Austin Ambassador
| Austin Ambassador | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | British Leyland |
| Production | March 1982–1984 |
| Assembly | United Kingdom: Cowley, Oxford |
| 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 | 4-speed manual 3-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 800 |
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, the car that "the Princess should have been right from the word go" according to one company manager. British Leyland changed the name to underscore the depths of the changes - only the doors and inner structure were carried over, but the wedge-shaped side profile betrayed the car's Princess origins, and buyers did not consider it a truly new model. The Princess had been out of production for four months by the time that the Ambassador went on sale.
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.