Page 90 - Motoring World (January 2020)

the car’s permeation that an elegant,
refined Ambassador could be found
right next to a creaking, tired one.
The Bullet is a similar story.
It was found in every conceivable
scenario, from patrolling borders
to dropping kids off to school to
setting records at Republic Day
parades. And of course, with the
Ladakh warriors I mentioned before.
If the Ambassador was everywhere,
the Bullet was even more so. But
there is a difference between the
Pea-shooter exhaust and polished hubcap go strangely well together. Or is it the wheel arches? two, one that explains why the car
isn’t a regular sight today — the
Ambassador is not a motorcycle.
There is a reason why every single
town and city in India has a
specialist ‘Bullet mechanic’, and
this makes sure even old bikes keep
running. Somehow, people seem to
hang on to old motorcycles for far
longer than old cars, no?
That casquette is iconic. Pilot lamps are, too! Both machines were once made
near Chennai, Tiruvottiyur for
the Bullet and Sriperumbudur
for the Ambassador, though the
latter was also made in Uttarpara
in West Bengal. Protected by pre-
liberalisation norms, both machines
had stellar production runs, too,
with 56 years for the Amby and 55
years for the Bullet, and both have
It’s all curving lines and metal. Still beautiful Car? Generator? Wait, there’s a speedometer... also been the subjects of many an
inevitable iterative experiment. Their
popular longevity also explains
Somehow, people seem to why and how they’ve taught

hang on to old motorcycles for entire generations the virtues of
mechanical patience and empathy.
far longer than old cars, no? British engineering of the time
coupled with Indian nonchalance for
quality guaranteed lessons learned
the amusingly hard way.
Look closely and you’ll see the
similar bowler-hat shape in the
Amby’s wheel arches and the
Bullet’s rear mudguard. A classic
peashooter exhaust complements
the metal hubcaps, while any photo
of the two only shows elegantly
rounded metal. The Amby is a
prized restoration and the Bullet is
a daily runner, but both show the
wonkiness that comes with age.
A few things are bent, a few gaps
exist, and both are a nitpicker’s

90 MOTORING WORLD | JANUARY 2020