auto.wikisort.org - Automobile

The Austin Ambassador is a large family car that was introduced by the Austin Rover Group subsidiary of British Leyland in March 1982. The vehicle was a heavily updated version of the Princess, a saloon car that had lacked a hatchback.[1] 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. The Princess had been out of production for four months by the time that the Ambassador went on sale.[2]

Austin Ambassador
Overview
Manufacturer	British Leyland
Production	1982–1984
Assembly	Cowley, Oxford, UK
Body and chassis
Class	Large family car (D)
Body style	5-door hatchback
Powertrain
Engine	1.7 L O-series I4 2.0 L O-series I4
Transmission	four-speed manual three-speed automatic (B-W)
Dimensions
Wheelbase	105 inches (2,670 mm)
Length	179 inches (4,550 mm)
Width	69.5 inches (1,760 mm)
Height	55 inches (1,400 mm)
Kerb weight	2,784 lb (1,263 kg)
Chronology
Predecessor	Princess
Successor	Austin Montego Rover 600

To some extent a car that bridged the gap between the smaller Morris Ital and the Rover SD1, sales were low and the model was discontinued in 1984 with 43,427 cars built.[3]

Design

Unlike the Princess, a six-cylinder 2.2-litre version was not available; the Ambassador was offered only as a four-cylinder, initially with either a 1.7-litre or a 2.0-litre (single carburettor) variant in "L", "HL" and "HLS" trims. A benefit of not installing the taller E6 engine was that the bonnet could be made lower and flatter, although this meant that the wipers were now no longer concealed (unlike those of the Princess).[4] Instead of the previous 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 (available in other BL models) for the manual transmission, as one of the car's drawbacks.

Despite prototypes being built in left-hand drive, production versions of the Ambassador were only built in right-hand drive form and thus were not exported to continental Europe. Just 23 Ambassadors remain taxed and on the roads today in Britain, out of 43,500 built; compared to around 225,000 for the Princess. As of 2019, 79 Princesses remain in active service in the UK with a MOT.[5] Aside from the Ambassador's connections to the lowly repute of the Princess, commentators point out that its sedate image and driving characteristics (and low performance) also mitigate against its success in a market where performance and taut handling were becoming more important.[4]

Some components, such as the headlights, were shared with the Morris Ital. Other minor components, including much of the interior trim, was also shared with other BL products, such as the Allegro. The interior was generally not an improvement over that of the Princess, feeling cheap and lacking a rev counter, even in the top HLS model.[4] According to British Leyland, only the front door skins were directly shared with the Princess. The rear part of the chassis was modified to accommodate the opening hatch, and there were windows in the C-pillars which did make for an airier cabin.[4]

The Ambassador only served as a stop-gap in the Austin range, and it was discontinued in March 1984 (after exactly two full years), with no official replacement.[2] 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.

Sales

The Ambassador achieved domestic sales of 43,427 in the two years in which it was available.

UK engine and trim options	L	HL	HLS	Vanden Plas
1.7	✓	✓
2.0		✓
2.0 twin carb		✓	✓	✓

References

На других языках

---

[de] Austin Ambassador

Der Austin Ambassador (Entwicklungscode BL LM19) war eine fünftürige Fließhecklimousine der Mittelklasse, die unter British Leyland ab 1980 entwickelt und von der Austin Rover Group von 1982 bis 1984 angeboten wurde. Der englische Name ambassador bedeutet „Gesandter, Botschafter“. Der Wagen stellte eine Weiterentwicklung des ursprünglich viertürigen Princess-Modells dar. Das Facelift fiel so gründlich aus, dass nur die Türen und der innere Aufbau beibehalten wurden. Im Gegensatz zum Princess wurde der Wagen nur als Rechtslenker produziert und ausschließlich in Großbritannien und Irland angeboten.

---

- [en] Austin Ambassador

---

[es] Austin Ambassador

El Austin Ambassador es un coche familiar grande de dos volúmenes y cinco puertas producido por Austin entre 1982 y 1984. El vehículo era una versión actualizada del Austin Princess, una berlina que pese a su cristal posterior tendido carecía de portón trasero.[1] Si bien sólo compartía puertas delanteras y estructura interior con su antecesor, el estilo "wedge" -línea en cuña- original del Princess era evidente y fue culpable de que el Ambassador no se viera como un vehículo verdaderamente nuevo. El Ambassador fue presentado cuatro meses después de la desaparición del Princess, sirviendo de "puente" en la gama de British Leyland entre el Morris Ital y el Rover SD1.[2]

---

[fr] Austin Ambassador

L'Austin Ambassador est une berline commercialisée de 1982 à 1984 par le groupe British Leyland, sous la marque Austin.

---

[it] Austin Ambassador

L’Ambassador è un'autovettura mid-size prodotta dall'Austin dal 1982 al 1984. Venne commercializzata in una sola versione, hatchback cinque porte.

---

---