Austin Ambassador
Encyclopedia
The Austin Ambassador was a medium-to-large hatchback
car
model introduced by British Leyland (BL) in 1982. The vehicle was a heavily updated version of the Princess, an ageing model that had lacked a hatchback. Only the doors and inner structure were carried over, but the wedge-shaped side profile betrayed the car's Princess origins, and it was not considered a truly new model.
To some extent a competitor to smaller-engined models of the Austin Rover Group
's own Rover SD1
, sales were low and the model was discontinued in 1984.
Unlike the Princess, there was no 6-cylinder 2.2 litre version; the Ambassador was initially offered in 4-cylinder 1.7 litre and 2.0 litre (single carburettor) variants, in "L", "HL" and "HLS" trims. Instead of the previous premium 2.2 litre models, there were the HLS and later Vanden Plas trim levels, both with a twin-carburettor
version of the 2.0 litre engine. In 1983, the 2.0 litre HL was upgraded to also use the more powerful twin-carburettor engine. A four-speed manual gearbox (and automatic) were the only transmissions offered, with commentators citing the lack of a fifth gear for the manual tranmission as one of the car's drawbacks.
The Ambassador was only built in right hand drive and thus was not exported to continental Europe. Few remain on the road today in Britain, approximately 250 out of 43,500 built. The car only ever served as a stop-gap in the Austin range.
The Ambassador was discontinued in 1984, with no official replacement. The gap it left in the Austin-Rover range was effectively filled by the slightly smaller Montego
, and by the new generation of smaller Rovers.
. Other minor components including much of the interior trim was also shared with other BL products. According to British Leyland, only the front and door skins were directly shared with the Princess.
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
car
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
model introduced by British Leyland (BL) in 1982. The vehicle was a heavily updated version of the Princess, an ageing model that had lacked a hatchback. Only the doors and inner structure were carried over, but the wedge-shaped side profile betrayed the car's Princess origins, and it was not considered a truly new model.
To some extent a competitor to smaller-engined models of the Austin Rover Group
Austin Rover Group
The Austin Rover Group was a British motor manufacturer. It was formed in 1981 as the mass-market car manufacturing subsidiary of British Leyland...
's own Rover SD1
Rover SD1
Rover SD1 is both the code name and eventual production name given to a series of large executive cars made by British Leyland or BL through its Specialist, Rover Triumph and Austin Rover divisions from 1976 until 1986....
, sales were low and the model was discontinued in 1984.
Unlike the Princess, there was no 6-cylinder 2.2 litre version; the Ambassador was initially offered in 4-cylinder 1.7 litre and 2.0 litre (single carburettor) variants, in "L", "HL" and "HLS" trims. Instead of the previous premium 2.2 litre models, there were the HLS and later Vanden Plas trim levels, both with a twin-carburettor
Carburetor
A carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
version of the 2.0 litre engine. In 1983, the 2.0 litre HL was upgraded to also use the more powerful twin-carburettor engine. A four-speed manual gearbox (and automatic) were the only transmissions offered, with commentators citing the lack of a fifth gear for the manual tranmission as one of the car's drawbacks.
The Ambassador was only built in right hand drive and thus was not exported to continental Europe. Few remain on the road today in Britain, approximately 250 out of 43,500 built. The car only ever served as a stop-gap in the Austin range.
The Ambassador was discontinued in 1984, with no official replacement. The gap it left in the Austin-Rover range was effectively filled by the slightly smaller Montego
Austin Montego
The Austin Montego is a British mid-size saloon car that was produced by the Austin Rover subsidiary of British Leyland , and its successors, from 1984 until 1994. The Montego was the replacement for the Morris Ital, to give British Leyland a modern competitor for the Ford Sierra and Vauxhall...
, and by the new generation of smaller Rovers.
| UK engine and trim options | L | HL | HLS | Vanden Plas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.7 | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| 2.0 | ✓ | |||
| 2.0 twin carb | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Special versions
As with the Princess before it, Ambassadors were converted by specialist coachbuilders into hearse and limousine variants.Parts bin components
The headlights were shared with the Morris ItalMorris Ital
The Morris Ital was a medium-sized saloon car built by British Leyland from 1980 until 1984.-Design and launch:The Ital was first launched on 1 July 1980. It took its name from Giorgetto Giugiaro's ItalDesign studio, who had been employed by BL to manage the re-engineering of Morris Marina, a car...
. Other minor components including much of the interior trim was also shared with other BL products. According to British Leyland, only the front and door skins were directly shared with the Princess.
Sales
The Ambassador achieved domestic sales of 43,427 in the two years which it was available. Of these 43,427, only around 250 are thought to be still on the road (although the exact number in existence is unknown).Media appearances
- A fleet of red Austin Ambassadors was shown on a production line in a 1982 Not the Nine O'Clock NewsNot the Nine O'Clock NewsNot the Nine O'Clock News is a television comedy sketch show which was broadcast on BBC 2 from 1979 to 1982.Originally shown as a comedy "alternative" to the BBC Nine O'Clock News on BBC 1, it featured satirical sketches on current news stories and popular culture, as well as parody songs, comedy...
skit – all the actor employees on the line, including Rowan AtkinsonRowan AtkinsonRowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
, were known as Bob. The end of the skit proclaimed "The BL Ambassador – Hand Built by Roberts" - The Austin Ambassador was the subject of the song "My Austin Ambassador Y Reg" by comedian Graham FellowsGraham FellowsGraham David Fellows is an English comedy actor and musician, best known for creating the characters of John Shuttleworth and Jilted John.-Early life:...
(as his alter ego John ShuttleworthJohn Shuttleworth (character)John Shuttleworth is a fictional singer-songwriter and radio presenter, created by English comedy actor and musician, Graham Fellows in 1986. Shuttleworth is in his late 40s and is from Walkley in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. He has a quiet manner and slightly nerdish tendencies...
), in which he speaks of how great the car is.