Jakarta –
Coinciding with November 10 as Heroes’ Day, there are certainly many who don’t know that the automotive industry has also witnessed history. The simplest example is the Indonesian proclaimer, Soekarno, who used a Buick-8 as his first vehicle and became the first presidential car during his tenure as the first president of the Republic of Indonesia.
However, interestingly, it turns out that this Buick-8 was not an official purchase, but was looted from Japan.
History records that Sukarno’s friend, Sudiro, managed to trick the Japanese Department of Transportation driver into giving him the keys to the Buick-8. Sudiro then took the limousine to Soekarno’s residence on Jl. Pegangsaan Timur No. 56, and since then, the Buick-8 has been the President’s official vehicle for carrying out his duties.
For information, Buick is an automotive company from the United States which is a subsidiary of General Motors. Soekarno’s Buick-8 was only produced in 1939.
In the world, only 1,451 units of this car were produced and one of them is still in Indonesia. The engine had a capacity of 5,248cc, had 8 cylinders and 2 valves in each cylinder, making it one of the most powerful cars of that time.
Buick Super 1949, Presidential Official Car of the Soekarno Era Photo: Ari Saputra
This car was capable of producing very good power for its time, reaching 141 hp at 3600 rpm. The engine has a Bore X Stroke ratio, namely 87.3 X 109.5.
In terms of appearance, the Buick-8 looks very dignified. With the Rep-1 number plate and elegant black covering the entire body of the car, the Buick-8 manages to reflect luxury and looks like it is able to protect the ‘state secrets’ that might be discussed in the car’s cabin. In addition, this car is equipped with a piece of glass separating the passenger and driver, which can be opened by turning a lever.
Head of the General Bureau of the Presidential Secretariat, Erry Hermawan, stated that this 83 year old car is still well maintained and can even run perfectly.
“This can still work,” said Erry in a detikOto report in 2022.
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(lth/lth)
2023-11-10 13:14:30
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