Cosmetic makeover alone won't aid Amby

It is ironical that one of the most enduring icons of India's early motoring days, the Ambassador, is greeted with disparaging scepticism from a buyer today. After all, it has ferried the rich and powerful for more than 60 years. Hindustan Motors (HM), the maker of the Amby as it affectionately called, has been doing everything it can to extend the product's lifecycle. After several cosmetic changes and facelifts over the last 10 years, HM is pinning big hopes on the soft launch of a new retro-look variant, the Ambassador Avigo, which made its debut in select cities three months back. This is the third decisive makeover for the brand to give it another lease of life, with HM attempting to target people with "attitude who want to make a fashion statement". But the problem with Amby goes beyond its present incarnation, into the realm of buyers' psychology. Is it too much to expect people to buy a car that their father and grandfathers used and one that hasn't made any perceived change for years? And when a new generation of cars with global labels are being offered as a choice, the question becomes much more compelling. "The Ambassador is the abandoned child of a past generation," says Jayesh Desai, director, Motorcraft India, which runs an auto service chain brand, Service Masters. Buying a car is driven by emotional triggers as much as it is by rational thinking. Amby's antiquated body may evoke nostalgia for some, but it doesn't promote any ownership ambitions with the younger target. At the rational level, analysts believe, substantial changes under the bonnet have not been conveyed to potential buyers who would want to go beyond looks. Along with a poor image, Ambassador's perceptibly outdated technology, requiring heavy petrol usage, makes it a nightmare to run in this age of rising fuel prices. Time can be bought, but the end is inevitable. The company needs to shake off its complacency and develop successors of the legend. When the time comes, the Ambassador brand could live on albeit in a new guise.