John Sointu and Singer Car Bodies in Newcastle – a chronology (2026)

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4 months ago

1934 Singer 9 Sports 4 Seater Car as Constructed in Newcastle (Australia) [Re-visioned from News-clipping using ChatGPT]

John Sointu and Singer Car Bodies in Newcastle – a chronology (2026). Compiled by Robert Watson

Read the FREE ebook here:
https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/119001

Introduction

In Newcastle, between 1936 and 1939, a Finnish family were making car bodies for imported British Singer car chassis. This paper presents newspaper content, in chronological order, covering their lives. The single page for March 1937 (see page 14) shows a completed car, standing in front of Newcastle Girls High School.

“Body Built in Newcastle” *Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate* 9 March 1937, p.10.

“Body Built in Newcastle” *Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate* 9 March 1937, p.10. [Re-visioned by ChatGPT]

Sointu Family Business

John Sointu, brother Veikko and cousin Ida Niemi had left Finland, lived for some years in the U.S.A. and Canada, then arrived in Australia in 1930.

In 1931, they were operating as Superior Auto Metal Works, doing car body repairs. This was in Parry Street, Newcastle, which was also where they lived.

In 1934, they made a sports car body for prominent Newcastle businessman Harry Lord. The Sointus had also achieved a reputation for making quality ambulance bodies for Buick car chassis.

“Singer Body Built in Newcastle” *Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate* 16 January 1934 page 12

Their operation was probably small, but they had a market through the Sydney car dealer, Garratts Ltd. In 1938 they had a share issue, becoming a new registered company Superior Auto Bodies Ltd. in August 1938.

The Impact of World War 2

From 1939, newspaper references to the company disappear, so it is presumed that the approach of World War 2 impacted the market for motor vehicles.

Down the Many Rabbit Holes

This short report collects a wide variety of associated stories, other than their car body operation.

These include:

John stole whisky from the Star Hotel
He built ambulance bodies onto Buick chassis
He built a sports car body onto a British Singer car for Harry Lord, a prominent businessman who was President of the Show Society, Founding President of National Park Bowling Club and President of Rotary
Then he went into production putting bodies onto Singer chassis for a Sydney importer of Singer cars
His young daughter submitted some jokes into the Newcastle Sun
His wife submitted Finnish recipes into the Herald. She also wrote a piece about how Christmas is spent in Finland
His brother was an avid racer of motorcycles
Cousin Ida was the subject of a Women’s Column, with a good description of the work she did in the factory as well are giving insights into Finnish life
John wrote about the Russian invasion of Finland in 1939
Then they left Newcastle and built a Finnish-style house (and sauna) on Wallis Island, at Forster. Trove stops in 1954, but Janine Roberts (Great Lakes Shire historian) was able to fill me in of their post-Newcastle life.

Move to Wallis Island

The family group relocated to Wallis Island, near Forster N.S.W., where they built a large house – with its own sauna – which still stands today. Their Wallis Island life is described well in two stories, reproduced in the Appendices.