Braga Chevrolet

Posted December 11, 2009 by saskava
Categories: Heritage, History, Uncategorized

clip_image002 Continuing the saga of Dutch East Indies Auto Market Heritage from one of site on old Bandoeng we could see what looked like a fancy Car Dealership at the turn of the century; at the background is the typical high ceiling with equally large and high windows, I bet it has also Air Vent Inlets as in our Saskava House. The old picture also shows subcompact of the era and alongside a motorbike with very elegant and rare Canoelet sidecar.

There was no record or data from our sources as what brand these two vehicles were. But judging by sketchy photo the shape might indicate a 1927/6 Brittish Sunbeam 16.9 Tourer clip_image004 or 1934 Morris 10/4 Tourer

Sunbeam used to make both motorcycles (BSA) and cars from the late 19th century to circa 1936. The picture I believe could not show either 1927 Oldsmobile 30E Tourer or 1926 Chevrolet Series V Superior or Packard Twin-Six Touring 1916 or Ford of the era, hence assuming my observation is correct the conclusive vehicles were both Sunbeam.

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I have yet to find a reliable source on neither Dutch East Indies Auto market nor what did Braga Chevrolet showroom able to sell, but for now there is a good record on sales figures of Ford Canada. Dodge & Seymour, an American trading intermediary based in New York handled the sales of Canadian Ford models for Asia and Australia regions including Dutch East Indies.

In March 1924, Dodge & Seymour established a Singapore office. Their sales summary demonstrated the high purchasing power in Malaya; Singapore (representative of Malaya) commanded an average of 20 percent of sales (or 21.2 percent including Penang and Port Swettenham) despite the low-density population, compared with 25 percent in Dutch East Indies.

The Ford supply for Dutch East Indies was imported in semi-knocked down conditions (henceforth SKD to reduce freight charges) and assembled in Malaya’s plant from 1930. These SKD automobiles came from its parent companies, Ford Canada, and Ford England in Dagenham which was likely re-exported to Dutch East Indies.

In early 1920s, there were 60 different Car Makers on the Malayan market reflecting what was perhaps also available at Dutch East Indies, 20 representing European-made Cars (predominantly British). These included high-priced cars such as Sunbeam, Vauxhall, Wolseley, Daimler, Benz, and Crossely. There were also medium-priced cars; among others: Austin, Morris, Armstrong Siddeley, the Italian Fiat, and Bianchi, the French Citroen, Peugeot, and Alfa Romeo, including the German Opel.

clip_image008By 1930 Malaya’s total registration was approximately 165, 000 cars compared with Dutch East Indies (DEI) 85,000 where the ratio of cars to people was 1:584. The Auto Market for the region had represented roughly beyond $ 85 Millions assuming average unit price at $ 1,000 per car.

The 1926 Chevrolet Series V Superior models in US had pricing range of $510-$765 where as the Landau sedan was the top model at the end of the scale, landed price in Kuala Lumpur was S$ 1,500 where as the Sunbeam being a premium car back then was S$ 5,650. Consequently the landing price in Dutch East Indies was a bit dearer, that said the year 1925 was the top Ford sales at 3,839 units, thanks to the booming tea, rubber, coffee, sugar and other exotic commodities. Thanks to the fertile soil of Java!

References & footnote:

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  • Shakila Yacob // Beyond Borders: Ford in Malaya, 1926-1957
  • Pricewise in Britain by the year of 1914, Ford as compared to other British automobile manufacturers, was able to produce motor vehicles at an unbeatable price range of between £125 to £135. David G. Rhys, The Motor Industry: An Economic Survey (London, 1972), 5.
  • Comparison between Ford 4/5 seater that were sold at S$1,650 (non self starter) and S$1,900 (self starter) with an 8 HP Rover landed in Singapore would cost S$2,200 in 1920-1921. H.C.O. 259/22. British Representative, State Secretary to Winston Churchill, Colonial Office, 29 March 1922
  • Doge & Seymour Exports Shipments, Ford Canada.
  • There was lenient import duty amongst British Empire Region (commonwealth)

Despite of our 1945 independence, we did not get our International sovereignty until late 1949, by then the Braga chevy should had been ceased, yet the brand continued on with the famous Bel Air, Impala and lastly Chevrolet Suburban as the only shuttle services between Jakarta-Bandoeng in 1970s.

Dutch East Indies Auto Market Heritage

Posted November 27, 2009 by saskava
Categories: Heritage, Uncategorized

Earlier at Braga Heritage I did mention several 1920s Car Dealerships within the area and the record shows amongst other; Chevrolet, Renault and Chrysler. Surely there were others as well particularly the right hand drive British Car Maker, the then world brand Ford and even the popular steam engined of earlier period right at the turn of century.

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Left car: Serpollet, a French steamcar and on the right Derracq, another French but with petrol engine. Both were documented as early as 1903 at Panoembangan, West Java tea plantation during it seemed a convoy by none other than the then tea planter tycoon Adriaan,R.W. Kerkhoven on the Serpollet who was incidentally the nephew of KAR Bosscha. There is also a similar 1903 Gardner-Serpollet on display at Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, Massachusetts.

The early 20th century motor car was very close to horse cart wagon appearance as it was simply designed upon it but instead of being pulled by horses it was fitted with engine upfront, and as for steam boiler was located beneath the seating. It did not need any Air Vent Inlet gadget as there was no window opening, ventilation was relied on natural air conditioning. No harm done on environment!

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Gardner-Serpollet was a French manufacturer of steam-powered cars in the early 1900s. In 1896, Leon Serpollet invented and perfected the flash boiler, which made steam a much more practical source of power for an automobile. The oil-fired flash boiler fed steam to a very advanced four-cylinder enclosed engine similar to the contemporary petrol engine design including poppet valves and an enclosed crankcase.

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Serpollet produced his own automobiles under the name Serpollet and Gardner-Serpollet until his death in 1907. The internal combustion engine was not at its advanced stage as yet, so steam car was once indeed popular. The steam car is now naturally a heritage vehicle; it was the onset of Thermodynamic Principles inventions.

On August 25, 2009, Team Inspiration of the British Steam Car Challenge broke the long-standing record for a steam vehicle set by a Stanley Steamer in 1906, setting a new speed record of 139.843mph in the Edwards Air Force Base, in the Mojave Desert of California. The famous comedian Jay Leno has one such speed demon steamer as one of his collection.

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The car was driven by Charles Burnett III. FIA land speed records are based on an average of two runs (called ‘passes’) in opposite directions, taken within an hour of each other – in this case the maximum speeds reached were 136.103mph on the first run and 151.085mph on the second. .

Dutch East Indies Auto Market Heritage..continues..