The Ambys Poem by Padmanabhan Ananth

They were then social status icons
Sparkling Ambys* parked in porticos
Said so much about their proud possessors
A few Ambys, sine qua nons

Morris Oxford 2 of Britain their ancestry
Birla's HM made Mark 1 to infinity!
But hardly any change, all very alike
Remodelled fender, grille, lamps and the like

Before the days of comfy aircon
Some had small coloured fan
Churning out very hot stale air
To bring in just warm dusty air

Their colours said a lot of their owners
Black possibly wealthy shop keepers
White could be a powerful politician
Olive green, moustached army man?
Yellow, taxis of Bengal certain

They'd reach far corners off Kolkata^ factory
Driven by turbaned driver, each personally
To make them look brand new
After a wash, meters were re-tuned

Three could comfortably sit
Unlike any other, on front seat
Rear seat was elevated no buckets
Some had white turkey cloth covers!

Each car will live many a decade
Repaired, refitted and repainted
They'd see generations in family
Ferrying grand-dad to school kids happily

Politicians would have white convoys
In one the leader with his cronies
Other followers in others ahead, behind
All making loud noise but seldom at speed

Now they're forgotten by today's youth
Replaced by swanky sedan or hatch
Limousine and many UVs
But some generations still reminisce
That ambitious but ambiguous Amby.
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*or Ambassador manufactured by Hindustan Motors.
^or Calcutta, India.