Auto enthusiasts are excited about Hindustan Motors’ Ambassador brand. The sturdy car, based on the British Morris Oxford, dominated the Indian auto market for decades until it was replaced by Maruti in 2014. Hindustan Motors teamed with Peugeot to electrify the Ambassador. Two years for the upgrade. The Ambassador’s resurrection, their memories of the car, and it’s future. The Ambassador was a spacious, luxurious automobile of pride for the Indian family, government, Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel, and Bollywood movies. Indian buyers still remember their first automobile, first used car, first drive, or first drive after marriage.
Sandeep Goyal, Managing Director of Rediffusion, remarked, “I don’t remember any Ambassador advertising since businesses like Ambassador or Fiat didn’t need to market.” As output was behind demand, buyers waited in line. The Fiat was little. Upcountry cities favoured the Ambassador more. Prime Minister, Ministers, and Dignitaries driving with the Indian tricolour on Raj Path was the best advertisement for the Ambassador.
Satbir Singh is nostalgic about Kolkata’s taxis. Kolkata’s yellow Ambassadors were Premier Padmini’s. Amby’s backseat is comfy. Seat, not the couch! India’s competitive car market will complicate Ambassador’s return. The automotive market altered in 2014. Several worldwide rivals have a considerable market share, and buyers are spoilt for design, features, price range, and classifications – compact cars, hatchbacks, sedans, SUVs, mini-SUVs, automatic gear, or hybrids. Changed tastes and spending power.
Goyal criticised Ambassador’s recuperation. Retro-cool Ambassador? Rare vintage Ambassadors have unbeatable modern brands and styles. Vani Gupta Dandia believes the Ambassador will appeal to vintage lovers. The Ambassador should modernise its engine/tech without copying other automobiles. She said Camper Shoes’ innovation helped individuals train, run faster, and perform better. The brand should inspire family and work memories. Legacy brands should keep old models. Reduced clutter raises pricing. He said, “Models.” “It should be called ‘ide the old Pride’ since it’s not a car but a vehicle of emotional recollections,'” Kapoor said.
The Ambassador’s design is its USP, like Coca-Cola’s. Will a redesigned Ambassador be the same? Will the conventional appearance disappear? Hindustan Motors may want to look at the VW Beetle if it wants to compete with the old Morris Oxford, said Sandeep Goyal. The Ambassador’s charm depends on retaining the original Morris’s outlines.
According to Ambika Sharma, new designs require new science. It needs to replace sluggish, leisurely, comfy, and space-consuming. “This is a strong sector sitting vacant in the car industry that is so naturally Ambassador,” Dandia added. “I’d love to purchase an ambassador myself! My parents, too!” “Keep the classic design,” she said.
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