Many factories in Indonesia assemble foreign brands of cars – mostly South Korean and Japanese. There are far fewer private brands, but they are there. Some of them have already stopped working, and those that remain have very low production capacity. Therefore, most Indonesians prefer to drive foreign cars. The following are the main representatives of the local car industry.
Fin Komodo
The company PT Fin Komodo Teknologi was named in honor of the Komodo monitor lizard, which was found on the island of Java. This island is the headquarters of the car company, as the word “Fin” is short for “Formulasi Indonesia” – a hint that Fin Komodo is an exclusively Indonesian product.
The brand can be recognized by its logo, which has an orange quadrangle and an asymmetrical shape. The geometric figure is not solid: it is divided into two parts by the interconnected letters “f,” “i,” and “n.” The inscription consists of white lines of equal thickness, which makes it look like a very simplified labyrinth. The futuristic style font is difficult to read but gives the text an original feel.
Marlip
Indonesian company Marlip Indo Mandiri makes electric mini cars, electric commuter cars, golf carts, and other compact vehicles. From 2005 to 2012, it produced micro-cars under the Marlip brand, which were also powered by electric motors. The cars of each brand had a circular logo with an abstract design. In the lower half of the circle, there were two triangles. They were arranged symmetrically – one on the right and one on the left. They were separated by space. At the top, parallel to the edges of the triangles, two vertical lines were drawn. Silver stripes and an outer rim of the same color contrasted with the dark gray base.
Perkasa
From 1999 to 2004, PT Wahana Perkasa Auto Jaya produced commercial vehicles under the Perkasa brand. This family included buses and trucks used by the Indonesian army and police. About a hundred buses were sold to Saudi Arabia, so the brand’s logo was known in the homeland and at least one other country. It consisted of a set of geometric figures. The role of the base was a vertical white oval outlined along the edge with a black stripe. On its background were three gray parallelograms arranged in a staggered order.
Tucuxi
Another bright representative of the local car industry is Tucuxi, one of the few luxury cars in Indonesia. However, it exists only on paper: the development, started in 2004 by order of a high-ranking official, Dahlan Iskan, ended with the creation of a prototype. The car did not pass the tests, so it was not produced and exported. It is known that Dahlan Iskan was personally involved in an accident with the Tucuxi electric car during its testing. The project has no official logo, as it was never completed. And faulty brakes are to blame.
Esemka
Esemka is the brand under which the cars of PT Solo Manufaktur Kreasi are sold. It was named after the Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan School (SMK for short), as the students of this institution have contributed greatly to the development of the Indonesian automotive industry.
The brand logo symbolizes the desire for technical progress, as it consists of a gear and two ellipses resembling machine parts. The silver gradient reinforces the association, as it resembles a metallic shine. The darkening and light highlights give the image a visual volume. At the same time, the composition of the rings resembles a human eye, where the gear is the iris and the small ellipse is the pupil. So, there is another hidden meaning here: a look into the future.
Timor
Timor, also known as TPN (short for PT Timor Putra Nasional), was born in 1996 when the Indonesian president demanded the development of a domestic automobile industry. But it didn’t last long: it ceased operations in 2000 after protests over unfair market sharing. Legally, this manufacturer continues to exist, as it has not gone bankrupt or been liquidated.
The brand’s logo bears its name. Some believe that the word “Timor” is derived from the phrase “Tenaga/Teknologi Industri Mobil Mobil Rakyat.” According to others, it is simply a tribute to the island of the same name. The inscription is in a serif font similar to Baskerville FS ExtraBold from FontSite Inc. or its free analog Baskervald ADF Std Heavy Normal from Arkandis Digital Foundry. Above the text is a stylized letter “T” in a horseshoe-shaped semicircle. It is formed by three figures resembling car parts. All elements and letters are dark blue; the background is white.
Tawon
Another Indonesian brand that has left the market is Tawon. Its cars went on sale in 2010 and were initially used as public transportation in villages. Then, the manufacturer PT Super Gasindo Jaya expanded the lineup to produce city cars and pickup trucks. The name Tawon was associated with great speed among Indonesians, as it translates to “wasp.” It was also a hint at the compact size of the mini cars. In 2017, the brand went bankrupt. Its logo is also a thing of the past, and almost no one remembers what it looked like.
