Indonesia
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Page creation 22/07/2007
All rights reserved DSinAsia 2006-2008, except otherwise indicated
Two key moments in Hamdani's life. The day
he found a DS in Jakarta, and his wedding
day. The DS was invited of course.
The wedding ceremony took place one
beautiful day in November 2001 (a little bit
rainy, in fact). No doubt Hamdani was very
proud of his beautiful wife, but also of his fully
restored 1969 DS21.
he found a DS in Jakarta, and his wedding
day. The DS was invited of course.
The wedding ceremony took place one
beautiful day in November 2001 (a little bit
rainy, in fact). No doubt Hamdani was very
proud of his beautiful wife, but also of his fully
restored 1969 DS21.
The love story (from here on I shall talk only
about the car if you don't mind) starts when
young Hamdani discovers the DS in a comic
book given to him by his uncle. Later in the '80
when he moves to the Netherlands for his
architectural studies, he encounters the real
thing, commonly used then as a cheap
second-hand car by students, and eventually
buys his own, a grey DS21 which he goes on
driving for 10 years.
Back to Jakarta, he has to settle on a GS until
he finally puts his hands on this DS, in June
1995. Its first owner is said to have been a
French engineer who worked for a dam
project in Purwakarta, West Java.
The car was laying abandoned and rusting for
10 years, but it was complete. Parts were
shipped in from the Netherlands, and in
October 1995 a full restoration was
undertaken, with the precious help of a senior
Citroen engineer, Mr Tan Kok An: engine first,
then chassis, suspension, body, new dark
blue paint, final assembly, and... voilà !
about the car if you don't mind) starts when
young Hamdani discovers the DS in a comic
book given to him by his uncle. Later in the '80
when he moves to the Netherlands for his
architectural studies, he encounters the real
thing, commonly used then as a cheap
second-hand car by students, and eventually
buys his own, a grey DS21 which he goes on
driving for 10 years.
Back to Jakarta, he has to settle on a GS until
he finally puts his hands on this DS, in June
1995. Its first owner is said to have been a
French engineer who worked for a dam
project in Purwakarta, West Java.
The car was laying abandoned and rusting for
10 years, but it was complete. Parts were
shipped in from the Netherlands, and in
October 1995 a full restoration was
undertaken, with the precious help of a senior
Citroen engineer, Mr Tan Kok An: engine first,
then chassis, suspension, body, new dark
blue paint, final assembly, and... voilà !
Hamdani drives his DS mainly during week-ends, and on express ways; the traffic conditions in
downtown Jakarta, and the heat, are too extreme for the car. He reports that onlookers have
very different and sometimes amusing reactions : some people admire the car, some think it is
an american model, some don't understand the value, while some even assume it's got to be
the latest Citroen model !
downtown Jakarta, and the heat, are too extreme for the car. He reports that onlookers have
very different and sometimes amusing reactions : some people admire the car, some think it is
an american model, some don't understand the value, while some even assume it's got to be
the latest Citroen model !
Top: a nice ivory hide has been used to refurbish the
interior.
Left: the black and striped C-Pillar panel is quite
unusual. Not existing in original DS production, it
must be a local repair or modification. Rather neat,
actually.
Below: The car in Jakarta, in 1996.
interior.
Left: the black and striped C-Pillar panel is quite
unusual. Not existing in original DS production, it
must be a local repair or modification. Rather neat,
actually.
Below: The car in Jakarta, in 1996.
Upper top left: Hamdani still has the old comic book
where he saw a DS for the first time in his life: a Dutch
language edition of the french "Michel Vaillant" series.
Left and below: the car when Hamdani found it and
during restoration work, in 1995.
where he saw a DS for the first time in his life: a Dutch
language edition of the french "Michel Vaillant" series.
Left and below: the car when Hamdani found it and
during restoration work, in 1995.
