Five Brothers and a War

Model A Ford

Before the family moved from Rotterdam to Den Haag, Leendert had already become the Sales Manager of Bruynzeel’s Vloeren Fabriek (“Floor Factory”). He would visit all ten branch offices in Holland to discuss matters with the local sales force. For that he needed a car. Leendert was at the very forefront of citizens who drove a car—and this when they were fairly inexpensive. Even years later, before the war, he was one of only two people on his street who had a car. That also meant that he was one of the first people to need a driver’s license. Anything worth doing is worth overdoing for any form of government, and the Dutch government has never been accused of not being anal retentive. So they did not waste any time in instituting controls of driving, including the requirement that motor vehicle operators obtain a driver’s license. So, of course, a new bureaucracy was formed. The examiners appointed to do the testing were bureaucrats in the truest sense of the word. They were fastidious in being attentive to detail. The slightest mistake would be cause for ending the test, which gave rise to the newly established road improvement fund, with the “try-it-again” fee. Leendert was not only a reasonable man, he also had a sensitive streak in him. He built a reputation of being very successful in business. In order to be so successful he had to constantly succeed in stressful situations. This was nothing new to him On the other hand, for whatever reason, the notion of having to pass a driving test must have caused unmitigated stress. Seven times he failed the test. The “oftener” he failed the “up-tighter” he became. Finally, no doubt, had built a very negative reputation with the testing office. It must have crossed the licensing department brass that they could be accused of creating extra income through underhanded methods. In an unusually creative move, the testing person came up with the idea to avoid the term “test” and go with him for a relaxed ride. When the “tester” took the “testee” back to the testing office, he handed him his hard-earned driver’s license. Being relaxed, he had no problem passing the proof of proper road behavior. With that hurdle behind him, Leendert was now ready to actually drive. The Bruynzeel company had just acquired one of the first Model A Fords, which were produced from 1928-1931, for Leendert to use (he never bought a car himself). While it was first and foremost a company car meant to conduct business, it was also allowed to be a family car. But the Model A just barely accommodated the seven members of his family, although not in anything approaching style. The Model A Fords were small cars, even for the day. They were two-seaters with a “rumble seat” in the back. They could seat two people inside the car, and when the rumble seat was opened, two more could fit outside in the back. This might have been a reasonable design for a California car, where it usually does not rain for many months, but in Holland, where the weather changes every hour or so, this design was trouble.

van Pelt

Five Brothers and a War

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