Hans Broberg and Kjell Gustad's 1938 Chevrolet Convertible

Hasse and Kjelle's Chevrolet with the body stripped down to bare metal. Known among friends as Sillarna, Hasse and Kjelle bought and built the car in 1962, powering it with an Oldsmobile V-8. This photo shows the Chevrolet during its early stages of construction, with the body sanded and prepped for paint. Photo from The Broberg Family Collection, courtesy of Lisa Broberg.

Bo "Gamen" Sandberg painting flames on Sillarna's 1938 Chevrolet Convertible in 1962. The photo was taken in Bo's garage on Flensvägen in Örby, Stockholm, where the car received its distinctive white-and-flamed paint job. Photo courtesy of Sven and Maude Sandberg, from Spoca.se.

Bo's fiancée Morris helping paint flames on the Chevrolet. According to Hasse Broberg, Bo sprayed the flames while Morris pinstriped the outlines. Photo courtesy of Sven and Maude Sandberg, from Spoca.se.

Another photo taken the day Bo and Morris painted flames on the Chevrolet. From left to right in the photo: Bo Sandberg, Sven Sandberg, Hans Broberg, Kjelle Gustad and Bengt Wennergren. Photo courtesy of Sven and Maude Sandberg, from Spoca.se.

A photo of Sillarna's Chevrolet from 1962. This photo was taken before they hit a deer and restyled the front end. Bo Sandberg is standing in front of the car, wearing a flamed denim west. Photo courtesy of Sven and Maude Sandberg, from Spoca.se.

A photo of Sillarna's Chevrolet taken in 1963. The Mercury next to the Chevy belonged to Bosse Gamen.

Hasse and Kjelle's Chevrolet during a trip to Italy in 1964. Bo Sandberg's 1959 Ford Thunderbird - Surfin Bird is parked behind the Chevrolet in the photo. Photo from The Bengt Wennergren Photo Collection.

A photo of Hasse and Kjell taken in Italy in 1964.

A front shot of Hasse and Kjelle's Chevrolet taken by Håkan Lindell in the 1960s. Photo from The Håkan Lindell Photo Collection.

Order from: Sweden - Norway - Rest of the world

A rear end shot of Sillarna's Chevrolet from The Håkan Lindell Photo Collection.

An engine shot of the Chevrolet taken by Håkan Lindell in the 1960s. Notice the Moon sticker on the firewall. In the early days of Swedish hot rodding, BoMac Racing in Älvsjö, Stockholm was the only place you could order hot rod parts from the US. BoMac Racing was a company run by Bosse Kasby and his brother Ove. After moving to the US, Bosse went on to work for Dean Moon at Moon Equipment in the 1960s. Photo from The Håkan Lindell Photo Collection.

Photo courtesy of Bengt Wennergren.

Bo Blixt's restored version of Hasse and Kjelle's Chevrolet. In the 1970s, Bo gave the old Sillarna custom a new life, returning it closer to its factory look while keeping subtle custom touches. The body was repainted blue metallic, fitted with a white convertible top, a sofa seat from a 1960s Opel, and Cragar SS wheels. Power came from a small-block Chevrolet engine backed by a TH350 automatic transmission and a Chevy 10-bolt rear axle. This iteration of the car was featured in Colorod 12/1979. Photo courtesy of Colorod Magazine.

Another photo of the car from Colorod 12/1979.

Owned and restyled by Hans "Hasse" Broberg and Kjell "Kjelle" Gustad of Enskedefältet in Stockholm, Sweden, this 1938 Chevrolet Convertible was one of the earliest custom builds by the duo known among friends as Sillarna (“the herrings”). Hasse and Kjelle jokingly called their two-man club Sill Drivers, a name they invented to tease their friend Bo "Gamen" Sandberg, who believed every car and gang needed a cool name.

Early Build

Hasse and Kjelle bought the Chevrolet in 1962, after experimenting with their first car, a 1937 Ford Tudor that they had cut the roof off to create a convertible. The Chevrolet was powered by an Oldsmobile V-8 engine and painted white.

Later that same year, their friend Bo "Gamen" Sandberg and his fiancée Morris gave the car its first custom paint job. "Gamen painted the flames, while Morris pinstriped the lines," Hasse recalled. The combination of white paint and hand-laid flames made the car stand out on Stockholm’s growing hot rod and custom scene.

The Deer Incident

Not long after, the Chevrolet’s front end was damaged in an early-morning accident when the pair hit a deer on the road. Bengt Wennergren, who was riding with Hasse and Kjelle that morning, remembered that the front was “pretty beaten up” after the crash. The front section was later restyled as part of the repairs.

The Riviera Trip

In 1964, Hasse and Kjelle joined a group of Swedish hot rodders and customizers on a legendary road trip to the French Riviera. Eight cars departed Kungens Kurva in Stockholm on a rainy night. Participants included:

• Hasse and Kjelle in their 1938 Chevrolet Convertible
• Bo "Gamen" Sandberg in an early version of his Surfin' Bird Thunderbird
• Palle Eriksson in his 1924 Chevrolet
• Krille Lundberg in his 1937 Ford Coupe
• Inge Ellburg in his 1955 Ford Sunliner
• Junken in his 1932 Ford Roadster
• Bengt Wennergren in his 1949 Ford

During the trip, the Chevrolet’s release bearing failed while passing through Switzerland. Hasse and Kjelle found a phone booth and managed to call a local garage. The shop fabricated a new bearing for the car’s 1946 Ford transmission, shipped it by bus the next day, and the journey continued without further trouble.

Sold and Rediscovered

By 1965, Hasse and Kjelle sold the Chevrolet as they were getting increasingly involved with boats, including their 30-meter fishing boat Pride.

Among the early buyers was Staffan Runhag, who was part of a group that helped acquire the car. The new, then-unknown owner later appeared with it at Sweden’s first drag race in Anderstorp in 1968, where the car had been repainted green and fitted with a Chevrolet engine. It was also shown at the Hot Rod Show in 1970, after which it surfaced in Uppsala.

Restoration

In the 1970s, the car underwent an extensive restoration by Bo Blixt, who returned it closer to its original factory appearance while retaining a custom touch. The body was repainted blue metallic, and it received a white convertible top, a sofa seat from a 1960s Opel, and Cragar SS wheels. Under the hood sat a small-block Chevrolet engine mated to a TH350 automatic transmission and a Chevy 10-bolt rear axle. This iteration of the car was featured in Colorod 12/1979.

Bo sold the restored car in 1983 to Karl Sahlin of Märsta. In later years, it changed hands again and was most recently owned by Magnus Olsson from Ellös on the island of Orust.

Magazine Features and Appearances

Colorod 12/1979
Nostalgia 2 1998