In the coming two years, the iconic Ambassador is expected to return in a completely new form. Hind Motor Financial Corporation of India (HMFCI) and Peugeot are working together on the design and engine of a new version of the ‘Amby.’
Hindustan Motors, famous in India for its iconic Ambassador cars, is planning on establishing itself again in the Indian market, but this time as an electric vehicle manufacturer. The manufacturer is now planning a partnership with a European electric vehicle manufacturer to produce electric scooters in its plant, reports the Times of India. Furthermore, the company plans on expanding its operations to make electric cars, as per a report by HT Bangla. Based on the reports, the two companies signed an MoU to officiate the partnership.
According to the press, the new model of the legendary car brand would be produced at Hindustan Motors’ (HM) Chennai facility, which is run by HMFCI, a CK Birla Group associate firm.
On Wednesday, Hindustan Motors’ director Uttam Bose told the press that development on the ‘new look’ Amby is underway. “The new engine’s mechanical and design work has evolved to an advanced stage,” he continued.
Peugeot has long desired to set up shop in India and was one of the first multinational manufacturers to do so in the mid-1990s, just as the country’s economy was liberalizing.
HM’s Chennai plant previously produced Mitsubishi automobiles, while its Uttarpara plant was entirely committed to the Ambassador’s production. The last Ambassador automobile was produced at HM’s Uttarpara in September 2014. In 2014, India’s oldest carmaker, HM, suspended production, citing excessive debt and a lack of demand as reasons. The CK Birla Group, which owns HM, sold the automobile brand to the French carmaker for Rs 80 crore in 2017.
From the 1960s through the mid-1990s, the term “ambassador” was a prestige symbol in India.
