Swedes Gone Wild — Cruising Edition!

If you have had your finger on the pulse of the old car hobby, it should be no surprise that the American car scene in Sweden (if not Scandinavia) is quite vibrant, possibly number one in popularity outside North America and Australia. If you didn’t know this, then this may come as a revelation. In fact, when things got lean in America, many used American cars were exported to Sweden — even substantial vehicles like a 1970 Hemi Challenger R/T convertible. Today, Swedes area known for their love of Virgil Exner finned 1950s starships, among other vehicles.

If you want to catch a slice of Swedish car culture, check out this video “American Car Cruising Gone Wild in Sweden” by Woody Piano Shack. This cruise can’t be confused for something on American soil, especially with the raggare, which Woody characterizes as Swedish redneck culture. You can tell these cars because they lean towards the trashed side and may be inhabited by trashed passengers drinking (presumably) American swill and glögg. We at the ClassicCars.com Journal have selected a few snapshots from the video to show you the variety of vehicles in this cruise in the southern Swedish coastal town of Ystad, a seven-hour car ride from Stockholm.

Here I spy a 1964 Chevrolet Bel Air, a 1957 Oldsmobile Super 88, and a 1959 Buick Electra 225. But I also spy Swedish gas prices: 21.13 kr per liter today is approximately $7.65 per gallon.

Here’s a 1962 Chrysler Newport, the “plucked chicken” of Exner’s creations. It would serve as the basis of the mid-year Dodge 880. If you want classic styling on the cheap, there are few cars that can rival this one.

Maybe a 1974 Chevelle wagon isn’t too interesting, but the 1966 Chrysler 300 in front of it is. And see that 1969 Dodge Polara convertible peeking from the left? Only 1,425 were built, and this one has the rare Super-Lite auxiliary driving light.

Here’s a neat procession that includes a 1958 Edsel, 1963 Chevrolet, 1959 Imperial and late-model Mustang.

This 1967 Pontiac strikes me as being curious. It has a 1967 GTO tail panel and badges, but also features 1967 LeMans rear fenders. My money’s on it being a LeMans.

A 1972 Cadillac Coupe de Ville passes by a 1965-66 Mustang convertible with GT badges. But check out the engine badge — could that be an honest-to-goodness K-code? The air cleaner is also giving me good vibes. A 289 High-Performance would be a sweet find in Sweden.

Hey, how did this thing get in here?!

Ignore the 1963 Chevrolet and note the trio of Buicks: 1969 LeSabre convertible, 1959 and, tucked behind, a 1966 Electra.

Swedes love American muscle, though there aren’t many in the video. This is a 1970 Charger R/T SE. Note the rare V21 hood stripes, plus the 1970 Road Runner in front of it.