Hindustan Motors sells Ambassador car brand to Peugeot

Hindustan Motors sells Ambassador car brand to Peugeot KOLKATA: Ambassador, the iconic (प्रतिष्ठित) Indian car brand that till less than a decade(दशक)  ago carried both the Prime Minister and the common man, is being sold to French carmaker Peugeot. The C K Birla Group-owned Hindustan Motors formalised the deal for Rs 80 crore on Friday. Production of Ambassador cars had stopped

around three years ago. "We have executed an agreement with the Peugeot SA Group for the sale of the brand Ambassador, including the trademarks... We intend (इरादा करना) to use the proceeds from the sale to clear dues of employees and lenders(उधारदाताओं) ," a CK Birla Group spokesperson said.

To those who grew up in the 1960s and 70s, Ambassador wasn't just a car; it was an inseparable part of India's urban landscape.

The car's absence of looks was never in doubt. But in an era of limited choices, the spacious(विशाल) four wheeler was the preferred choice for most Indians who could afford it. Even today for many, the car remains synonymous(पर्याय)  with memories of their fonder and younger days and a marker of a more innocent India.

It is not clear if Peugeot will use the Ambassador brand for its cars in India. A questionnaire mailed to the French company remained unanswered.

The Ambassador brand was introduced seven decades ago when Hindustan Motors launched the Morris Oxford series II (Landmaster) in a new avatar with minor changes.