A long standing Indian icon

One of my friends mentioned this article about the Ambassador in the L.A. Times, and I was curious to find what the columnist had to say about one of India's icons. So, I wound up at this page, thanks to the ever obliging Google.

Being from a family that used to sport not less than three Ambys (as the car is fondly called) at home, I admit I had some nostalgic memories when I navigated to this site. Not surprisingly, I was quickly disabused of my notions about expecting some nostalgia-evoking sentences. One phrase about the car not being able to overtake even a wandering cow made me shout 'b****y murder'. Now, we all know that the line was an exaggeration, but still I could not help but feel strongly about it.

Ambys are good or bad members of India's automobile fraternity, depending on where you are positioned within the same. When you are on a bike, you want to shout at a bad (Amby) driver, who does not move, nor lets any body else move. One point to note here is that an Amby is a pretty big car for Indian roads, so it commands a lot of premium road space. There have been times when I myself have screamed my frustration at an Amby that sits on the middle of the road like a (deaf) buffalo.

Now for some positives. If you sitting inside an Amby, you feel like the king of the road. And usually, you are not alone in the car. There have been plenty of instances when entire families (some families like mine can stretch to 10+ people) share a ride on a single Amby! I have seen with my own eyes, ten people of various shapes and sizes, fitting into a single Amby, and the car actually ferried them with ease! Also, I must admit that I was once a member of such a party! If you are in an Amby, you get a comfy ride (by Indian standards of old) on any typical battered road. Maybe that is why tourist taxis still prefer to get Ambys over Omnis (a minivan), though an Amby is not much of a competitor to a Qualis (an SUV). I can recall more than quite a few long trips in Ambys, and I have fared none the worse for them. Needless to say, we did successfully overtake a few 'wandering cows'! One more advantage: if somebody rams your Amby, chances are that the somebody has a problem, and not you. This can be attributed to the predominantly lower speeds and that the Amby is so heavy and sturdy that it can probably handle the situation without any safety features like crumple zones of airbags. Of course, one needs these safety features on all cars, regardless of speeds, etc., so I hope the manufacturers do include them in the future.

Amby is a dying car today, as it has to compete with Toyotas, Fords, Hondas, etc. and it does not stand a chance against them. However, for those who recall the old magic of this icon, those who call her 'the Queen of Indian roads', the Amby will forever reside in memory for years to come. It certainly shall, in mine.

The Ambassador - An Indian icon.