If you saw my recent post on the ‘Made In Jogja’ ethos, you’ll know that late last year I visited Indonesia for a big car show in country’s capital, Jakarta.

On an invitation from a friend, I arrived in Jogjakata a few days before The Elite Showcase, and during that time checked out a few local workshops where custom and modified cars are built. The subject of that first post was Laris Understeel, a stance specialist that creates some amazing cars out of a very basic shop.

As it transpired, none of the cars at Laris were coming to the show; those that were – 16 cars no less – were at some other workshops that we visited a few days later, right when they were due to make the 10-hour road trip to Jakarta.

Some would driven, others would be making the journey on the back of a transporter, and I was tagging along for the ride. That was the original plan, anyway.

It quickly became apparent that some of the cars were pretty much ready to go…

…And others had a long way to go. By now it was after midnight and past our scheduled leave time, so the idea for my friend and I to drive throughout the night was abandoned. We’d fly the following afternoon, which would leave us enough to help load the cars into the show the evening before The Elite Showdown kicked off.

As the cars became ready, they were loaded onto the transporters; the next time I’d see them would be in Jakarta.

We actually arrived before all the cars did; with heavy rain and other complications the drive ended up taking 14-hours. During that time the cars had gotten very dirty too, which meant we’d be working into the wee hours of the morning getting them in perfect condition for the show.

The last four cars arrived shortly after 6:00am, which was just a few hours before The Elite Showcase opened its doors to the public. To be honest, I think it was an absolute miracle that all 16 cars even managed to get to Jakarta without any incidents.

The number of amazing builds at this event was astonishing; Indonesia really has a lot to offer when it comes to car culture. When it was all over, the cars from Jogja even picked up a few awards, so everyone was proud and happy with how it all went.

I would have liked to get photos of all 16 cars on their own and together in a group, but it wasn’t possible as most owners rushed straight back to Jogjakarta to prep for the next event, the Black Auto Battle, which was held the following week.

The phrase ‘Made in Jogja’ has a completely new meaning to me. It’s bizarre, awesome, and lots of hard work. I have massive respect for the builders and the effort they all put in, and can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

Rick Muda
Instagram: ardskellig
www.ard.haus

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