The automobile exhibit is part of the State Secretariat’s 77^th Independence Day celebrations held at the recently renovated retail icon, which also features a gallery of historical documents from the presidential archives.

Titled “Indonesia Answers”, the expo showcases seven presidential cars that were used by Indonesia’s seven presidents to date. The collection ranges from the 1939 Buick 8 used by founding father Sukarno, to the 2008 Mercedes-Benz S600 Guard that remains in use by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

The five remaining cars consist of a 1980 Mercedes-Benz S-Class W116, a pair of 1980 Cadillac Fleetwood Broughams, a 1982 Mercedes-Benz S-Class W126 and a 1998 Mercedes-Benz S-Class W140.

Despite Jokowi’s recent push to establish an electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing industry in Indonesia, the nation’s presidential vehicles have traditionally been fuel-guzzling American and European roadsters.

As a silent witness to Indonesia’s turbulent early days as a newly independent republic, the Buick 8 carries with it an interesting piece of history. Eris Risman, the State Secretariat’s chief of vehicle maintenance, noted how the car had been “appropriated” from Japanese occupiers in 1945.

“One of Sukarno’s associates, Sudiro, saw that he was without a car. [Sudiro] saw the car idling by the Japanese transportation ministry building and asked the chauffeur to hand over the keys to the car, which were then given to Bung Karno,” Eris said in an interview on Tuesday.

Despite its age, the Buick 8 is kept in pristine condition. In 2016, the car even took part in a parade as part of that year’s Independence Day festivities.

Originally belonging to the State Secretariat, the Buick was donated to the Joang ‘45 Museum in 1979 where it now usually resides. The rest of the cars, with the exception of the Mercedes-Benz S600 Guard that remains in use, are stored within the vast Presidential Palace complex.

As the collection’s caretaker, Eris is particularly fond of the two Cadillacs and their compliant suspension. The cars were originally used to transport visiting foreign dignitaries before being taken over by late president BJ Habibie.

The 1980 and 1982 Mercedes were used by former presidents Soeharto, Habibie and Abdurrachman “Gus Dur” Wahid, while the 1998 car was primarily used by former presidents Megawati Soekarnoputri and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

While the State Secretariat has previously opened its garages to the public, this year’s exhibition is the first time most of these cars have made their way outside of Merdeka Palace.

According to State Secretariat general affairs bureau head Erry Hermawan, this display was part of an ongoing initiative to open up more of the state’s collection to the public.

“The primary purpose of this exhibition is to celebrate our 77^th Independence Day, but also to better acquaint the public with items of historical significance,” Erry explained.

“We’re also aiming to raise awareness among millennials on the value of history and the presidential collection.”

The exhibit is in line with an education ministry directive to expose more of the state’s collection to the public, which from 2016 to 2018 resulted in the annual State Palace art exhibition held at the National Gallery in Central Jakarta.

Intan, 24, and Veronica, 23, a pair of office workers from the Jl. MH Thamrin central commercial district area, were for the most part, appreciative of the state’s efforts.

“We often hang out here, so I think choosing Sarinah for the exhibition was wise, as we’d never get to see an old car like [that Buick] if it wasn’t for this,” said Intan.

However, they did lament the lack of additional information displayed during the exhibition.

While millennials are the state’s main target audience, the exhibition has a number of older fans.

Edi, a 54-year-old business owner and a fan of the old Toyota Corolla E20 taxis that used to roam the streets of the capital in the 1970s, relished the opportunity to see these classic cars.

“In the days of the Kennedys [a United States political family prominent in the mid-20^th century], the name Cadillac held a certain cachet. Even American presidents used to ride those cars,” Edi told The Jakarta Post.

Aside from the cars, the State Secretariat is also showcasing old photographs, state documents and other memorabilia in the exhibition, which runs until Monday.