- Austin Ambassador
Infobox Automobile |sp=uk
name =Austin Ambassador
manufacturer =British Leyland
production =1982-1984
class =fullsize car
body_style =4-doorhatchback
predecessor =Princess
successor =Austin Montego Rover 600
engine =1.7 L O-SeriesStraight-4
2.0 LO-Series Straight-4
transmission = four speed manual
three speed automatic
length = 179 inches (4550 mm)
wheelbase = 105 inches (2670 mm)
width = 69.5 inches (1760 mm)height = 55 inches (1400 mm)
weight = 2784 pounds (1263 kg) unladenThe Austin Ambassador was a medium-to-large
hatchback automobile introduced byBritish Leyland (BL) in 1982. The car was a heavily updated version of the Princess, an ageing model which lacked a hatchback. Only the doors and inner structure were carried over, but the slightly wedge-shaped design 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 ownRover SD1 , sales were low and the model was discontinued in 1984.Unlike the Princess, there was no 2.2 litre version; the Ambassador was initially offered in 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.
The Ambassador was built in right hand drive only and thus was never exported.
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.
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 Ital . Other minor components including much of the interior trim was also shared with other BL products.External links
* [http://www.austin-rover.co.uk/ado71indexf.htm The Ambassador, along with the Princess, at the Austin-Rover site]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
