People say that the memories we cherish from the past never die & indeed vehicles play an important role in this. Every vehicle we own today/in the past holds a special place in our hearts. Today, there are many options in the four-wheeler segment, but in the past, there were few, and it was here that the Indian "Rolls Royce" came in.
We all remember how the legendary four wheeler Ambassador vehicles looked back then. The vehicle retained its allure even after the introduction of Premier Padminis, Maruti 800s, and other vehicles at the time. Unfortunately, their presence did not last long due to the introduction of new car brands, and they faded away until production ceased in 2014
A Multipurpose Car that served all purposes
Back then, there were heaps of occasions wherein the vehicle was used. Rather than professional uses, the car was used productively on the day of the wedding. Predominantly during the 1980’s and 1990’s the Ambassador car was very famous during wedding. To keep up grandeur, the car was well decorated with flowers over the body and names of couple in block letters attached on the rear windshield glass. Most interestingly, across the southern region, a few days before a wedding, the people take the initiative to ensure the vehicle is in good condition as the special occasion is nearby and make it ready for the trip.
On the other hand, there were categories of well-known vehicles, but they were very few in contrast with the Ambassador, and those were very expensive at the time and people couldn’t afford them. Also, the vehicles like Benz, Fiat, Maruthi and other luxurious cars were used by the high income groups and seen very rare. Moreover, the cars for civil servants, do you remember? The driver in a white uniform is taking the respective personnel to the places on account of government duty. It was another occasion of use.
The Classic Old Taxi
To give a classical touch, "the taxi of India". The car with a wider space and many people can be seated comfortably for distant travel. Even now, in certain parts of the country, people maintain it well and use it as a taxi. Perhaps the old car lovers will opt to ride to bring back their old memories. What do you think?
Yes! There is no doubt that to recreate the past moments of life; people choose the old ones and feel nostalgic. Anyway, the car has driven through the roads for decades and graced a lot of moments.
Additionally, have you observed the trunk space of new vehicles these days? It is not as spacious as the vintage one. During the 1980s and 1990s, people hired ambassadors as taxis. The ride was cost-effective those days, and a lot of people could be seated comfortably. That too luggage’s are safe in the bigger space. What else you want? But time has changed, so follow the newer version of travel.
What went wrong?
The car was popular back then. However, after the arrival of Maruti Suzuki, they didn't make many changes in terms of technology and continued the same pattern till 2002. Later, they made a minor modification and launched a model in 2003, which was not a great success compared to Maruti Suzuki.
The price set by the Ambassador was a little higher, and people were not much fascinated by Hindustan Motors. Besides, the market had already been covered by Maruti, with their cars, and retro cannot even sustain itself with the newcomer.
Maybe in the initial years, things were better in terms of survival as there were no competitors. Even so, innovation matters when new entrants enter the space and fail to implement it, and that's the main reason for the failure.
Also, crazy people are still behind this iconic car who just wanted to do the restoration process and keep it driving through the roads. However, you may see these cars very limited now as there is no manufacturing involved and they are going for scrap.
All in all, there will not be another car in the future that can give the same feeling.
