Amby at end of the road

Its always sad to see some of the things which we grew up with to come to an end. Right from the letters in post, heavy big black telephones, telegram to so many other good old things. Now it looks like the ‘raja gaadi’ is also in the ICU, could very soon become a relic of the past.

Two days ago, Hindustan Motors announced that it was shutting down its Uttarpara plant which makes the Ambassador car, indefinitely. Low demand is surely the main reason – of the 2.5 million cars sold in FY14, only 2214 Ambassadors were sold. Even then, one wonders, who could have bought this big car which in today’s time of sleek and small cars, looks dowdy and big. Once a symbol of self reliance, it’s ironic that it has today lost out to all foreign brands – the very reason why it was first brought into the Indian roads.

Ford, which is older than Hindustan Motors (HM) adapted to the new times and changed to keep in tune with the preferences of people. On the other hand, HM felt that its only USP was its big car and if it changed, it would lose its identity. Yet, the cars which are now used mainly as taxis and sometimes by politicians costs around Rs.5 lakh compared to Rs.3.5 lakh for a Maruti Wagon R.

Yes, sometimes, the very identity which was the reason for your success could also become your death knell if you remain stubborn and do not adapt to changing times.