Decided to split the reviews in two…
REPRINT FROM TRAFIKJOURNALEN #1 2021
CARS THAT INFLUENCED CAR CULTURE.
PART 1: THE POSTWAR YEARS
There is no question about it, some cars have a greater influence on the car culture in a country than others. Sometimes it is hard to find a pattern in why, other times it is obvious. Some cars are classics when they leave the factory, others will take rather strange turns throughout history.
So, at Trafikjournalen, we now have decided to take a look at the most important cars that have shaped the car culture in this country. The ones that have made the biggest impact will also get a special mention for that. It is not a competition per se, but we still think that some cars are more worth mentioning than others. But the roots behind this article series is to do a deep dive into history and try to find out why some vehicles do have a cult status that others doesn’t have.
Let’s start with the years directly after the war, since some of the roots can be deeply rooted…
1950 Schnell 2500/2 @interior
The Schnell 2500/2 could have been a car that just had faded away slowly in our memories. Instead, it got a more or less infamous reputation, that still stays to this day, despite most of the cars being gone forever.
It all looked promising from the start. It was one of the first attempts from Schnell to build their own body instead of leaving it to the coachbuilders. For its era, the design was very contemporary, impressing many people as a first attempt. The car had a nice 2.5 litre 6 cylinder, featuring a primitive form of overhead camshaft technology in an era where many cars still used prewar flathead engines. A power output of 124 hp was not bad for its era, and it was fast, being able to reach 197 km/h.
But, that also overpowered the narrow crossplies and abysmal drum brakes of the era. It should be said that Schnell was by no means more sparsely equipped than other cars from the era there though. But it also was obvious in one way that Schnell was a bit inexperienced in building their own bodies - it could not even keep up with the low safety standards of the era. It didn’t have splinter free glass in the windows - they had the same simple form of glass that you have in the windows of your house. The door locks weren’t any more advanced than the one of your porch door either, only of the single stage type. So, even if only a few cars were sold in the Swedish market it has a quite dark history. Some nasty accidents with the powerful and unsafe 2500/2 actually sparked the traffic safety debate, more or less. Was there a need for speed limits, safer cars, safer roads, safer drivers?
Now, seen in a modern perspective, the question is if the 2500/2 was that much worse than other cars of the era. No matter what, only a handful of cars are said to be remaining and most of them rarely see the light of day anyway. Maybe the bad reputation stays 70 years later.
VERY INFLUENTIAL: 1954 AEKI 100 (
@conan )
The Swedish word “lagom” is sometimes seen as laughing stock in other countries. It is unusual to have a dedicated word for “not excessive, just enough”, but sometimes lagom can lead to success. Like with the AEKI 100. The epitome of lagom, the quintessential Swedish made automobile.
When it arrived in 1954, the economy was blooming and people were ready to step up a notch from the most simple automobiles, and the AEKI 100 managed to get everything right. It was by no means cheap - but economical enough. It was not a sports car - but fast enough. It was no barge - but large enough. It was the symbol for status and wealth among middle class families - without being excessive. And everyone and his mother had one in the mid to late 50s.
Fast forward some years, for a teen driver with a fresh license, what’s the natural step? Of course inheriting the old AEKI 100 from your parents. The engine had potential to be tuned, the clean styling was seen as a blank canvas for customizers. And probably about everything that could be done to an AEKI 100 has probably been done too.
You would have thought that the AEKI 100 craze would have faded away in the 70s, but at the exact right time, the movie “The last night with the gang” * appeared in 1973. The 50s was hot again and if you couldn’t get your hands on a 50s yank, the AEKI 100 was a suitable replacement. Chrome wheels, flame paint jobs, even V8 conversions were seen.
The cult factor means that many first time drivers got AEKI 100 cars still in the 90s, but by then prices were rising, and many examples were restored to showroom condition, making them out of reach if your wallet was thin. Ironically, you could still by then see beat up daily driven examples that were refusing to die, roaming the streets like cockroaches.
Was the AEKI 100 the best car ever made? No, but it was just good enough. “Lagom”. And it struck the heart of the Swedes. There are songs written as tributes to it. The main character in one of the most popular comic strips in Sweden drives one. There are numerous examples at any cars & coffee event.
The car had a soul, and mr. Average could identify himself in that soul.
( * = “American Graffiti” reference, the movie had the name “Sista natten med gänget” in Swedish, meaning “The last night with the gang”)
1955 Mons Vertu B (
@cake_ape )
If you had a small delivery van in your lineup in the early-mid 50s, you also had customers. The need for them was almost larger than the market could keep up with, and one of the alternatives in the early 50s was the Mons Vertu B. By no means a bad van in itself, but it was on the other hand kinda anonymous in a sea of small delivery vans, it didn’t stand out in any way. And why should it do? It was a pure workhorse, nobody bought it for the sake of standing out from the crowd or being the coolest cat around. And as the work vehicle it was, they were all used up. Rusting into oblivion. After some years all of them were gone, more or less.
It also took a long time for the Vertu B to gain any interest among the vintage car crowd. Form followed function here, it was by no means the most stylish vehicle around. Yet, since the functionalism was not really driven in absurdum, it was not seen as charming for those reasons either, it was just an old van and the memories of them had mostly faded away when 50s cars were gaining any interest among collectors.
So was the Vertu B totally doomed then? Maybe not. Some Vertus have survived, some barn finds have been brought into the daylight, some of them have even been imported, now we are talking about the last 10 years though. All of a sudden, many small businesses saw the Vertus as a chic little rolling billboard. They even got borderline trendy, along with many other forgotten commercial vehicles from the past. So if you think that your ecological sourdough bread will taste better if you can buy it from a little unloved and quirky 50s van, chances are that you will find one, at least if you are in one of the larger cities.
And frankly speaking, chances are that you will have a greater chance there than on a vintage car show.
1955 KAI K40 Premier (
@abg7 )
“All cars nowadays look the same”.
Yes, you have heard that many times, but the question is if it is anything new about that at all? When the KAI K40 arrived, it looked like if it as well could have been a badge engineered version of the AEKI 100. The shape and size were nearly identical and some differences in trim were everything that set the design apart - yet the K40 Premier was in some ways a different beast.
On the Swedish market it was kind of aimed against AEKI, and one could easily understand why some buyers opted for a K40 instead. For a slightly higher price, you got a 100 hp six cylinder instead of a 66 hp four, automatic transmission and a more upper class interior. But at the same time it had some drawbacks that did not make it the smash hit that the AEKI was. You did not get the same durability for example, even if that was hard to know when the cars arrived at the market. It was not Swedish - which didn’t necessarily make the car any worse, but still probably felt like an argument for buying an AEKI for many people. But also, it came a year too late. The craze about the AEKI 100 was already around, and what people asked for was not a copycat version with some nicer upholstery bits and a larger engine. That lead to the model - maybe a little bit unfair - being lower down the sales chart all the time.
The K40 buyers were maybe often a special kind of breed too. We’re talking about people that most often were pedantic, taking very well care of their beloved cars. That, combined with the for its era excellent protection against rust, means that many of them survived in good shape while the competitors were more or less disappearing from the roads. Although the value was low for many years - and still is, considering that it doesn’t carry the same kind of “scene tax” as, for example, the AEKI 100. And if you find one, it’s less likely to have been messed with.
So, if you want an entry level ticket to 50s motoring, the K40 is often worth considering - and many people also do. Finally they start appearing on classic car shows, often unrestored and well preserved. One can always wonder - where were they during all those years?
1954 Cabrera 100 deluxe (
@Petakabras )
The problem with the Cabrera 100 Deluxe was that it arrived too late. Swedish buyers were already stepping up a notch. A few years earlier, everything with wheels could be sold, especially if it was cheap and economical, but in 1954, that train already had gone, the market was a bit saturated with economy cars. The Cabrera was not any worse than the competition but on the other hand it didn’t offer much over them either. It simply existed, sold in mediocre numbers, was used up and largely forgotten. In the 60s and 70s, they were more or less a forgotten chapter of the automobile history in this country.
Then in the 80s something happened. One of the more popular TV shows in the country started featuring a famous stand up comedian, playing his role character “Sven with the Cabrera”. In every episode, this man was bragging so much about how fast he had been driving with his Cabrera, how it had braked from full speed in just a couple of meters, had been driving on two wheels, and so on, and so on. Yes, you probably remember him.
The Cabrera 100 Deluxe got kind of a cult status after that. The few remaining examples that were. And its owners are probably quite tired of being called “Sven” now, or hearing all his old Cabrera sketches being told as soon as they show up at a car meet.
It was maybe not expected, and the Cabrera 100 didn’t really skyrocket in value, nor will it ever be the vintage vehicle for everyone, but it is interesting how things can take a turn sometimes.
1951 CADE Scutermovil (
@Edsel )
A what, you say?
We understand that it may be totally unknown for you - the Cade Scutermovil is among the more obscure vehicles that have ever been driving (albeit barely) around on Swedish roads. It is more a symbol of a complete failure. Let us explain…
When looking at it, it is easy to get the impression that it was inspired by the legendary Willys Jeep, but nothing could be furter from the truth. This vehicle drives on one front wheel. Yes. One. The engine in itself is a 10 hp inline 3 with a displacement just under 300 cc. Brakes? Hmm….let’s just say that they do exist. And that they aren’t THAT much worse compared to the brakes of the Schnell 2500/2. But the difference was that the Scutermovil could barely reach 70 km/h so, well, it is easier to excuse that one.
Equipment? Steering wheel and headlights.
This little spanish joke of a car maybe was the right vehicle in its home country. But in Sweden it turned out to be a massive flop. It was simply too primitive, too sparsely equipped, too small, too slow, already in the early 50s. Most people rather bought a small motorcycle, and we can understand them. It was better at almost everything, and the weather protection were about as bad. And the difference between this and most other microcars was that the Scutermovil had four wheels, not three. “But that’s a good thing?”, you say. It was not. It meant that you could not drive the Scutermovil on a motorcycle license.
The importer pulled the plug after a little more than a handful examples were sold. And to put it this way, a car that was impossible to sell in postwar Sweden, it was doomed, no question about it. And how many cars is known to remain in the country, you may ask?
One. Yes, one. And yet, if you have kids, you may notice that it feels surprisingly familiar.
Yes. That childrens TV show with the little annoying talking car. Of course that’s exactly THAT car. The only remaining Cade Scutermovil in the country.
At least it was good for something.
1954 F&S A-3500 Roadster (
@Tez )
Nothing gets more classic than a sleek old British roadster, right? And if you wanted to be a cool cat in 1954, the F&S A-3500 really hit the right spot. With a top speed of almost 220 km/h and a 0-100 time of 9.8 seconds it had downright blazing performance for its era. The reason for this was the 3.5 litre 6-cylinder found under the bonnet, with a power output of 148 hp. Not bad for the 50s, and yet it didn’t feature any large amount of exotic technology. Just good old pushrods.
And among the sports car crowd it was a favourite already as new. As we have already stated, it was among the better performers on the market, but yet it was not overly expensive. It did not cost much more than a KAI K40 in fact. That led to the A-3500 being a surprisingly strong seller in the Swedish market. And as the sports car people was among the first true “automobile enthusiasts”, it could really be said that this was an enthusiast vehicle already when it left the factory. And, of course, it also got a huge following among the motorsports crowd.
Yet, despite having a sane pricing as new, and being sold in quite large numbers, getting an used A-3500 was never a cheap affair, not even in the mid 70s when prices did hit the bottom. They have always been sought after, and it is easy to understand why. Then, the nostalgia craze struck in the 80s, meaning that many cars were restored to factory condition, and values were steadily rising.
Today the A-3500 has its given place among the vintage car crowd, as well as when it comes to historical racing, where it really could be said to be doing the things that it is intended to do.
1953 Schumann A160 Deluxe (
@BannedByAndroid )
The 1953 Schumann A160 Deluxe is proof that not everything becomes an instant classic, and that being good is sometimes far from enough to reach that status.
Because when it was presented, it was a surprisingly decent family car. The design was stylish, very modern, even if maybe not much did set it apart from the crowd. Fuel economy was good for the era, performance was adequate, reliability and build quality on a high level. The driving dynamics weren’t the best, but on the other hand, that could be said about many cars from the 50s. It had enough room for a family and was sold at a competitive price. And it sold. And sold and sold and sold, and the buyers were generally satisfied with it.
But as time went on, more modern cars surpassed the Schumann A160 in most areas, naturally. And since Schumann owners seemed to have less of an emotional connection to their vehicles than, for example, owners of the main competitor, the AEKI 100, they simply replaced their cars without too much drama, and the old Schumann became just…old. A cheap used car, and if you said “Schumann A160” in 1969 people would probably have pictured a rusty heap with faded paint, one hubcap remaining and blue smoke from the tailpipe. Not because the quality level was any lower on the A160 than on its main competition, they were actually well built. But 10-15 years without any care takes its toll on any car, and keep in mind that cars got old fast in this era.
Restorers didn’t open their eyes for the Schumann A160 until the 90s, and by then not many of them were left, sourcing spares was also something of a struggle, both a bit surprising actually considering how many of them that were sold. But it has gained a small but dedicated fanbase, some repro parts are actually produced today, the A160 section of the Schumann owners club is alive and kicking like never before, and it is both accepted and appreciated at any vintage car show today.
But where do you have the largest chance of seeing one? If you’re an automotive enthusiast (probably, since you’re reading this) and on Facebook, you already know the answer. In the “Abandoned wrecks in Sweden” FB group. At least once a week someone has found a completely rusted out and stripped A160 in the woods, and the crowd is typing “SAVE IT!!! Not many of them are left!!!” at a rate that probably makes their keyboards glow.
Boy, if they only knew the trouble associated with restoring one in that condition, they would probably be more quiet…
VERY INFLUENTIAL: 1948 AMM Sarek (
@AMuteCrypt )
If there is any vehicle that most men (well, above a certain age at least) in this country have a connection to, it is probably the AMM Sarek. And not always out of their own free will…
During World war 2, the Swedish armed forces saw that the Americans had a brilliant idea in their little Willys Jeep. And they also saw the need for a similar vehicle for us Swedes. But they also saw that production in this country would be a great idea. Thus, the contract went to AMM that made the vehicle that later evolved into the Sarek offroader. After the war, civilian production started, and sure, Sareks were sold to various government departments, to farmers, to forestry services, not to mention that there seemed to be a Sarek outside every gas station at least a far bit into the 70s, suited as a light duty tow vehicle as it was. But as the niche vehicle it was, it never quite caught on to private customers.
No, it was the armed forces that kept buying all the Sareks that AMM could even produce for them. And if you did the obligatory military service in the 50s, 60s or 70s, you have probably been riding in or even driving one.
In the 60s and 70s, the Volvo “Puppy” and later the C303 was starting to replace the Sarek for good. That also meant that there was heaps of surplus Sareks for sale, for next to nothing. And then, we were not late to catch the offroad craze that was going on in the states. The Sarek made us do it.
The heaps of Sareks were sold to people lifting them, doing V8 swaps, mounting mud tyres on widened wheels and driving the guts out of them in swamps and mud pits.
Ironically, it might have saved lots of Sareks that otherwise would have been heading for the crusher, but it also means that finding an original one is almost out of the question. Maybe you have to look into the civilian market then. On some small farm in rural Scania where time has stood still for 60 years and it is used as the work vehicle it was intended to be.
But the chances that it is for sale is probably small.
1951 Zerve PS51 (
@Restomod )
The PS51 is proof that you should not give things to people that they can’t handle properly. The small and cheap little sedan sold like there was no tomorrow when it was introduced in 1951. The demand for cars, mainly small and economical, was still high. And most of them were quite humble. But there was an exception…
The Zerve PS51 had a 51 hp engine. In a car weighing 720 kg in 1951, that was quite impressive. It also meant that most people had a hard time keeping the foot off the accelerator. Because it literally went like a stink, considering what it was.
Unfortunately that also led to some troubles. Calling the engine “notoriously unreliable” would be unfair, but they could not really cope with abuse and had to be driven with care. Which nobody did. Engines blew up, one after one, and considering the low value of the PS51, and that most people were ready to trade up for larger and more modern cars as the 50s was coming to an end, most of them ended up in the scrapyard. Frankly, the rumours of engine failures did of course lower the second hand values even more.
Another thing to consider is that the roads were very bad back then. Certainly not made for driving like if it was a rallycross competition with a car mostly supposed to be small and light. If the engines kept themself together, the car itself was often in a sad state after some years.
According to restorers, they do work well with modern oils and sane driving. You will more likely encounter one on the backroads than on the highway.
But the speed demons never really lost the grip they had around the PS51. It is quite popular among the historic racing crew. Weighing marginally more than a plastic bag, and with the engine being very tune-able, and also having potential for great driving dynamics for being a 50s RR car, they have quite good track records.
Of course, they are also fully aware that their engines will need overhauling every now and then.
(Flip the page for more reading…)
