Hindustan Motors

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Hindustan Ambassador Avigo

Hindustan Motors is one of the three oldest Indian automobile manufacturers.

history

The company was founded in 1942 by the Indian industrialist family Birla in Port Okha near Gujarat . 1944 took the licensed production of British commercial vehicles in what in 1946 and Morris - cars joined. With transport from Great Britain to India virtually cut off during World War II , the Indian economy flourished during this period. After India's independence and the First Indo-Pakistani War in 1948, production was relocated from Hindustan to Uttarpara near Kolkata in West Bengal .

When the new model of the Morris Oxford was introduced in Great Britain in 1959 , Hindustan took over the older Morris Oxford Series III from 1956. This model was built with numerous modifications until 2014 under the name Hindustan Ambassador and is still used as a taxi and as a government limousine. Production was discontinued in May 2014. Thanks to high import tariffs and the restrictions of foreign investors until the late 1980s, Hindustan led the sales figures for a long time with this model, which is considered to be indestructible and solid in India.

Until recently, Hindustan did without modern electronics for the Ambassador , but various body modifications were carried out. A catalytic converter version was offered in the UK and Japan . At peak times, 11,000 employees produced approx. 18,000 Ambassadors with up to five engine variants (including diesel, natural gas and liquid gas versions ). In recent years, however, sales have fallen rapidly, partly because the Indian government introduced new environmental guidelines in 2010. The Ambassador still enjoys cult status in India, comparable to the Checker Taxi in the USA .

There was also another British car model, the Vauxhall Victor , the British counterpart to the Opel Rekord D , whose production in Great Britain was discontinued in 1978. In India it was equipped with an Isuzu engine as the Hindustan Contessa and was also produced in Uttapara until 2002. In addition, an Indian multi-utility vehicle similar to the Suzuki Samurai was manufactured here in a pickup version as a Hindustan Porter, as a Jeep version (Hindustan Pushpak or Hindustan Trekker).

In addition, the production of trucks continued here. Today Hindustan builds the chassis with 112 HP diesel engine and drive unit of the Bedford truck as the Hindustan T-480 FC. These models are also exported to Bangladesh , Egypt , New Zealand , Sri Lanka and Mauritius .

Together with the Mitsubishi group, Hindustan built a new factory in 1998 in Tiruvallur near Chennai in the state of Tamil Nadu . The Mitsubishi Lancer and the Mitsubishi Pajero , a sports utility vehicle, are manufactured there. The Mitsubishi Cedia is also offered.

In Pithampur near Indore in the state of Madhya Pradesh , Hindustan set up another joint venture with the Australian OKA Motor Company for the assembly of an off-road vehicle that is supplied with a body as a minibus , as a flatbed truck or as an ambulance .

Heavy construction machinery is manufactured in Hosur near Bangalore in the state of Tamil Nadu and is also exported to Oman , Jordan , Iraq , Bangladesh, Mauritius and Libya .

In 2017 PSA signed agreements with the parent company of Hindustan Motors, the CK Birla Group , to enter the Indian market. This also includes the purchase of the Ambassador brand .

Models

Current models

Models discontinued in the meantime

  • Hindustan Ambassador (basic model from 1956 to 1999)
  • Hindustan Ambassador Classic (licensed construction of the Morris Oxford, basic model from 1999 to 2014)
  • Hindustan Ambassador Grand (from 1999; revised version of the Ambassador)
  • Hindustan Ambassador Avigo (2004-2010; revised version of the Ambassador)
  • Hindustan Contessa (1998–2002, revised version of the Contessa Classic)
  • Hindustan Contessa Classic (1978-2002, Chevrolet Contessa Classic built under license)
  • Hindustan Winner (pick-up truck)
  • Hindustan Mascot T-480 FC (truck)
  • Hindustan Porter (from 2004)
  • Hindustan Pushpak (from 2004)
  • Hindustan RTV (truck, school bus and ambulance under license from the Australian OKA Motor Company)
  • Hindustan Trekker (from 2004)

  • Hindustan Ambassador

  • Hindustan Ambassador Avigo

  • Hindustan Ambassador Classic

  • Mitsubishi Lancer

  • Mitsubishi Montero

  • Mitsubishi Montero (current)

  • Mitsubishi Pajero

Web links

Commons : Hindustan  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The engine range for the Hindustan Ambassador on the model website
  2. ↑ Hindustian Times, Feb 11, 2017, Hindustan Motors' Ambassador sold to Peugeot (English)