The ‘Sarkaari Gaadi’ Ambassador Likely To Be Reintroduced In A New Avatar

One of the longest running nameplates of India was discontinued in 2014

• The sedan first made its debut in 1957 and continued to serve till 2014, with several minor upgrades over the years. 

• The all-new Ambassador is reportedly under development and is planned to make a comeback in the next two years.

• As per the officialls, the mechanical and design work for the new engine has already reached an advanced stage. 

• It will be rolled out from the Hindustan Motors plant in Chennai. 

Hindustan Motor Financial Corporation of India (HMFCI), an associate company of the CK Birla Group, has confirmed that the Ambassador might make a comeback soon. The iconic car, which put many families on wheels, might be seen on the roads again. 

First, a brief throwback. The Hindustan Motors Ambassador is a legend. Be it a government officer or a family man, everyone wanted their hands on the Ambassador. The sedan served as most of the Indian families’ first car. It was introduced back in 1957, being based on the imported 1956 Morris Oxford III series. With some India-specific changes, it was rebadged as an Ambassador. 

Over its stint of 57 years, the car largely remain unchanged. It just got some feature additions, minor facelifts, and engine upgrades. As more cars started flowing into the country, the sedan became outdated and was discontinued for good in 2014. 

The PSA Group (Peugeot and Citroen) acquired the Ambassador brand in 2017 for a sum of Rs 80 crore.  Now, the PSA group is part of Stellantis, which also manufactures the Jeep and Citroen cars in India. The conglomerate seems to have plans to relaunch the iconiq marque. Recent reports have hinted that the Ambassador might hit the road again in the next two years. It will be manufactured from HM’s plant in Chennai, which is now a Citroen unit. 

In 2019, we received a statement from Stellantis CEO, Carlos Tavares (then Chairman, Managing Board Groupe PSA) stating,  “For us, Ambassador is an asset, of course. We understand what it represented in this country in terms of status, comfort and reliability. We are too young in this market to be able to have a clear cut opinion about how we should use it. So, what we have decided is to keep it in our hands and try to understand the market better while at the same time look for better opportunity for aligning it with Citroen brand. It could very much bridge the past with the future.”

• Upcoming Cars In India
• Citroen Ambassador: Can It Happen?

The carmaker will certainly try to retain its original bulbous look as much as possible. We’re expecting a similar silhouette but in a modern avatar, with premium styling elements. More details will soon follow with the development of the actual product.

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