stylish and stunning looking vehicles is also a shift form socialist idea to capitalist era, from monopoly to choice. The Ambassador will now move on the roads for some more years and then will be evoked in the past, would be counted as vintage and a masterpiece from Hindustan Motors.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â By Anand Thakkar
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