Over the last few weeks, it’s been raining luxury (read: expensive, huge, aspirational, status symbol) cars and bikes in India. The Q7 from Audi, which would give an inferiority complex to a tug pushing an ocean-going tanker, the new E-Class from Mercedes Benz, which brings the concept of comfort and performance back under one roof on 4 wheels, the Toyota Fortuner, which seems to want to change the rules for the SUV seeker, the huge Ford Endeavour, which has Sunil Shetty – who owns the even bigger Hummer – as an endorsement, and steroid filled motorcycles from Harley-Davidson and Yamaha, featuring the inevitable John Abraham, with engines punching out more steam and fumes than most cars and buses in India. Five figures in dollars, sometimes six, that’s what they cost you, plus taxes in India. But the truth is that you still get stuck in the same traffic jam. And in the heat generated, remember that smaller cars tend to have more efficient air-conditioning too. Worse, in Delhi and Pune, buses whiz past you in special BRT lanes. Not just that, many of the really interesting new generation technologies that the same cars and bikes have as standard equipment when sold in developed countries, are neatly and quietly removed when sold to us in India. A bit like making Scotch out of concentrate blended locally, and then packaged to pretend it’s the real thing – for a market built around brands. But, if it makes the buyer feel good, then why should anybody object, especially if it also helps in oiling the wheels of the economy worldwide?

We’ve also seen the launch of fully air-conditioned low-cost point-to-point passenger trains across India on routes like Delhi-Kolkata, Delhi-Chennai and Mumbai-Kolkata – in addition to the existing Rajdhanis and Shatabdis. The local and metro trains in urban centres in and around Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata are also most certainly getting better – wherever the political climate and electoral power so desires, and then achieves. If commuter trains run late nowadays, it is the elected representative who has to come on track and resolve issues, otherwise she faces the brunt of a severe intermodal provoked retaliation in the next elections. And now, not just with the Metro trains, but even the good old ‘locals’ will soon see air-conditioned coaches taking commuters within their own mega cities in ultimate railway speed and comfort, bypassing all the hurly-burly and mess thrown up by roads inside our cities.

You can’t miss it – this growing collage of transport options, and the increasing importance that all segments of society in India have started giving it. Despite the Internet and easier communication on telephones, people seem to need to travel more and more, and yet some more. Previously, it was about getting from ‘A’ to ‘B,’ and somehow time was never a parameter. Now, in addition to time being precious, people also need privacy, safety, comfort and most of all – choices. As stated before, here and elsewhere, your humble correspondent has started using air-conditioned buses for local commutes into the city. Or metro trains. Simply because parking is a disaster, and traffic jams are getting worse every day. 3-wheelers seem to be improving, but are still not as comfortable and great an alternative as they should be – often, an air-conditioned radio taxi works out feasible too.

But hey, in all these cases, one thing stands out bright and clear – no longer are we as a country going to be satisfied with the concept of painting technologies and colours that reflect nothing more than the term ‘boring.’ Cars and bikes, of course, are now available in shades and combinations which a decade ago could only be seen if M.F. Hussain went for a drive in his old Fiat 1100 Delite. The new Maruti Swift that my son picked up last week is in a metallic shade known as ‘Sunset Copper,’ which goes through a multi-hued visual experience from orange through red to maroon, depending on the ambient light, and all of them look good – though the sunsets referred to are found more in the South Pacific than in India. The newer generation of taxies have moved on from the traditional black and yellow, and sport colourful motifs, as well as ads which are in themselves works of art.

And now even our trains are going all out to look bright, sparkling with vigour, in a variety of new colours. Local trains in Mumbai are in shades of purple and yellow. The Rajdhanis and Shatabdis turn out in grey with pink. The recently introduced point-to-point Durantos can only be described as vivid. Garib raths, the fully air-conditioned economy trains, are in deep green. Even freight train wagons are now being painted in bright shades. And as for locomotives, it seems the engine workshops have been asked to let their creativity fly – there are motifs and designs of all sorts – a few having been captured on film for movies also. And we haven’t even started talking about the ‘special’ tourist trains – with their throwback to the Raj-kind of colour schemes.

In all this, what’s important to remember is this – paint is not just an expression of the final coat, for hygeine or style. Painting actually represents the most essential step in protecting your asset from corrosion, rusting, and worse. But then, if that was the single reason, then all cars, trains, bikes, locos – the works – would be in single shades of dark brown or black. Or maybe even white. But it would end there. And, as a matter of fact, that would serve many purposes – especially in a recessionary economy.

Colourful paint schemes, on the other hand, are a reflection of something much more than looking pretty. One school of thought has it that people and products in economies that are looking up tend to go for more colourful products. Black, white, and silver, in cars, are no doubt very ‘interesting’ options. And we would still be happy with black and white televisions. Right?

Wrong. It’s all about colour now. And it’s the sudden surge of extremely bright shades, using all sorts of new painting technologies that is of interest. Car and bike dealers talk about an enhanced interest by potential buyers of experimenting with new shades – metallic, solid, pearl finish, and more. Welcome, then, to a new palette – at an automobile showroom or railway station next to you.

So what’s your choice of colour going to be? Next vehicle – bright purple?

Why not. The technologies are now there, and they won’t fade for years, either. And if the numbers are to be believed, then the colours say it even better.

Veeresh Malik malik@autox.in