Proton offers to redesign Ambassador

At last, a revamped, and more efficient and elegant Ambassador may be available. Hindustan Motors'' new ally, Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional, Malaysia''s national car company, sees a lot of potential in the old war horse, and has evinced interest in redesigning it.

The Malaysian company, which makes Proton cars, has offered to provide technology and expertise to upgrade the Ambassador and jointly market it in other countries. It says its newly acquired US company, Lotus, which specialises in design, will be of help in redesigning the car.

Hindustan Motors has confirmed that its Malaysian ally has made the offer. However, a senior official of the company clarified that it has been a passing reference. "Proton said it is willing to offer us any help in design engineering … But there is no specific proposal to redesign the Ambassador or any other model."

The Indian car major has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional for assembling and marketing the latter''s Proton Wira range of cars in India. to read more about the Proton Wira.

On its part, Hindustan Motors has already set in motion a plan to re-position the car, improve its quality and strengthen its market position. The company has established a new paint shop, acquired new dies for body panels, and reconditioned the presses.

The company''s Uttarpara unit in West Bengal, where the Ambassadors are produced, has also been modernised at a cost of Rs 70 crore. The car will also get a new multi-point fuel injection engine that complies with the Euro-II emission standards.