1997 Hindustan Ambassador

This particular example is one of the aforementioned Fullbore cars, meaning that it benefits from the upgrades above. Essentially, this ‘Amby’ has a relatively modern running gear setup housed inside a genuinely classic shell, offering simplistic, reliable motoring with classically British lines.

The current vendor bought the car from its second owner in 2005 for his twin brother with only 4,000 miles showing on the odometer. That means the vendor and his family has travelled over 26,000 miles behind the wheel of this Amby - an impressive feat, and testament to how usable these cars really are in the real world. In fact, his brother - a classical musician by trade - would use this vehicle as his everyday vehicle and travelled around the UK attending concerts and performances, and people would recognise when he was at a concert as they’d notice the car in the car park!

While the exterior of the vehicle may show signs of wear (more on that shortly) it is clear that this is a well-used and cared-for example of a genuinely rare car on UK streets. It has covered just 30932 miles in its 24 years of life, having been registered in 1997, and has an interesting history, having allegedly been owned by a member of the European Parliament during its early life. It is worth noting that it was initially registered as R141 DGK, but was changed to the current registration during the vendor’s ownership, due to the original registration having been ‘incorrectly allocated’ by the DVLA.

On the road, the little Isuzu engine is surprisingly spritely, and would apparently propel the car to a 90mph top speed, not that you’d ever need to test that! The gearshift is very ‘of its time’ and is very vague in its action, but once you do manage to select a gear, it slots into the gate with a reassuring clunk, so you’re never in doubt whether you’re ‘in gear’ or not.

The steering is impressively light and easy to use, despite its lack of power assistance. The turning circle is also shockingly tight, which would explain why these cars were also excellent for use as taxis in densely-populated urban environments.

With the only reason for sale being the downsizing of the vendors’ self-described ‘modest’ collection of cars, it is time for someone else to enjoy the unique motoring experience offered by this Fullbore Mark 10.

Be prepared to draw a crowd, however. The vendor tells one story of ‘accidentally’ joining an Indian wedding convoy at the request of the guests in Birmingham, after having around 40 of the wedding party ask for photos in and around the car, and with plenty of other stories to boot - while it may look unassuming, this Hindustan certainly garners plenty of attention.

As previously mentioned, the exterior of this car certainly needs some care to bring it back to its best. The vendor himself said specifically that during his families’ time with the car, they have “not undertaken any work to the bodywork or chrome during [their] ownership” which means if you want to bring this example back to its best, you’ll need to put in some time and effort to make it shine again.

The wheels are in surprisingly good condition compared to the bodywork, with only a few minor dings here and there, though free of any major kerbing or visible damage. The chrome centre hubcaps also present well, and in far better condition than any of the other chrome on the body.

Speaking of the chrome, it’s worth noting that the bumpers, hinges, mirror and other chromed items all show signs of wear, ranging from minor pitting to visible pitting and surface rust, most notably on the front and rear bumpers, as shown in the gallery below.

This is where the love and care for the car shines through, and the difference is practically night-and-day in comparison to the external bodywork of the car.

The first thing you notice is the condition of the seats, which is very good indeed, and they remain supremely comfortable, with a deep cushion and comfortable backrest - we would have no objections to sitting in there for a number of hours, and the vendor and his brother have clocked up many 100+ mile journeys behind the wheel.

The headlining and carpet are also in good condition, though the carpet does show some staining to the usual high-traffic areas, in particular the front footwells, which is to be expected for a car of this age.

There are no visible signs of leaks or water ingress, nor is there any tell-tale odours that would suggest any such problems. The rear nearside door card shows some minor damage (pictured) while the rear offside card appears to have lost its fastening at the base, but is in otherwise good condition.

Of course, the interior is relatively spartan, with only the real necessities in the form of the speedo and a number of monitoring gauges such as oil pressure and engine temperature.

It is worth noting that the seller has stated the heater/demister motor has stopped working, along with the radio/cassette player mounted under the dash. Otherwise, everything is working to his knowledge, and our drive didn’t throw up any other issues.

Going under the bodywork, there appears to be all the usual signs of a car of this vintage, with minor signs of surface oxidisation on the sills and exhaust but no visual structural or worrying rust, both to the vendor’s knowledge and that we noticed upon our inspection, though we have provided plenty of photos for you to make your own assessments. This is also backed up by an extensive MOT history with a current certificate stating its roadworthiness.

There was no signs of any leaks or fluids being where they shouldn’t be, nor was there any noticeable bangs, rattles or clunks during our test drive, with all mechanical aspects functioning as they should.

The 1.8l, 74hp Isuzu engine is in well-worn but well-maintained visual condition, starts easily, and revs freely, with no signs of hesitation in our experience. The gears engage well and the clutch is precise, with no slipping or grinding.

Again, there was no signs of leaks in the engine bay itself, and despite the age of the car it presents well, though as with the bodywork, there is scope for improvement and ‘dressing up’ to bring it in-line with the interior.

The history folder that accompanies the car is impressive in its own right. From a total of 16 MOT certificates stretching back to 2001, to a substantial amount of servicing invoices, a large proportion of which was done by specialist Richard Monk, with a total amounting to circa £4,000.

As previously mentioned, the car was re-registered in 2006 due to an error on the DVLA’s part, while the vendor says a MOT tester mistakenly put down the wrong milage in 2016, putting a ‘4’ instead of a ‘2’ on the first digit.

With a current MOT certificate valid until February 2022, it’s a reassuring sign that this ‘Amby’ has nothing to hide, as verified by an independent MOT tester.

While it’s hardly going to rank among the most luxurious or best-looking classics on The Market, this humble Hindustan (Fullbore) Ambassador is an example of an endearing, dependable and once-ubiquitous car, now confined largely to the history books, especially here in the UK, and represents the opportunity to experience motoring ‘as it once was.’ We estimate £3,000 - £6,000. And, as the vendor says, it’s a car that “makes people happy” when they see it, with plenty of thumbs up and waves.

From its comfortable seats to its raspy engine, there is a true character to this car, and one that harks back to the days of cars being just that - cars - without worrying about keeping up with the latest technology or overloading the driver with gadgets: Just get in, turn the key, select first gear and go. Frills? Who needs them!

Inspection is always encouraged, within Govt. guidelines of course, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.