This paper tries to inform the audience/reader on automotive body making practices in Indonesia, which may differ from those found in well developed countries.
Short of capital and production volume, but with skilled handicraftmen abound, most body builders in Indonesia find their positions to be between machine intensive and labor intensive ones.
Low buying power versus fanciful demands on means of transportation appearance often force body builders to compromise on some safety matters.
Finding compromises leads one to believe that standardization may well be a forgotten thing, but IATO (the Indonesian Society of Automotive Engineers) together with the Government, is aiming at guiding the automotive industry to a more rationalized activity by adopting standards that are suited to Indonesia’s conditions.