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An East Indies Mercedes Mystery (Upd. Sindelfingen / Herman Ahrens?)
Until shortly after the Second World War, Indonesia was a Dutch colony into which rich planters and businessmen imported lots of luxury cars. One such example is this 1935 Mercedes-Benz saloon owned by Mr. Tan Tjoan Keng from Batavia. Mr. Tan used the Mercedes for long-distance travels through Europe and Africa. The Mercedes was equipped with a five-litre supercharged engine, a fuel tank that could contain 180 litres and seats that could be reclined to create sleeping space. At first, we thought it was one of the Autobahn-Kurier models, but then doubt settled in as there are many differences. We think it is one-off coachwork, as it has many special features like two built-in spare wheels, two batteries and many cupboards, including one to carry guns. The Mercedes won the public’s prize at the Concours d’Élégance at Semarang in 1935 and earlier first prizes at Scheveningen in Holland and Zürich, Switzerland. Does anyone recognise this very nice luxury automobile and can they tell us more about it?
Text: Rutger Booy
Update II: Frans Vrijaldenhoven found an advert from 1949 in which the Mercedes was offered for 16,000 guilders by a Dutch dealer. A quick calculation tells us that this is a little more than 60,000 euros or almost 82,000 dollars in today’s money. And that for a 15-year old second-hand car!
Published: Monday July 2nd, 2011
Published:
Monday August 23rd, 2021
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Comments
Robby Djojosaputro
03 August 2022, 07:14
Is the next car from mr. Tan, a 1948 Mercedes 320 type W142, special order?? This car is in the PPMKI Collection....
Read more
Herman van Oldeneel
18 August 2021, 08:15
After a 1/43 scale model some years ago, Matrix Scale Model now released a model in 1/18 scale!!
It comes in two different colours.
Read more
It comes in two different colours.
S de Vries
08 November 2018, 22:57
Is this alse the car of Mr. Tan Tjoan Keng
In Holland, Scheveningen or Noordwijk
Read more
In Holland, Scheveningen or Noordwijk
herman van oldeneel
09 December 2018, 15:52
Indeed , it is the same car!
The car survived WW-II and it was pictured at the K.N.A.C. Concours/ Sterrit Noordwijk (NL) 1947.
Unknown to me is who owned the car at that time.
More information is welcome!
Read more
The car survived WW-II and it was pictured at the K.N.A.C. Concours/ Sterrit Noordwijk (NL) 1947.
Unknown to me is who owned the car at that time.
More information is welcome!
Unknown
24 July 2015, 19:05
the H licence nr on the Mercedes 500k is a Semarang nr,town in Indonesia,the R nr of another Mercedes of Mr Tan is for colonial car when used in the Netherlands,when driving in Indonesia an Indonesian area I must check,I think Purwokerto,in that time Poerwokerto.
It looks like there was no any info about the fate of the car known by child/children of Mr Tan,as big cars consuming a lot of patrol,had no any value in the fifties,a lot were scrapped,but I think Mr Tan never should have sold the car for scrap,but gave it to a Dutch,German or Swiss contact.
The car is not in Indonesia,as a member of the PPMKI,the Indonesian
Antique Car Club I should have known it.
I am trying to find child/children/contacts of Mr W van Vuren owner of the Schulpweg Garage at Aerdenhout
I think I must also have a talk with Mrs Emilia Noya
Jan de Jong Jakarta
Read more
It looks like there was no any info about the fate of the car known by child/children of Mr Tan,as big cars consuming a lot of patrol,had no any value in the fifties,a lot were scrapped,but I think Mr Tan never should have sold the car for scrap,but gave it to a Dutch,German or Swiss contact.
The car is not in Indonesia,as a member of the PPMKI,the Indonesian
Antique Car Club I should have known it.
I am trying to find child/children/contacts of Mr W van Vuren owner of the Schulpweg Garage at Aerdenhout
I think I must also have a talk with Mrs Emilia Noya
Jan de Jong Jakarta
Unknown
09 February 2015, 08:37
The picture of a white car in the 'for sale' advert is the same picture already used in 1935.
To my opinion: after the respray in 1935 into a darker colour, the car kept this colour. No respray again for the mentioned advert!
Read more
To my opinion: after the respray in 1935 into a darker colour, the car kept this colour. No respray again for the mentioned advert!
Unknown
06 November 2014, 19:06
In the photo album of the designer the car is described (by him??) as
"5 Litr. mit K. Spezialstromlinienwagen".
('K'. means 'Kompressor')
Read more
"5 Litr. mit K. Spezialstromlinienwagen".
('K'. means 'Kompressor')
Unknown
17 July 2014, 06:08
On the back side of a private picture of the car we found a written comment (by Mr Tan?) about the colour. For now I only say it wasn't black!
Read more
Unknown
06 March 2014, 20:11
ad #4
You mentioned that the car was pictured in the book: The Stars and the Laurel.
Can you please show these pictures and/or
the licenceplate number?
This couldbe of great interest
Read more
You mentioned that the car was pictured in the book: The Stars and the Laurel.
Can you please show these pictures and/or
the licenceplate number?
This couldbe of great interest
Unknown
24 February 2014, 20:46
Recently I bought a 1/43 scale model of the Mercedes 500-K Autobahnkurier with this for Mercedes unusual, rather flowing, grille.
I Instantly recognised this model as a special one because of its grille.
I have a clipping from 'Motor Sport' from the mid-thirties 'Motor with a picture of a white Autobahnkurier, licenced x-252.
Details from the scale model:
Idea 3
Special Streamline 500-K
1/43
white metal
Read more
I Instantly recognised this model as a special one because of its grille.
I have a clipping from 'Motor Sport' from the mid-thirties 'Motor with a picture of a white Autobahnkurier, licenced x-252.
Details from the scale model:
Idea 3
Special Streamline 500-K
1/43
white metal
Unknown
05 September 2011, 00:22
To #15 sh Sie,
Found a picture of a roadster licenseplate R 6086,not R8490 that my
father drove also.It looks like a jaguar.
Emilia
Read more
Found a picture of a roadster licenseplate R 6086,not R8490 that my
father drove also.It looks like a jaguar.
Emilia
Unknown
17 August 2011, 00:52
To #12,Yes he used the white car x252
in Spain,Turkey,Egypt and so on.Writes
to my german mother in Brussels,he was
waiting for a visa to go to Russia. I don,t see in the letters that he actually
went.Emilia
Read more
in Spain,Turkey,Egypt and so on.Writes
to my german mother in Brussels,he was
waiting for a visa to go to Russia. I don,t see in the letters that he actually
went.Emilia
Unknown
16 August 2011, 20:41
to Emilia,
a photograph of a mercedes was shown to me from mr Tan licence R-8490.
I think it was a european car.
Do you recognise this?
SH Sie (indra)
Read more
a photograph of a mercedes was shown to me from mr Tan licence R-8490.
I think it was a european car.
Do you recognise this?
SH Sie (indra)
Unknown
16 August 2011, 19:07
Mystery car, mystery man.
Perhaps Emilia could be so kind to share a picture of the car and his owner (in black and/or white) with us?
And with my simple mind: why would one desire to own two similar cars in just a different color? Therefore, x252 must be the same car!!??
Read more
Perhaps Emilia could be so kind to share a picture of the car and his owner (in black and/or white) with us?
And with my simple mind: why would one desire to own two similar cars in just a different color? Therefore, x252 must be the same car!!??
Unknown
11 August 2011, 00:05
answer for#11 S.H.sie.The pictures in
Spain,Egypt,in the desert,show a white car,license plate x252,also have picture
of the same automobile in black (Brussels)1937,same license platex252.
Emilia
Read more
Spain,Egypt,in the desert,show a white car,license plate x252,also have picture
of the same automobile in black (Brussels)1937,same license platex252.
Emilia
Unknown
03 August 2011, 19:43
to emilia,
did mr. tan tjoan keng travelled with this car in different countries you mentioned above
Read more
did mr. tan tjoan keng travelled with this car in different countries you mentioned above
Unknown
27 April 2011, 20:28
read something interesting last night and
a possible explanation why the white car
mr tan tjoan keng drove, might have been
painted black.He writes in a letter,dated
6-1935 that "der wagen" is heavily
damaged,sometimes it was feasible to put
the car on the Dampfer or the train,where
the car was really mishandled,according to him.The roads in Istanbul were medieval,so possibly more damage.Upon
return was the car painted black to
camouflage the damage? Emilia
Read more
a possible explanation why the white car
mr tan tjoan keng drove, might have been
painted black.He writes in a letter,dated
6-1935 that "der wagen" is heavily
damaged,sometimes it was feasible to put
the car on the Dampfer or the train,where
the car was really mishandled,according to him.The roads in Istanbul were medieval,so possibly more damage.Upon
return was the car painted black to
camouflage the damage? Emilia
Unknown
23 April 2011, 20:41
car picture collection of mr Tan Tjoan
Keng that I have,show these license plates. X82 X83 X84 X52 R5878 H89917
X252 and H99025.There is nothing else I
can contribute.
Emilia Noya,
Daughter of the late Mr
Mr Tan Tjoan Keng
Read more
Keng that I have,show these license plates. X82 X83 X84 X52 R5878 H89917
X252 and H99025.There is nothing else I
can contribute.
Emilia Noya,
Daughter of the late Mr
Mr Tan Tjoan Keng
Unknown
22 April 2011, 00:41
above black car has a licenseplate of
H99025,I have a picture w/same licenseplate on a completely different car in norway???? also licenseplate
H-89917(black car)was extensively used in Europe by mr tan tjoan keng.
Read more
H99025,I have a picture w/same licenseplate on a completely different car in norway???? also licenseplate
H-89917(black car)was extensively used in Europe by mr tan tjoan keng.
Unknown
18 April 2011, 00:54
The article is all about my late father,tan tjoan keng.I have a lot of
pictures of the man with his fancy
automobiles.He traveled to
spain,egypt,israel,Switzerland and so on. Emilia
Read more
pictures of the man with his fancy
automobiles.He traveled to
spain,egypt,israel,Switzerland and so on. Emilia
Unknown
11 February 2011, 09:29
In the book "Mercedes-Benz Automobile, vol. 2" published by BLV Verlag Munich in 1982 and written by Heribert Hofner (that's me), three photos of the car in question car are shown on page 142. The car is light-coloured there (probably white) and is on pre-War Dutch number plates X-252. The original factory photographs I used - I got them from the works archives - had the caption "500 K Spezial-Stromlinienwagen, Karosserie Sindelfingen, 1935". To my opinion "X-252" and "H-99025" are the same car, obviously resprayed and re-registered in later life. I really can't imagine that two identically-bodied "one-off" 500 Ks were both delivered in the Netherlands...
Read more
Unknown
09 February 2011, 11:07
Het mysterie wordt alleen maar groter:
De auto zoals afgebeeld in het eerder door mij genoemde boek, een duidelijke fabrieksfoto van een nieuwe auto, is wit.
De prachtige vondst van de heer Vrijaldenhove toont ook een witte auto.Maar de auto van de heer Tan is donker of zwart.Nu kan het natuurlijk zo zijn dat Tan een witte auto kocht, die vervolgens donker liet spuiten, waarop de auto later weer wit gespoten is. Het kan, maar is het ook waarschijnlijk ?
Is er nu niet sprake van twee auto's ?
Een leuke vraag voor het archief van Daimler-Benz ?
Read more
De auto zoals afgebeeld in het eerder door mij genoemde boek, een duidelijke fabrieksfoto van een nieuwe auto, is wit.
De prachtige vondst van de heer Vrijaldenhove toont ook een witte auto.Maar de auto van de heer Tan is donker of zwart.Nu kan het natuurlijk zo zijn dat Tan een witte auto kocht, die vervolgens donker liet spuiten, waarop de auto later weer wit gespoten is. Het kan, maar is het ook waarschijnlijk ?
Is er nu niet sprake van twee auto's ?
Een leuke vraag voor het archief van Daimler-Benz ?
Unknown
08 February 2011, 20:33
This car was offered for sale in 1949 for Æ’ 16.000,- in the Netherlands.
Read more
Unknown
08 February 2011, 16:17
This car was in the book "The Star and the Laurel". It was painted white with a different registration and the caption said that this was a 500K Autobahn Kurier with coachwork by Erdmann & Rossi.
Read more
Unknown
08 February 2011, 15:33
nog even een vervolg: het boek verondersteld dat het een eenmalig exemplaar is. De naam Ahrens wordt nergens in de tekst genoemd.
Interessante man, die Tan. Moet een aardig verhaal achterzitten. Als de auto ooit op een beurs gestaan heeft is hij mogelijk daar gekocht.
Read more
Interessante man, die Tan. Moet een aardig verhaal achterzitten. Als de auto ooit op een beurs gestaan heeft is hij mogelijk daar gekocht.
Unknown
08 February 2011, 15:20
Check a photo of this car in Stromlinienautos in Deutschland, Aerodynamik im PKW-Bau.
Ralf J.F.Kiesselbach.Page 44.
text with photo: "Spezialstromlinienwagen" Aufbau:Sindelfingen
Read more
Ralf J.F.Kiesselbach.Page 44.
text with photo: "Spezialstromlinienwagen" Aufbau:Sindelfingen