Ambassadors, Beetle, Maruti 800: It was the end of the road for some iconic cars this decade

India's love affair with cars is undeniable. With people's appetite growing for newer models, the automobile companies had to put a halt to the production of some popular vehicles in order to make way for their successors.

From the classic Ambassador cars that earned the name, 'the king of Indian roads' to the iconic Maruti 800 that won millions of hearts due to its compact design and affordability, this decade has seen a major overhaul by auto companies.

Here's a look at some of the iconic cars which drove into memory this decade.

Hindustan Ambassador
Having a Hindustan Ambassador in the early 1960s and mid-1980s was considered as a symbol of high status and power. Hindustan Motors of India started manufacturing the car in 1958, and the production continued till 2014 with several updates and improvements. The iconic car which was referred to as the 'king of Indian roads' was the first ever Made-in-India car, despite its British origins. This first diesel car, which was in production for 56 years, was known for being sturdy and comfortable.


Ministers and civil servants preferred this car for many years. While the Government contributed to 16 per cent of the cars' total sales - heavily used for politicians and bureaucrats - it also became the face of taxis on bumpy, Indian roads.

According to a BBC report, the French manufacturer Peugeot bought the iconic car brand from Hindustan Motors for $12 million in February 2017.

Volkswagen Beetle
In September 2018, Volkswagen said it will stop the worldwide production of iconic Beetle in July 2019 at the Puebla plant in Mexico. The car that was sold for nearly seven decades was first rolled out in 1938. The auto company said that it wants to focus more on SUVs, electric and crossovers.


Beetle became popular after it was featured in the 1968 Disney film "The Love Bug" as a racing car called 'Herbie'.

Maruti 800
Maruti 800 was a gamechanger for the automobile industry in India. After ruling the roads for nearly 30 years, the company decided to roll out its last red model in January 2014.


It became India's best selling car and the most-preferred rides for the middle class. Tata tried to introduce Nano to take over the most-affordable car tag, but failed to succeed.

While the car's production has halted, the auto company will continue to sell spare parts for the next eight to 10 years.

Hyundai Accent
Hyundai decided it was time to make way for the new hatchbacks i10 and i20, and hence discontinued the Accent due to record low sales in 2013.


After its launch in 1999, the auto company was on a high and gave tough competition to Maruti Esteem. People started noticing the affordable-variant of the sedan, and the company sold around 30,000 units in 2005.

With tough competition from competitors like Swift Dzire, Toyota Etios, Honda Amaze, and availability in just petrol and Dealer Fitted CNG, the brand died a slow death.

Tata Sumo
After a 25-year-long-run, Tata decided to silently pulled the plug on Sumo. While the company never released a statement, but the car's new updates don't comply with the AIS 145 safety norms and the Bharat New Vehicle Safety Assessment Program which further resulted in Maruti Omni and Gypsy to discontinue as well.


The production of the SUV started in 1994 and discontinued in April this year.