Indonesia
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Page creation 13/04/2008
All rights reserved DSinAsia 2006-2008, except otherwise indicated
Bali is famous for its unique culture, its
dances, its hindu temples and its white sand
beaches. Now it should be famous also for
its Citroen collection !
dances, its hindu temples and its white sand
beaches. Now it should be famous also for
its Citroen collection !
Peter van den Hoek Ostende, a Dutch
national, seen above with his "ace assistant"
Gung, travelled and worked in many
countries before settling down in 1979 in
Bali, where he now manages a guesthouse.
Over the years his passion for old cars
made him find, bring back home and restore
dozens of cars. Today, his amazing
collection includes no less than eleven
Citroen, basically the whole range from the
2CV to the SM, all of them found locally !
Peter has been a fan of Citroen, and of the
DS in particular, since his student days. It
took him years to locate his first Balinese
"snoek" (Dutch for "pike", the surname of the
DS in Holland), but of course the owner did
not want to sell at first, finding strange that a
foreigner wanted that car and not a
brand-new Mercedes. But finally, in 1995,
Peter managed to bring back home this first
Balinese DS, a white 1972 DS21.
national, seen above with his "ace assistant"
Gung, travelled and worked in many
countries before settling down in 1979 in
Bali, where he now manages a guesthouse.
Over the years his passion for old cars
made him find, bring back home and restore
dozens of cars. Today, his amazing
collection includes no less than eleven
Citroen, basically the whole range from the
2CV to the SM, all of them found locally !
Peter has been a fan of Citroen, and of the
DS in particular, since his student days. It
took him years to locate his first Balinese
"snoek" (Dutch for "pike", the surname of the
DS in Holland), but of course the owner did
not want to sell at first, finding strange that a
foreigner wanted that car and not a
brand-new Mercedes. But finally, in 1995,
Peter managed to bring back home this first
Balinese DS, a white 1972 DS21.
Peter could restore the car with parts
shipped from Holland, and also thanks to the
precious help of Pak Putu, probably the last
mechanic with a Citroen experience on the
island.
At the same time, Peter continued to visit old
car yards and merchants in and around
Jakarta, the capital. One such place, called
Inti Motor, was managed by a tough
negociator, Tony. There he found his second
DS, a 1973 silver grey DS23 with original air
conditioning. It him took some time and a lot
of patience to finally obtain the car, and a
while later, Tony even managed to find and
sell to Peter the original papers of the first
DS, the white "Balinese snoek" !
The grey DS23 was also restored with the
help of Pak Putu, and it is now the one which
Peter uses on a regular basis. Around the
same time, in 1997, Peter brought back
from Tony's yard two more DS: another
1973 DS23, a brown one, and a 1972 ID21
estate, which are yet to be restored.
shipped from Holland, and also thanks to the
precious help of Pak Putu, probably the last
mechanic with a Citroen experience on the
island.
At the same time, Peter continued to visit old
car yards and merchants in and around
Jakarta, the capital. One such place, called
Inti Motor, was managed by a tough
negociator, Tony. There he found his second
DS, a 1973 silver grey DS23 with original air
conditioning. It him took some time and a lot
of patience to finally obtain the car, and a
while later, Tony even managed to find and
sell to Peter the original papers of the first
DS, the white "Balinese snoek" !
The grey DS23 was also restored with the
help of Pak Putu, and it is now the one which
Peter uses on a regular basis. Around the
same time, in 1997, Peter brought back
from Tony's yard two more DS: another
1973 DS23, a brown one, and a 1972 ID21
estate, which are yet to be restored.
Top: all pictures above show Peter's "second" DS, the
1973 silver grey DS23, which he uses regularly for
week-end drives around the coast, through mountain
roads, surrounded by rice paddies, or in the cities of
Ubud and Denpasar (the island's major city) .
Left: the "second" DS when Peter found it at Tony's
garage, in 1996. It took him one year to negociate the car.
Below: The "first" DS, the white 1972 DS21, before and
after restoration.
1973 silver grey DS23, which he uses regularly for
week-end drives around the coast, through mountain
roads, surrounded by rice paddies, or in the cities of
Ubud and Denpasar (the island's major city) .
Left: the "second" DS when Peter found it at Tony's
garage, in 1996. It took him one year to negociate the car.
Below: The "first" DS, the white 1972 DS21, before and
after restoration.
Top, and right: Peter's third DS, another 1973 DS23, still
under restoration.
under restoration.
Above: the fourth DS, an estate on a 1972 ID21 base.
Restoration has not started yet.
Left: thanks to a patient work of what may be called
automotive archeology, Peter managed to trace back the
history of his cars. They have all been imported early on,
and have been owned exclusively by Indonesian
amateurs before him.
Restoration has not started yet.
Left: thanks to a patient work of what may be called
automotive archeology, Peter managed to trace back the
history of his cars. They have all been imported early on,
and have been owned exclusively by Indonesian
amateurs before him.
Peter's other Citroens (clockwise): a GSA; one of his two 2CV, next to the "first" DS; two FAF, a typical indonesian
production on Mehari base, yet to be restored; one of his two Mehari, this one being used daily.
production on Mehari base, yet to be restored; one of his two Mehari, this one being used daily.
And last but not least, a SM ! This one is said to have
belonged to the Spanish embassy in Jakarta. It seems
there are only two such cars in the country !
belonged to the Spanish embassy in Jakarta. It seems
there are only two such cars in the country !
Going to Bali is a great experience. It is
even better if you stay at Peter's place;
link to his guesthouse (Dutch and
English):
even better if you stay at Peter's place;
link to his guesthouse (Dutch and
English):