1936 Chevrolet Standard Convertible

 The 1936 Chevrolet Standard and Master DeLuxe enabled Chevy to reclaim first place from Ford during 1936. Sales were up nearly 70 percent over the 1935 Chevys.

Unlike in 1935, the 1936 Chevrolet Standard and Master DeLuxe now used the same 79-horsepower six-cylinder engine; that meant an increase of five horsepower for the Standard, and a decrease of one for the DeLuxe.

Just as significant, both Chevy models now also featured the seamless steel Turret-Top body and two-piece vee'd windshield.

Standard models were more than 100 pounds heavier than in 1935, and their wheelbase was stretched to 109 inches, a two-inch increase. The senior series, now called Master DeLuxe, stayed with a 113-inch wheelbase and was billed as "the aristocrat of its field."

Styling was essentially an attractive facelift of the 1935 Master series, with front doors hinged at the leading edge on all models. The cabriolet returned to the line after a one-year absence, this time as a member of the Standard line.

The built-in trunks, featured by the Town Sedans and Sport Sedans, proved highly popular.

Chevrolet's other big news for 1936 was its adoption of hydraulic brakes for both series. Standard models had a new box-girder frame, which was both stronger and lighter than the X-type that was retained for this one final year by the Master series.

Seventeen-inch steel wheels were standard throughout both lines. Knee-Action front suspension was a popular $20 option and was exclusive to the Master models.

 Dutch family riding their Chevrolet 1936 Cabriolet, Netherlands East Indies

 One of the street in Medan, North, Sumatera, Netherlands East Indies. The two cars at left is a 1936 Chevrolet Standard Convertible (registration number BK 8906) and 1933 Chevrolet Sedan Convertible (registration number BK 3865), while the car in the centre probably is a Morris 8

Sources:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/
http://medantempodulu.blogspot.com/

1941 Studebaker Champion Cruising Sedan

he Studebaker Champion is an automobile which was produced by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana from the beginning of the 1939 model year until 1958.

The success of the Champion in 1939 was imperative to Studebaker’s survival following weak sales during the 1938 model year. Unlike most other cars, the Champion was designed from a "clean sheet", and had no restrictions caused by necessarily utilizing older parts or requiring the subsequent use of its components in heavier vehicles. Market research guided the selection of features, but a key principle adhered to was the engineering watchword "weight is the enemy." For its size, it was one of the lightest cars of its era. Its compact straight-6 engine outlasted the model itself and was produced to the end of the 1964 model year, with a change to an OHV design in 1961.

The Champion was one of Studebaker's best-selling models because of its low price (US$660 for the two-door business coupe in 1939), durable engine, and styling. The car's ponton styling was authored by industrial designer Raymond Loewy who had been under contract with Studebaker for the design of their automobiles. Champions won Mobilgas economy runs by posting the highest gas mileage tests. During World War II, Champions were coveted for their high mileage at a time when gas was rationed in the United States. From 1943-1945, the Champion engine was used as the powerplant for the Studebaker M29 Weasel personnel and cargo carrier, which also used four sets of the Champion's leaf springs arranged transversely for its bogie suspension.

The Champion was phased out in 1958 in preparation for the introduction of the 1959 Studebaker Lark. Prior to this, Studebaker had been placed under receivership, and the company was attempting to return to a profitable position.

Gunung Sari Straat in Jakarta, 1953, a time of national reconstruction. We can see traditional public vehicles such as becak, delman and oplet. Facing the camera at left is a 1941 Studebaker Champion Cruising Sedan

Source :
http://commons.wikimedia.org/

1934 Packard Twelve Convertible Victoria

In 1934 Packard offered three distinct chassis for the 11th series Packard Twelve of which the 1107 was the between the short 1106 and longer 1108.

Like all of the 11th series Packard's, the Model 1108 featured the smooth-running V12 engine which produced a capable 160 bhp.

For the 1934 range Packard redesigned the fenders which are characterized by extending to the front bumper. Inside Packard also had a redesigned dashboard that could accommodate the optional factory radio.

Some consider the 11th series the last of the classic Packards since it was the last year to have slender windshield posts and chrome front headlights.

Sultan of Langkat proudly posed with his luxurious sedan, a Packard 1107 twelve, eleventh series, 12-cylinder, 160-horsepower, 142-inch wheelbase, 5-person convertible sedan (body type #743)

Source :

http://mmm.lib.msu.edu/

Vintage Vehicle Advertisement in Dutch East Indies

Buick 1941

Chrysler 1941

Ford 1937

Nash 1940

Source :

http://antikpraveda.blogspot.com/

1955 Chevrolet Suburban

The idea for the Suburban was born out of a need for a heavier-duty, truck-based wagon. Through the early 1930s, most manufacturers offered car-based wagons for professional use. Open models with windows and rear seating were known as depot hacks, and were used to ferry passengers and their cargo around train stations and boat docks. Enclosed models, typically without rear seats, were known as sedan deliveries.

Bodywork for these early vehicles often consisted of wood sides and canvas tops; and while they were versatile, their car-based chassis and damage-prone bodies were compromises. Chevrolet began experimenting with an all-steel wagon body mounted on a commercial chassis in the mid-1930s, and the Suburban Carryall was launched in 1935.

Car-based commercial vehicles, including sedan deliveries, remained in production, but the heavy-duty chassis of the Suburban increasingly found favor with professional customers. In the post-World War II years, its popularity with private customers who appreciated its uncompromising capabilities increased steadily.

The Chevrolet Suburban hit the mainstream in the early 1990s, with the overall popularity of sport-utility vehicles. But while many customers were new to the Suburban then, it had garnered a legion of longtime owners who had purchased multiple examples over the years - using them to haul Little League teams and their equipment, tow a horse trailer or seat a work crew on the way to a job site.

The 1955 Chevrolet Suburban introduced the Revolutionary new styling through the model year. Known as the "second series" design, it features a wraparound windshield and the elimination of running boards - the body is flush with the fenders for the first time. The second series model also introduces the ubiquitous small-block V-8.

Puncak road in the 1950s. First car on the left is a Fiat 1400. Next could be a 1950s vintage light US truck but it cannot be sure yet which one. Next, on the right, is a 1954 Chevrolet bus. The wagon type vehicle in front the modified truck is most likely a Chevrolet Suburban from around 1955.

 

Source : http://blogs.trucktrend.com/

1954 Chevrolet Bus

1954 Chevy C4500 bus with a Wayne body is originally intended as a 33 passenger bus, so not too big nor too small. It was made with various wheelbase: a 4100 (137" wheelbase), a 4500 (161" wheelbase), a 6700 (199" wheelbase), and a 6800 (212" wheelbase) bus.

Puncak road in the 1950s. First car on the left is a Fiat 1400. Next could be a 1950s vintage light US truck but it cannot be sure yet which one. Next, on the right, is a 1954 Chevrolet bus. The wagon type vehicle in front the modified truck is most likely a Chevrolet Suburban from around 1955.

Source :

http://bonesfab.com/

Fiat 1400

This was the first Fiat car that used a monocoque type body, introduced at the 1950 Geneva Motor Show. 

The car received a seires of improvements until production stopped in 1958. A diesel engine was introduced in 1953, a 1900 cc model which was another first for Fiat. The engine is however called the 1400 in order to avoid confusion with the then-newly released 1900 petrol engine. When production ceased, some 77,000 cars were produced.

First car on the left is a Fiat 1400. Next could be a 1950s vintage light US truck but it cannot be sure yet which one. Next, on the right, is a 1954 Chevrolet bus. The wagon type vehicle in front the modified truck is most likely a Chevrolet Suburban from around 1955.

Source :

http://www.autoevolution.com/

Puncak Road

“Puncak” - meaning “the Peak”, has been known ever since Dutch colonial days as the mountain resort for Jakarta’s inhabitants to breathe in fresh mountain air over the weekend. With its grand vistas facing the volcanic peaks of Salak, Gede and Pangrango, here is where Jakarta’s rich build their out of town bungalows atop hills overlooking green ricefields irrigated by gurgling streams.

The scenic but winding Jakarta-Bogor-Puncak road was once the only route to Bandung before the Cipularang toll road was opened which cut travelling time between the two cities to a mere two hours from the former 4 to 5 hours over the climbing and turning mountain roads.

Nevertheless, the Bogor-Puncak-Cipanas area remains a favorite destination to spend the weekend or even for just a few hours. Over the years, however, either side of the main road has, unfortunately, become overcrowded with settlements, blocking the views from the car. Therefore, to truly enjoy the beautiful countryside one has to turn into a side road, visit a resort, a hotel or restaurant to view the full glory of the grand scene that will suddenly unveil before you.

The first popular resort nearest Bogor is Cisarua where is found the Safari Park where tigers, lions, zebras and giraffes roam around freely staring at people who are safely entrenched in their cars. Sometimes a curious lion may walk up and sniff at your car window.  This Park gets really overcrowded on weekends and holidays, so it is best to avoid those days.

Further up the ever winding road, nearing its highest point called the Puncak Pass, the view opens up and you will only see miles and miles of the Gunung Mas tea plantations that cover hills and valleys.

This is also a favorite area for paragliding. On weekends you will see enthusiasts with colorful parachutes picturesquely glide down the green valleys. (For information check: www.flypuncak.com or www.indonesia-paragliding.com)

At the top of the road is the Puncak Pass Resort, an old Dutch guesthouse that offers a most panoramic view of the mountains and plantations, and until today still offers superb Dutch menu such as bitterballen, garnalen sla, erwtensoep, Dutch beefsteak, poffertjes and pannekoek.

Some 4 km. down the Puncak Pass is the large Cibodas Botanical Gardens, an extension of the Bogor Botanical Gardens, specially built to grow subtropical plants.  Covering an 85 hectare area built in 1852 by Johannes Ellias Tijsmann, Cibodas lies at the entrance of the Mt. Gede-Pangrango National Park at an altitude of 1,300 meters to 1,425 meters above sea level. It has a collection of 1,293 species of plants, 144 types of lichens, and 1,826 herbariums.  Besides being sprawling gardens for tourists to enjoy and relax, Cibodas is mainly a center for conservation, research and education on the environment.  Right next to the Gardens is the road that leads trekkers up Mt. Gede-Pangrango.

The rhododendron gardens here contain a collection from Indonesia, Japan and China, as do the cherry blossom or sakura gardens that also have a collection from the Himalayas.  Best time to see the flowers in bloom are January to February or between August through September.

Cibodas used to be the source where Java’s first coffee and quinine was planted for exports to become famous all over the world.

The Gardens have two guesthouses which are open to guests.

Away from Cibodas, and further down the road is the town of Cipanas. Here is the Cipanas Palace, the President’s mountain residence set amidst manicured lawns and refreshing hot springs.

Cipanas has grown into a sizable town, where is a market where tourists come to shop for fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers, decorative plants and souvenirs.

And everywhere along the Bogor-Cipanas route up to Bandung there are plentiful hotels, from the most exclusive accommodation complete with meeting facilities, to housing estates, to the more simple accomodation. There are also many flower gardens, fruit gardens, playgrounds and much more for families to enjoy.

Puncak road in the 1950s. First car on the left is a Fiat 1400. Next could be a 1950s vintage light US truck but it cannot be sure yet which one. Next, on the right, is a 1954 Chevrolet bus. The wagon type vehicle in front the modified truck is most likely a Chevrolet Suburban from around 1955.

Source :

http://www.indonesia.travel/

1934 Chevrolet Bus

 The Chevrolet 1/2 ton (1934-1936) placed the well in the right front fender. The 1936 GMC (first year for the 1/2 ton) was in the left front fender. The support hardware is the same. Just another way of the two marquis showing their individuality with limited expense.

Dutch children posed with their school bus, owned by Plantersschoolver "Pengalengan" (Plantation Worker Association "Pengalengan"). The picture was taken at Pangalengan, south Bandung, in 1938. This is a 1934 Chevrolet bus, but the spare tyre covers up the louvres in the engine hood so the ID still not 100% positive

Source :
http://commons.wikimedia.org/

1946-1947 DeSoto Diplomat

The 1946 DeSoto Diplomat (and Dodge Kingsway and Plymouth) were the same in 1946 and 1947. In 1948 the main change was going from 16" to 15" wheels, and in Canada they also changed the compression ratio of the engine from 6,50 to 6.70. As well, the same car was sold as a first-series 1949 model in the U.S. So, not much changed from year to year.

The Australian Chrysler importer, Chrysler Dodge Distributors (Australia) Pty Ltd., imported the chassis with engine, etc., and had the bodies built by T.J. Richards Pty. Ltd., Adelaide, South Australia. Chrysler purchased Chrysler Dodge Distributors and T.J. Richards in 1951, combining the two into Chrysler Australia Limited.

The only sure way to tell a 1946 from 1947 from 1948 (and from 1949 in the U.S.) is by the serial number. Export Plymouths and their cousins were built in Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Ontario. The DeSoto Diplomat were built with Plymouth serial numbers and modified model numbers (they put an "S" in front of the Plymouth number).

The American-built Plymouth used Chrysler's 'small' block flathead 6 with a 3.25" bore and 4.375" stroke for 217.8-cid. The Canadian-built Plymouth used Chrysler 'large' block flathead 6 with a 3.375" bore and 4.0625" stroke for 218.1-cid.

The November 2001 issue of the British publication. "The Automobile", shows a photo on page 61 sent in from a reader from Australia, It is captioned as a "US-built Mercury", but it is clearly an Australian market DeSoto Diplomat. The body has the "balloony" roof, slanted (and larger) front quarter panes, larger windshield, rounded side window openings in the doors, and rounded lower trunk edge.

But you can tell it is a DeSoto by the vertical bars in the grille, the DeSoto emblem on the trunk lid (above the brake light) and the "DeSoto" script just above the grille opening on the left side. There is another postwar Plymouth/ Dodge/ DeSoto beside it, but they do not show either the front or rear of the car. The DeSoto appears to have the emblem on the hood, although what condition it is in, I cannot tell. The caption says the reader found the cars on a farm in Cooma.

The Diplomat was not sold in Canada or the continental U.S. (it was sold in Hawaii prior to its admission as a state and also in Mexico, though).

 DeSoto Diplomat circa 1947 in Kosambi (Bandung)

Source :

http://www.allpar.com/

Willys Model 77 Tourer (Holden Bodied)

The aerodynamic but very small looking Willys 77 sold as the new Whippet replacement from 1933 till 1936 while the company struggled through a receivership. While the styling could be considered advanced, it could only be sold as a four seater as the body width and tread (51 inch compared to Whippet’s 56 ½) was quite narrow and the wheelbase had been brought back to 100 inches. Performance compared to the Whippet was enhanced by the use of a Tillotson downdraft carburetor giving 48 bhp @ 3200 rpm, 8 bhp more than Whippet 96A and reverting back to the old Model 96 bore and stroke of 3 1/8 in x 4 3/8 in. The small aerodynamic body with upgraded engine gave the car 70 mph capability and 30 mpg economy. The clutch was cable operated.

In spite of being one of the cheapest, most economical and smallest of the regular production cars on the American market, it never really stood much chance of becoming a big seller as production, material purchasing, etc was limited to batches of 10,000 as allowed by the bankruptcy court. Prices for the little 4 were from from $395 upwards. The 4 door sedan was around $445 which was 13% more than the comparable 1933 Continental Beacon at $393. Development would have been severely restricted. Even so, a prototype 6 cylinder version called the Willys 99 was advertised at $595 - $695 with optional ($100 extra) sleeve valve motor but never went ahead as the production tooling was not fully completed. Tooling for the Willys 99 side valve engine was however complete and was sold to International Harvester for use in their light pick-up truck. Production totals on the restricted assembly lines over the almost 4 year period was just 67,526 (assuming all the serial no’s were used) - not much when you consider Whippet 96 volumes had averaged 11,000 vehicles per month by late 1928.

The various model years of the Willys 77 can be quickly summarised as follows;

1933 - Headlamps set in front fenders. Hood with 4 vertical doors that open. Chassis No’s 1001 to 13820. Engine No’s 1001 and up.

1934 - Hood with horizontal louvres. New floating power engine mountings. Chassis No’s 13821 to 27055.

1935 - Five circular "Port Hole" vents in hood. Headlamps mounted in apron between fenders and radiator grille (formerly integral with mudguards). Front engine rubber mounting right under water pump. Chassis No’s 27056 to 37700.

1936 - Four point rubber engine mounting. Vacuum Ignition control. Windscreens on closed cars changed from opening to non-opening. Chassis No’s 37701 to 68526.

In Feb 1936, Federal Judge George P. Hahn granted the order freeing the company from its bankruptcy status and new development could once again take place. Restyling and synchromesh brought the car up to date for 1937 as the Willys Model 37 with integral hood and grille hinged from the cowl. The wheelbase remained at 100 inches but the tires were reduced to a 16 inch rim size.

The Willys 77 was released in Australia in April 1933 with the press calling it "a revolutionary car - putting transport on a commonsense basis".

Holden’s Woodville, South Australian plant, produced Sedan, Coupe, Tourer and Roadster. The roadster body style was not available in the USA.

 Willys Model 77 Tourer (Holden Bodied), Netherlands East Indies

Source :

http://www.wokr.org/

NV Lindeteves-Stokvis, The Famous Opelette Manufacturer (Based from Opel Chassis)

NV Lindeteves-Stokvis is one of the five Dutch conglomerate before World War II. Four other companies are NV Rotterdam Internatio, NV Borsumij Maatschappij, NV Geo Wehry, and NV Jacobson van den Berg. They master the business network of trade, production, services, industry, and distribution in a number of countries.

Lindeteves headquartered in Hyderabad and has branch offices in major cities in Java. One of them was quite well known in Surabaya. There, the office of Lindeteves-Stokvis was designed by the Batavian architectural firm Hulswit, Fermont and Ed Cuypers, and was built in 1911.

Towards 1960 Lindeteves-Stokvis and Firma De Vri'es Robbe, both based in Semarang, merged into NV Constructie Werk Plaatsen De Vri'es Robbe Lindeteves, abbreviated as "Linde Robbe & Co." which is engaged in the manufacturing of steel construction.

In 1962 the company was nationalized into a state company with the name of Amarta with the same line of business. In 1972, the national company status was changed to the Company of Amarta Karya (Persero) which based in Jakarta. Since that time the company were expanding its business to the field of civil construction, electrical and mechanical, as addition to their hitherto core business: steel construction.

Source :

http://www.conam.info/

http://www.purwokertoantik.com/

Bas Bogers Collection

Bill Murray: Here are some photos of the building and some cars and trucks worked on or made up by this garage.

I have not identified the cars or trucks just yet.

I have just started to do my research and so far the photos come from a Blog belonging to a Bas Bogers who did a family history on the Internet. More with the extended family and their life during and after World War II. Here is from http://www.shorpy.com/node/1103 :

My great-grandparents moved to the Dutch colony of Indonesia at the end of World War I, where they ran one of the few, probably the only, car garage on the emerald isles.

They had a fantastic time there, the locals were happy to work for them or succeeded well in hiding their discontempt [contempt? discontent? - dave].

This is rather common, many Indonesians were very friendly and acted happy and many Dutch had no idea many of these people hated being colonised and dominated and exploited by the Dutch.

So my grandmother and her brother Dirk grew up in a paradise, they had servants, money, space, a nice house and just lots of freedom. Not realizing anything about politics, Indonesian rebels, what was happening in the world. They were just very happy, innocent children.

When World War II began they were in their late teens, about to become adults. My grandmother married a Dutch soldier but then the Japanese came. Everybody was locked up in prison camps but, and I'm not quite sure what happened, my grandmother managed to hide with two girls who looked dark and local.

They stayed hidden in a house, Gran remaining hidden because she looked so European, the dark girls managing to get food now and then. Things were becoming very difficult as my gran was pregnant by her husband and they had to take even bigger risks.

Of course this couldn't last, they were discovered. Some or all the girls were raped by Japanese soldiers. We are not sure if my gran was raped as at that time as she was already heavily pregnant and it was a subject never talked about in the family, something we only found out when meeting one of the other girls many years later.

Perhaps Gran became pregnant because of that rape. We don't know.

After this ordeal they were taken to a prison camp or went there themselves because of what happened. In the camp Gran had her baby, my aunt Annemarie. Life in the camp was terrible, my aunt as a toddler had a nightmare all her life of a woman beaten to death by the guards, also my gran was beaten a few times. Gran later confirmed that my aunt had seen such things as a toddler.

Once when a Japanese soldier or officer started beating Gran, Annemarie escaped the grasp of one of the other women, ran up to the Jap and started fighting him. Everybody held their breath, fearing the worst. The Jap looked at the little girl and then simply walked off. Other family members didnt survive the camps.

My Uncle Dirk, a prisoner of war, was forced to work on the Burma railroad, a experience that broke him forever. He was and still is a strong and proud man but he never got over it. He still hates everything Japanese, caused a big row when his son went on a trip to Japan. He never talked about what he went through.

When the war finally came to an end my grandmother, aunt and uncle were close to dying. Although we all hate the atom bombs that fell on Japan we also realise that nobody in our entire family would be alive today without them.

My grandfather though was somewhere on the other side of the country when he was released because the war was as good as finished. He heard where his family was being kept prisoner and decided he couldn't wait any longer.
First I didnt believe this story but its now been confirmed.

My grandfather escaped from the POW camp (not difficult, few guards left, war pretty much over), he went to a japanese airfield and hijacked a plane!!! He got on board of a plane and forced the pilot to fly him to the other side of the country. Knowing my granddad he would have snapped the japs neck in a second if he wouldnt have listened.

At this time the survivors of my family were hiding inside the camps, now the indonesians (fuelled with hate by the japs) stood up against the Dutch. In a strange reverse situation the japanese guards now had to defend their former prisoners from the indonesians.
My family witnessed fellow ex-prisoners disapearing at night, being found the next day brutally murdered.

Then in a convoy they went to the harbour, being shot at by indonesian rebels, knowing very well that they were shooting at women and children who had just survived years in a camp. When they arrived on a british ship my aunt remembers a very young british sailor looking after her while the rest of my family sort of collapsed. He was very sweet to her, treating her as his little sister.

Singing to her, giving her sweets, etc.
My aunt still gets emotional when she thinks about how nice he was, the first nice man she had seen in her life as there had been no men in the camp besides the japs.
Many years later she would marry a sailor, she told him that she wouldnt even had talked to him if he hadnt been wearing the uniform... heheh some things run in the family.

My family left indonesia in a plane with no door, probably a dakota used for airdrops.
They never went back.

In the Netherlands they simply couldnt get used to normal life, nobody talked about what happened and the dutch had their own war traumas to handle.

My grandmother died very young, probably because the shock her system got in the camp, she nearly died several times and her body sort of gave up.

My greatuncle Dirk left the Netherlands and went to australia, he only came back once.

Source :

http://flickrhivemind.net/

1936 Studebaker President Cruising Sedan

The Studebaker President was the premier automobile model manufactured by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana (US) from 1926-1942. The nameplate was reintroduced in 1955 and used until the end of the 1958 model when the name was retired.

For 1934, Studebaker trimmed its model lineup and streamlined its vehicles. The company designed a new body, the Land Cruiser, which was offered on the Dictator, Commander and President. The Land Cruiser models were easily identified by their extreme streamlining features, unusual 4-piece rear window, trunk and the full fender skirts on the rear of the vehicle. The new Presidents were smaller and less impressive than their predecessors, though still fine automobiles.

For 1935, Presidents and Commanders offered an optional steel sliding roof similar to sunroofs common on vehicles today. In 1936, all Studebaker cars featured the "Planar" suspension system, and offered the "Startix" automatic engine-starting system as an optional accessory. Vehicles manufactured from 1936 also showed the influence of industrial designer Raymond Loewy, who was hired as Studebaker’s design consultant, and Helen Dryden who specialised in interior styling.[5] Studebaker made its Hill-Holder device (an anti-rollback brake system) standard on the President in that year.

In 1938, the company offered a remote-controlled "Miracle-Shift" transmission which featured a dashboard-mounted shifter. The unit was discontinued in 1939 when the transmission shift lever was moved to the steering column.

 1936 Studebaker President Cruising Sedan, Netherlands East Indies

Source :

http://en.wikipedia.org/

1937 Pontiac Deluxe 4 Door Sedan

General Motors made history on several levels in 1937, a year that would, sadly, become notorious for bloody purges in the Soviet Union, 600,000 Nazis massed with arms extended and palms down in Nuremberg, and "Oh, the humanity!" It was also the year that GM made its peace with the fledgling United Auto Workers, following a tense series of sit-down strikes at assembly plants that crippled production for weeks on end. The standoff would end up costing GM far more than the $25- million wage settlement it grudgingly accepted.

The pact ended several difficult years that nearly saw Pontiac, sprung from the loins of Oakland as a step up from Chevrolet, disappear entirely. The nameplate was rescued-literally-by a new straight-eight engine that debuted in 1933, which sold impressively at some 85,000 units produced, despite the economy dragged to nearly the nadir of the Depression. The performance led William S. Knudsen, who had been running Pontiac at arm's length while also acting as general manager of Chevrolet, to appoint Harry J. Klinger as Pontiac's very first stand-alone boss. From that point, Pontiac's products began to advance steadily in terms of quality and sophistication: Chevrolet-derived independent front suspension in 1934, a new L-head straight-six for 1935, and continued sales improvements through 1936. And when 1937 rolled around, GM was ready to roll the dice that the economy was in sustained recovery, and undertook a major redo of its mid-range brands.

For Pontiac, that genesis began tentatively in 1935, which would become the year of The Streak. This signature styling trait, which would define Pontiacs for more than 20 years, was an up-and-over band of chrome that seemingly rose out of the 1935s' waterfall grille and stretched backward along the center of the hood to the base of the windshield. The effect, brainstormed by stylist Frank Hershey, an early Harley Earl protégé, became more pronounced in each of the next two model years, with 1937 themed by a streak running down the center of a horizontally oriented grille, and now, two additional chrome streaks running along the side of the hood. The public clearly liked what it saw: Pontiac built a combined 137,505 six-cylinder cars in 1936; the following year, production leaped to 179,244. By the time Pontiac finally retired the streak treatment after 1956, there was a pair of them on the hood, and others along the sides of the body. As styling gimmicks go, the streaks had genuine "legs," as they say in the news business. Arguably, only Buick's ventiports outlasted them.

Perhaps not as noticeable, but undeniably far more significant than the streaks, was Pontiac's sharing of the General Motors B-body with both Buick and Oldsmobile, an all-steel, turret-top design that eliminated the commonplace use of wood as a construction material. In the truest sense, these models were the automobile industry's first proper car body that was constructed entirely out of steel. Not only that, all Pontiac wheelbases were stretched five inches, to 117 inches for 1937, which made them some of the roomiest cars of the era. 

1937 Pontiac Deluxe 4 Door Sedan, Netherlands East Indies

Source :

http://www.hemmings.com/

1938 Packard Super 8 Touring Sedan

Packard Super Eight was the name given to the larger of the two eight cylinder luxury automobiles produced by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan. It shared frames and some body types with the top model Packard Twelve. Following the discontinuation of the Seventeenth Series Packard Twelve after the 1939 model year, a new Super Eight One-Eighty was derived from the Super Eight as the new top car range. The Super Eight was renamed the Packard Super Eight One-Sixty. These two models shared most mechanical components including the 160 HP straight Eight engine.

After 1942, Packard concentrated on the new Clipper styling that was developed for an upper-class sedan the previous year. There were Super Clippers and Custom Super Clipper in the One-Sixty and One-Eighty tradition until 1947. After a heavy facelift, the name Clipper was dropped. The most senior Super Eight One-Eighty became the Custom Eight, while its slightly lower-priced sibling, the Super Eight One-Sixty, once again became simply the Super Eight. Clipper Custom Super Eights and Custom Eights were very close relatives to their respective Super models, distinguished outside by the lack of an eggcrate grille and small rear chrome trim moulding under t he trunk lid on Supers. In 1949, a new Super Eight Deluxe was added to the line. This car had also the Custom Eight's eggcrate grille, but not the rear trim.

The entire range of Packard's motorcars was renamed for the 1951 model year (twenty-fourth series), when the Super Eight was renamed 300, thus bringing to a close the long reign of the Packard Super Eight.

 Packard Super 8 Touring Sedan, Netherlands East Indies

Source :

http://en.wikipedia.org/

1937 Packard Super Eight

Far more successful than concurrent Twelves, probably because it sold for much less, the 1937-1939 Packard Super Eight was vastly downsized from earlier in both seen and unseen places.

Independent front suspension, a smaller Eight, grease nipples instead of Bijur lubrication, and hydraulic brakes were featured, and the old "suicide" front doors were eliminated. It was also more streamlined in keeping with current trends (the radiator was raked 30 degrees now) but retained the "Packard look." Weight was cut almost as dramatically as on GM's famous downsizing program of the late 1970s.

1937 Packard Super Eight in the beach somewhere in the Netherlands East Indies

Source :

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/

1940 Ford 4-Door Deluxe Sedan

An unqualified design masterpiece by E.T. “Bob” Gregorie, the 1940 Ford line featured one of the most distinctive automotive designs of the immediate prewar era, with a remarkable style and flair that endures to this day. Stylistically, the single-element V-shaped grille of 1939 was broadened for improved engine cooling, with separate elements located on each side of the center grille, providing a sharp and distinctive visual identification feature.

Inside, a more modern finish in maroon and sand-colored plastic, employing Art Deco-inspired rectangular forms for the instrument panel, the optional radio and the large speaker, replaced the former wood-grained dashboard motif. Bob Gregorie’s two-spoke steering wheel design, which had earned high praise and acceptance in the 1939 Mercury, now too found its way into the Ford lineup.

The gearshift was relocated from the floor to the steering column, another modern feature that was at once more convenient for the driver and increased front-seat legroom. Ford also introduced sealed-beam headlights in 1940, finally eliminating the persistent problem of moisture degradation, with their housings also incorporating the parking lights into one single unit. The upscale Deluxe models were further distinguished from their more common brethren with bright red “Ford Deluxe” lettering within the hubcaps, offset by a set of body-colored trim rings, while a growing list of available options provided unprecedented levels of personalization for buyers.

 1940 Ford 4-Door Deluxe Sedan in Netherlands East Indies

Source :

http://www.boldride.com/

1938 Ford Deluxe

 Ford began an effort to distinguish its standard and deluxe models, starting in 1938.  Standard models were built with 1937 front sheet metal and deluxe models received new, updated front-end styling.  They were distinctively designed with a new heart-shaped grille flowing over the crown of the fender catwalks.  As seen on this 1938 Ford deluxe convertible coupe, deluxe models also benefited from the addition of dual windshield wipers, walnut wood grain window moldings and dash panels, a banjo steering wheel, and a locking glove compartment door with a factory clock.  Additionally you will find a radio and handsome factory instrumentation.  The exterior is adorned with distinctive color-keyed steel wheels with factory hubcaps and trim rings that are mated to wide whitewall tires in keeping with the era.

 Two Dutch elders with 1938 Ford Deluxe model, Netherlands East Indies

Sources :

https://www.bonhams.com/

1937 Ford Truck

Despite the success of the V-8, Ford was sometimes criticized for not offering an "economy" engine. So in 1937, the company responded by adding a radically downsized V-8. Whereas the original (which continued) displaced 221 cubic inches and produced 85 horsepower, the new V-8 was sized at just 136 cid with a rating of 60 hp. While the difference in power between the two didn't look like much on paper, in reality, the smaller engine was just too small, and like the four-cylinder that preceded it, was soon dropped.

Ford also entered the transit-bus business in 1937 with the introduction of the forward-control chassis, which placed the engine off to one side so the driver could sit next to it rather than behind it. The company also began offering trucks in fancier Deluxe trim.

New styling that placed the headlights partially into the fenders graced the 1937 car line, as shown on this 1937 Ford Sedan Delivery. Harder to see is its split, vee'd windshield, another 1937 innovation.

All 1937 pickups had a V-8 engine -- along with the appropriate badge on the side of the hood -- but newly offered that year was a 136-cubic-inch 60-horsepower version that promised better fuel economy than its bigger 221-cid 85-hp brother.

Trucks got a fuller grille and vee'd windshield for 1937, but didn't look anywhere near as modern as the car line.

The interiors of 1937 Ford trucks didn't match the new styling on the Ford cars of the same year.

 Japanese soldiers entered the Indonesian interior using 1937 Ford trucks, 1942

Sources :

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/

http://indonesia-zaman-doeloe.blogspot.com/