Amby ' Never say die

--- Anil Kumar Naik  (akn929@yahoo.com)

The good old Ambassador car is still loved in India. It refuses to die. It is getting a fresh lease of life in these inflationary times. Inflation does not seem to affect Amby. It has a steady market, and surprisingly growing too.

With the influx of foreign made cars, Amby is still liked by many because it just does not have any maintenance issues. Spares are easily available. The government, which was the major customer, has once again shown interest in the Ambassador. Taxi operators still swear by it.

The economics work in its favour. The diesel version is 30 per cent cheaper to maintain than other brands in India, while the petrol vehicle does not require any maintenance. It is for this reason; the government, which for some years went for foreign cars, is placing fresh orders. Last month, Jammu & Kashmir Police has given an order for 400 cars. The Delhi government has placed a fresh order for 50 cars, while Amby has been short listed by BSNL too. 

People still find it comfortable and spacious as compared to foreign cars. Hindustan Motors (HM), the manufacturers of Amby claim, it has a sale of 1000 cars a month, of which 250 are fitted with petrol engines, 100 with CNG and the rest diesel. Ambassador's National Sales Manager, Amar Singh Rathod is confident that they will increase their monthly sales by 50 per cent to 1500 cars.

Amby still has a lot of patrons. Taxi operators in the southern states prefer Amby to other cars. HM claims that Amby can do 300 km every day on rugged and dusty Indian roads with absolutely no maintenance. It gives 16 km to a litre of diesel.

Even the cash rich younger generation with a choice of foreign brands, seem to be curious of Amby and its never say die spirit. Some even seem to be attracted towards it for long drives. It is truly a national car; mechanics in any remote corner can fix it with easily available spares in any part of India. It is sturdy, elegant and strong. Even the British, though they designed it, are baffled by the Amby saga in India and its never say die spirit.

Amby embodies the spirit of India. Come what may, Amby will live on. It is truly an Indian car meant for the urban or rural Indian roads and our climatic conditions. And we hope, believing in this spirit, HM will not scrap Amby but upgrade it from time to time to compete with foreign cars.

About the Author: