Buick, a Stolen Car that Becomes Indonesia's First Presidential Limo

TheIndonesia.id - The Presidential Palace held a presidential car exhibition at the Sarinah Building, Central Jakarta, in commemoration of the 77th Anniversary of Indonesian Independence (HUT RI). Seven official vehicles of heads of state from seven periods of the Indonesian government are exhibited at the event lasted until August 31, 2022.

One of the prima donnas is the 8 series Buick, the first presidential limo owned by the Indonesian government and used by President Soekarno. The car was an operational vehicle for the Proclaimer from 1945 to 1949.

The black car with a number plate REP-1 was issued by the Buick Motor Division and released in 1939 with an engine capacity of 5247 cc. The exterior is black with a large grille at the front. While the interior is dominated by brown cloth material that wraps the seats and the roof of the cabin.

What is unique, there is a large glass that becomes a barrier between the front and rear row seats. The glass can be opened by using the rotary lever.

Head of the General Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat, Erry Hermawan, said the 83-year-old car is still well maintained and can operate. "This can still work," he said on Saturday to Antara News Agency.

The history that accompanies this car is also interesting. This car was owned by the Japanese Ministry of Transportation and was a "stolen item". Soekarno's best friend, Sudiro, approached the driver of the REP-1 car who was resting and persuaded the driver to give him the car keys. Sudiro then took the car to Soekarno's residence on Jl. East Pegangsaan No. 56, and has since been used to carry out his duties as president.

In addition to the Buick-8, there are a number of other presidential cars on display, such as the white Mercedes-Benz S280 used by President Soeharto, First Lady Tien Suharto, President BJ Habibie, and Abdurrahman Wahid. Then there are two Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham units which were once the vehicle of President BJ Habibie, and the Mercedes-Benz Sedan S600 Guard which was the presidential vehicle of President SBY and Joko Widodo.

Besides the presidential car, presidential archives such as photo and video documentation of the state are also exhibited, which most people
have never seen before. Please visit Sarinah Building, Central Jakarta, to enjoy the exhibitions.