Cars you didn't know existed...

[Matt Cup]

JPvanRossem said:

Jimmy Recard said:

I don't think I've made this comparison before, but I think that the Austin Ambassador might have better styling than the Lotec Ambassadeur

And the Hindustan Ambassador. Pretty much the holy trinity. Imagine opening the garage door and seeing those three looking back at you. Living the dream.

And it will be at this point, the women will be gushing.

[Mammasaid]

JPvanRossem said:

Matt Cup said:

JPvanRossem said:

Jimmy Recard said:

I don't think I've made this comparison before, but I think that the Austin Ambassador might have better styling than the Lotec Ambassadeur

And the Hindustan Ambassador. Pretty much the holy trinity. Imagine opening the garage door and seeing those three looking back at you. Living the dream.

And it will be at this point, the women will be gushing.

There will be a collective loss of self-control. Although, how it will manifest itself is anyone's guess.

Ambassador, you are spoiling us...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P-nZZkQqTc

...a sign of good taste.

[BrabusMog]

Matt Cup said:

I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I really like that

[Jimmy Recard]

JPvanRossem said:

And the Hindustan Ambassador. Pretty much the holy trinity. Imagine opening the garage door and seeing those three looking back at you. Living the dream.

Good point, I forgot that!

A Holden Statesman is another great addition to any garage of this theme

[saaby93]

Standard Gazel



See the rear hinged bonnet cut into the top of the normal herald bonnet
live rear axle rather than swing axles
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_(Indian_aut...

[soxboy]

saaby93 said:

Standard Gazel



See the rear hinged bonnet cut into the top of the normal herald bonnet
live rear axle rather than swing axles
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_(Indian_aut...

And 4 doors rather than 2.

[Dapster]

saaby93 said:

Standard Gazel
See the rear hinged bonnet cut into the top of the normal herald bonnet
live rear axle rather than swing axles
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_(Indian_aut...

If Wikki is to be believed, the production figures for Standard in India should make McLaren feel a bit better. Between 1980 and 1984 they produced 12 cars. 10 cars in the first 2 years, then nothing for the next 2 years, then 1 a year for the next 2. In a market of 1.2 billion people....

[Matt Cup]

JPvanRossem said:

Or a group road test comparing a Lotec Ambassadeur

with an Austin Ambassador

and a Hindustan Ambassador

Followed by a "Shoot Out" (is that the right cliche?) between the Standard Gazel

the Singer Gazelle

and, er, one of these?

How about one of these for the third contender.

GAZelle

[Jimmy Recard]

MC and JP, I’m liking this test!

I’ve never driven a Gazelle/ГАЗель but I’ve been in plenty of minibus ones. Very old fashioned things! I would like a go in one

[Dapster]

JPvanRossem said:

Or a group road test comparing a Lotec Ambassadeur

with an Austin Ambassador

and a Hindustan Ambassador

Not forgetting the....

AMC Ambassador


Nash Ambassador

Edited by Dapster on Wednesday 3rd June 17:59

[Fast Bug]

Jimmy Recard said:

MC and JP, I’m liking this test!

I’ve never driven a Gazelle/?????? but I’ve been in plenty of minibus ones. Very old fashioned things! I would like a go in one

Can't be any worse than the old Transits they're based on can they?

[Triumph Man]

RizzoTheRat said:

I never knew DAF ever made cars until a friend pointed one out the other day and said her grandmother used to have one

Didn't get a photo but from a quick google search I think it was a DAF 46 Combi. Something slightly odd about the proportions IMO, but I rather like the front end.

If you focus on the rear 3/4, it looks a little Triumph 2000 estate-esq

[Wildcat45]

Mammasaid said:

Ambassador, you are spoiling us...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P-nZZkQqTc

...a sign of good taste.

With Ian Duncan-Smith as the waiter.

[Hobbes003]

Jimmy Recard said:

Good point, I forgot that!

A Holden Statesman is another great addition to any garage of this theme

There's a whole slew of Opels with names along these lines (Kadett, Kapitän, Admiral, Diplomat, Senator).

[Fast Bug]

Nissan President

[Jimmy Recard]

Hobbes003 said:

There's a whole slew of Opels with names along these lines (Kadett, Kapitän, Admiral, Diplomat, Senator).

Good point! In a previous life I was a bit of an Opel Fruit and didn't think of any of those

[Jimmy Recard]

Fast Bug said:

Jimmy Recard said:

MC and JP, I’m liking this test!

I’ve never driven a Gazelle/?????? but I’ve been in plenty of minibus ones. Very old fashioned things! I would like a go in one

Can't be any worse than the old Transits they're based on can they?

I don't think they're actually based on the Transit, are they? They just look like them

Either way, they're still in production but that generation of Transit finished 20 years ago!

[Fast Bug]

Jimmy Recard said:

Fast Bug said:

Jimmy Recard said:

MC and JP, I’m liking this test!

I’ve never driven a Gazelle/?????? but I’ve been in plenty of minibus ones. Very old fashioned things! I would like a go in one

Can't be any worse than the old Transits they're based on can they?

I don't think they're actually based on the Transit, are they? They just look like them

Either way, they're still in production but that generation of Transit finished 20 years ago!

I've seen them in Eastern Europe and thought they were old shape Transits, never seen one up close though. But if you scroll down on the wiki link, it shows you later models and they look like later Transits as well?

[Jimmy Recard]

Fast Bug said:

I've seen them in Eastern Europe and thought they were old shape Transits, never seen one up close though. But if you scroll down on the wiki link, it shows you later models and they look like later Transits as well?

They do look like them, but I think it's just a copy of the Transit. I don't think they actually share anything. I could be wrong though

Like when a Chinese company copies a BMW X5 or Range Rover Evoque or whatever

[AndrewCrown]

Triumph Man said:

RizzoTheRat said:

I never knew DAF ever made cars until a friend pointed one out the other day and said her grandmother used to have one

Didn't get a photo but from a quick google search I think it was a DAF 46 Combi. Something slightly odd about the proportions IMO, but I rather like the front end.

If you focus on the rear 3/4, it looks a little Triumph 2000 estate-esq

My dear chap... penned by the same designer... Giovanni Michelotti also worked on Daf