ford in the NEI
David,
I am doing my best but found very little references to Ford in the NEI so far:
-there seems to have been a very big dealer in Padang, Sumatra (a relatively large regional centre and with a developing industrial base in the thirties;
-there may have been some office/dealer in Soerabaja/Surabaya, Java;
Still, most likely is that prior to 1940 imports came from Europe through big traders/agents such as Lindetevis, Stokvis, Borsumij etc and that after that contacts were made directly with the company or through US authorities in the US by the Netherlands Purchasing Commission in New York.
And perhaps there was a role for Ford Singapore?
On Ford's website I read that the NEI were one of the first export markets for T Fords! But that would have been through Holland?
In documentation about large multinational entreprises and foreign direct investors in the NEI there is no word on Ford (There is of course on GM, Goodyear and others)
HTH
Nuyt
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