Hindustan Ambassador

Send This Page To A Friend
Hindustan

Hindustan Ambassador

1959 - Today
Country:
Engine:
4 cyl. Petrol/Diesel
Capacity:
1489/1800cc
Power:
36 bhp
Transmission:
4 spd. man
Top Speed:
99 km/h
Number Built:
n/a
Collectability:
1 star
One of the oldest designed cars still being manufactured today is the infamous "Indian taxi", the Hindustan Ambassador. Based on the 1948 Morris Oxford, the current Ambassador now features a diesel engine, heavy-duty gearbox and even power steering.

The original engine owes its design origins to the BMC 1500cc motor of that time, however it has recently been replaced with an Isuzu 1800cc diesel. Regardless of which motor is fitted to the humble Hindustan, performance will never be overwhelming, with the body weight coming in at 1554 kg!!

The majority of Ambassadors on Indian roads feature drum brakes, unassisted steering and tires with tubes - hardly features that a classic car collector would be looking for but surely making this car very unique! (and dangerous?)

The longevity of the design can no doubt be attributed to the Indian governments prohibitive import tarrifs, which has seen the Ambassador compete in the Indian market relatively unchallenged.

Even more suprising is that the Ambassador remains the Indian Prime Ministers official car.

Visitor Rating:


back
Unique Cars and Parts USA - The Ultimate Classic Car Resource
next