His unforgettable first love

Vijay C Roy in Chandigarh

A mere mention of Ambassador gets Mohit Pratap Singh (52) nostalgic. Singh is one of the oldest surviving dealers in Chandigarh of the iconic car. He says he and his family have been associated with Amby since 1954 when his father, Partap Singh, opened dealership in Ambala. They shifted to Chandigarh in 1962. His dealership Premier Motor Garage still carries out servicing and maintenance of Ambassador, several of whom are owned by government departments. 

Singh has dealership of Mitsubishi, Renault, Ashok Leyland, Mercedes CV and others. Soon he is going to add Tata Motors. But Ambassador is his first love. “I have seen our dealership grow in sync with the market. Although ambition demanded that I opted for other companies, Ambassador has remained very close to my heart. Like first love, I can never forget it. I would love to have the Ambassador dealership again, if Peugeot allows,” says Mohit. He has three Ambassadors, including one of a 1965 model and another of 2002’s. “One of the saddest days of my life was the year 2014 when the company stopped manufacturing Ambassador.” 

He says the ’80s marked the peak time of the Amby. “We sold around 75-100 cars per month — most were government purchases.”

“We continue to get queries about the car from people as well as state government’s boards and corporations. They are ready to wait for a year. But when they hear that there is no such possibility, they feel sad,” says Mohit.