Hindustan Motors

The Hindustan Motors (HM) Contessa, ever since its inception in India, has been touted as the common man’s muscle car. Both enthusiasts and laymen were quick to point out the Contessa’s muscle car references, because with its long hood, classic lines and subtle chrome trimming, it authoritatively stood out amongst the sea of Ambassadors, Padminis and Marutis. The Contessa had been around for a long time in the Indian market, therefore, gaining cult status. There have been countless modifications to Read More...

French automobile manufacturer Peugeot was recently in the news after the company announced its entry into the Indian market via a Joint Venture (JV) with the CK Birla group.  Now, Peugeot has made it to the headlines yet again after they bought the iconic Ambassador brand from Hindustan Motors. In a regulatory filing, Hindustan Motors said, “Hindustan Motors has executed an agreement with Peugeot SA for the sale of the Ambassador brand, including the trademarks, for a consideration of INR Read More...

  Right after we got de-colonized, the HM Ambassador became half the face of a nascent Indian automotive scene. The other half was the Premier Padmini. The Ambassador lived on until recently, mostly in its hometown of Kolkata as honest taxi cabs, their tired suspensions crashing over the city's tram lines. It is still loved by many, who swear by its cavernous cabin, the sofa-like rear seat and the solid build. This particular example seems to be well loved as Read More...

  The story of the HM Ambassador pretty much sums up the laziness that has gripped the eastern part of the country after the British left; maybe it's the sumptuous food and the slumber inducing weather, but it has definitely thwarted economic growth. A cash strapped Hindustan Motors had to stop manufacturing the ubiquitous Ambassador last year due to  flogging sales, and also because it still looks the same as it did in 1938, or was it 48? However, here is Read More...

It’s a cab, it’s a bureaucrat car - it’s an Ambassador. The iconic car, which met the tarmac for the first time in 1958, witnessed many years of ups and downs. However, little has changed in terms of looks of the car. Based on the design of British-made Morris Oxford, the Ambassador, also known as Amby, was a fairly simple looking car. The front black grill made the car look like a serious man, with a mustache, who was appointed Read More...

   That the sales of the Hindustan Motors Ambassador have been taking a steep dive since ages now is no secret. The West Bengal based carmaker has always been in troubled waters ever since the zippier and more frugal Japanese motors arrived on the horizon. However, it seems that the brand has breathed its last, if an official statement from the company is something to go by. The efforts from the management to continue production and revive the unit have Read More...

It seems like Hindustan Motors is in no mood to give up on its old warhorse. Only recently, the West Bengal based car maker came out with the new BS4 Compliant Ambassador Diesel and talks of the upcoming Compact Sedan variant of the Amby have been doing rounds since almost a year now. Now, it is being said that the Amby CS, which will obviously measure less than 4 metres in length, will be launched next year and could be Read More...

Regulars here would remember that we reported in detail when the BS4 compliant Ambassador was finally launched in India . The BS4 compliant car has been dubbed as the HM Ambassador Encore and the car has been priced at INR 4,97,996 (ex-Showroom, Kolkata) for the ‘No Refusal’ taxi segment. No Refusal Taxies is running all over Kolkata and the speciality of these cabs is that they won’t refuse to be on service even in late night, bad weather, bandhs and Read More...

After several speculations and a lot of waiting, the BS4 compliant Ambassador was finally launched in India yesterday. The BS4 compliant car has been named as the HM Ambassador Encore and bookings for this variant are Now Open. The new HM Ambassador Encore has been priced at INR 4,97,996 (ex-Showroom, Kolkata) for the ‘No Refusal’ taxi segment. No Refusal Taxies would soon be seen running all over Kolkata and the speciality of these cabs is that they won't refuse to Read More...