Aerial photos: Hong Kong from above

This is the car park that JJ Cowperthwaite refused to pay for out of Government funds, saying "If the private sector wants a car park, it can build one".

I'm pretty sure that car park was still there, unchanged, in the 1980's, by which time the cost of a days parking was considerably more than the cost of travelling into and out of Central by any other means.

see the Google Streetview Star Ferry carpark here

City Hall backstage car park here.  The City Hall low block is clearly visible.

Hi there,

Got to check out the stair case there.  I believe you were right about this.  The one next to the back stage of City Hall does not have a stair case next to the ramp.  The one in the west does.

Best Regards,

T

I think J is right that the carpark is the one behind the City Hall Low Block. If one counts the number of pillars supporting the ramp in Fred's photo, it matches the same number from today's Google street view.

1961 photo of the construction of City Hall.

The Star Ferry Car Park opened to the public on 8 December 1957. China Mail 9 December 1957 refers. For reference, the the City Hall Car Park opened in 1961. a year before the City Hall was completed.

Just some housekeeping of facts. Can admin please update/clarify the following two car parks? 

As noted by moddsey in post just above: 

Star ferry car park opened 8th December 1957

City Hall multi-storey car park opened 1961

...but link still says city hall multi-storey car park opened 1959

Thanks in advance!

I'll stick with 1959 for now, as Fred's photo shows the car park in use, and he left Hong Kong permanently in 1959.

Klaus also found a mention the car park was in use in 1959 (https://gwulo.com/comment/56815#comment-56815), but that note also suggests the car park was closed at some point that year while piling work was underway. So maybe it had an unofficial opening in 1959, closed during the piling works, then had its formal opening in 1961?

Can disregard the 1961 date as information in the Hong Kong Annual Reports 1958/9 has superseded it. Although completed in 1958, the car park only became operational the following year. 

Apology for changing the subject - I thought it was a Ford, but this is Hong Kong.  That fuzzy four-letter word led me to the 1958 Opel 4-door Sedan.  Regards,  Peter 

This is an Opel Kapitän from 1956/1957 of german make, engine 6 cyl with 2,5 l.

Clipping 1: The Kowloon Motor Car Company (香港九龍汽車有限公司)

Note: This company should not be confused with the Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (KMB), which was founded later in 1933. This was an early passenger taxi and rental car syndicate.

Announcement from the Hong Kong & Kowloon Motor Car Company

• New Fleet Fleet Fleet Arrived: Our company has newly imported a luxury selection of four-seater and six-seater vehicles.
• Distinguishing Markings: Our staff-driven vehicles are easily identifiable by a distinctive red border and green colored band wrapped around the chassis.
• Fares & Meter Pricing: The starting fare begins with a baseline deposit of 4 mace (silver four-jao), after which passengers are billed at 1 mace per designated section/mile of the route. If catching a ride near a major pier/station, a minor surcharge applies. Fares are standard and transparent, ensuring no inconvenience or disputes for our esteemed guests.
• Bus & Commercial Logistics: Aside from passenger services, our company operates a dedicated fleet of English and American commercial cargo trucks and public transport buses.
• Sole Agency & Showrooms: We are the exclusive authorized agents for world-renowned British and Canadian automotive brands. Our massive inventory offers both heavy trucks and light vehicles at exceptionally competitive prices.
• Inquiries: Please visit our Central Office at No. 33 Queens Road Central, 3rd Floor (located in the heart of Central, above the Sheng Kwong building), or contact our Kowloon Branch at No. 95 Nathan Road.
  • Telephone Contacts: Central 50, Kowloon 15.

Clipping 2: Austin Cars by Roots & Co. (羅士洋行)

This ad captures the absolute dominance of British light motor cars in the colony.

The Austin Light Car

• Agile & Robust: Boasting fully sufficient horsepower, extreme structural flexibility, and highly responsive handling.
• Spacious Interior: Amazingly compact on the outside but engineered to comfortably sit four passengers inside.
• Exceptional Economy: Unmatched fuel efficiency; can easily travel 45 to 50 miles on just one gallon of petrol.
• The Premier Choice: There are already over 50 of these fine vehicles traversing the streets of Hong Kong, driven by satisfied owners.
• Price: Complete chassis and rig starting from $1,690 HKD (White Gold/Silver standard currency).

Sole Agent: Roots & Co. (羅士洋行)

• Address: Located on the Upper Floors of the China Bank Building (中國銀行樓上).

Clipping 3: GWK and Belsize Cars by Gilmore & Co. / The Pacific Trading Co. (太平洋行)

This ad highlights the exotic alternative options available, including the fascinating friction-drive GWK car.

The Pacific Trading Co. – Lightweight Automobiles

Our firm maintains a constant, ready stock of premium, lightweight British automobiles available for immediate delivery. We feature two major marquee brands: Belsize Cars (勝家車) and G.W.K. Cars. Both lines are completely outfitted in two-seater, four-seater, and enclosed family saloon variations. Prices are kept exceptionally reasonable.

• Belsize Line: 14 to 26 horsepower. Prices starting from $2,200 HKD.
• G.W.K. Line: Two-seater and four-seater models. Prices starting from $1,650 HKD.

Esteemed clients wishing to inspect the vehicles or arrange a test drive are warmly invited to visit our new showrooms.

• Address: Please move your jade footsteps to the 4th Floor of the New Shanghai Bank Building, Des Voeux Road Central, Pacific Trading Co. Ltd.

Historical Mapping & Insights for the Community

1. The Geography of Pre-War Dealerships
Looking at the locations listed in 1926, we get an exact map of Hong Kong's original "Motor Row."

• The Pacific Trading Co. was operating out of the freshly constructed HSBC Wardley House / Shanghai Bank Building on Des Voeux Road Central.
• Roots & Co. sat inside the old Bank of China structure (prior to the iconic 1951 high-rise tower).
• The Kowloon Motor Car Co. had a strategic footprint spanning both sides of the harbor: 33 Queen's Road Central for the wealthy business class, and a prominent branch at 95 Nathan Road to capture the expanding suburban traffic traveling down toward the Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry pier.

2. The Rare Marques (Belsize and GWK)
While Austin remains globally famous, the third ad contains a real treat for vintage car enthusiasts. Belsize was a pioneering Manchester automaker that went bankrupt just a year or two after this ad ran (around late 1925/1926), making this 1926 batch one of the final new fleets ever sold in East Asia. Meanwhile, G.W.K. was famous for its unusual "friction drive" transmission instead of a standard gearbox. Seeing them actively marketed to Hong Kong drivers for $1,650 HKD shows how experimental the early local car market was.

3. The Red-and-Green Fleet
The description of the Kowloon Motor Car Company's fleet featuring a red border and a green band around the car is a wonderful piece of visual data. It suggests that decades before the uniform red, green, and blue taxis we know today were legislated, early private rental and livery companies were already painting distinctive color rings on their chassis so commuters could instantly spot an authorized staff-driven vehicle from a distance.

Thank you for sight of the three adverts of vintage vehicles and the write-ups. But how are these 3 advertisements related to the main photograph ?