Oslo

Nilsen & Robsahm was a Ford dealer in Oslo, Norway. In the 1930s it was advertised as Norway’s most modern Ford repair shop. Nilsen & Robsahm was a race-friendly dealer where many of the racers in Oslo at the time worked or had worked. Greger Strøm started his automotive career working as an apprentice at Nilsen & Robsahm in 1931. His dream was to become an aircraft mechanic, but that cost money. Money he didn’t have. Photo by Anders Beer Wilse, courtesy of Nasjonalbiblioteket.

Norwegian Speed King Arvid Johansen with his stripped-down 1930 Ford Model A Roadster. Johansen's hopped-up Model A featured a Record OHV head, a Winfield carburetor, a Scintilla Vertex magneto, and hi-comp pistons made by Møller & Larsen. A powerful combo that made him nearly unbeatable for several seasons, and he used to brag about having at least one first price position in all forms of racing that had been hosted in Norway in the 1930s. Photo from The Greger Strøm Photo Collection.

By 1937 races were held regularly in Norway, and the little country way up north had even bred an international superstar race car driver. "I originally took up racing as a sport, because in Norway automobiles are a luxury, not a necessity as they are in this country," Eugen Bjørnstad told a journalist from The Daily News in New York in July of 1937. Bjørnstad had put Norway on the motorsport map. The fearless kid from Oslo was known all over the world as the "Speed King of the North," and now he had crossed the Atlantic ocean to compete against thirty of the world's greatest race car drivers in the prestigious Vanderbilt Cup. This photo shows Bjørnstad in his ERA race car at the Avus-racetrack in 1937. Photo from The Greger Strøm Photo Collection.

A photo of Greger Strøm in Eugen Bjørnstad's red, white, and blue ERA racecar at the 1937 Berlin Grand Prix. Held May 30, 1937, Greger and some friends rode their bikes all the way to Berlin to watch the race. After the race, Bjørnstad offered his young admirers a lift back home to Oslo, Norway. Photo from The Greger Strøm Photo Collection.

The Hinsværk Special was built in full publicity at Fram Motor Kompani in Oslo. The foreman of the shop, Asbjørn Langnes, had a past as a racecar driver, winning the race at Leangenbanen in 1935, and he and the management were very involved and interested in the build. As April became May, seven or eight men worked around the clock at Fram Motor Kompani, rushing to get the car ready for the 1948 racing season. Photo from The Greger Strøm Photo Collection.

Ralph Lysell's Rally is a Norwegian bubble-top sports car built at Norwegian Aircraft Industries LTD in Oslo, Norway in 1951. The car was meant to be the first production sports car of Norway in the 1950s, but it never made it into production.

Per Røed's 1932 Ford Cabriolet as it appeared in 1958. Per's cabriolet is considered one of the first hot rods of Norway.

Tore Tømmerås' 1935 Ford 5-Window Coupe was built in Oslo, Norway in the late 1950s and it is one of the first hot rods of Norway.

A photo supposedly taken in Per Røed's garage at Smestad in Oslo. Dated 12.16.1959, the photo comes from Dagbladet and Norsk Folkemuseum's collection. The photo is listed with the following subject at Digitalt Museum: "Racing Car Club. Reidar Hellgren nærmest 16.12.1959." The old Flathead engine from Per's 1932 Ford cabriolet can be seen in the lower right corner of the photo. Drooling over the Oldsmobile engine he is about to install in the car is Fosmo, Per, Reidar Hellgren and Per Knutsen. Notice the ribbed aluminum valve covers.^[1] Could this be the members of the Speed Cars Club of Oslo. Photo courtesy of Dagbladet / Norsk Folkemuseum, from Digitalt Museum.

A newspaper clipping from Halden Arbeiderblad Saturday, March 26, 1960, announcing the formation of a new car club in Oslo called Speed Cars Club. The newly formed club was dedicated to "Speedcars" and Hot Rods.

A photo of Karl Bernhard Johannesen with his 1936 Ford cabriolet taken close to Steinbruvannet at Grorud, Oslo in June of 1960. Kalle's Ford was decked out, and it ran accessories such as a Fox tail in the antenna, fog lights and a "Blaupunkt" lady in the grille. Photo courtesy of Kalle Johansen, provided by Espen Volle.

Per Ivar Kolgrov's 1948 Mercury Convertible of Oslo, Norway was restyled around 1963/1964. The car is known as the first custom cars of Norway.

Jarle Pedersen's 1953 Mercury was owned and restyled by Jarle Pedersen of Oslo, Norway in the mid 1960s.

Leif "Basse" Hveem's 1933 Ford 5-window coupe. Viking Custom member Jan Erik "Smørbukk" Kvernes of Oslo bought the car from Basse's widow in the mid 1960s, and it was one of the project cars being worked on in the Viking Custom club garage at Alnabru.

Street-Side Mechanics. Ola Hegseth and friends in the midst of an engine swap on John Erik Melbye's 1937 Ford Fourdoor—right on the streets of Tåsen in the 1960s. Melbye was a friend of Ola who lived at Spangbergveien 15 at Tåsen. Photo from The Ola Hegseth Photo Collection.

John Erik Baalerud's 1935 Ford Cabriolet of Oslo, Norway. The build was started in 1963 and completed in 1966. In 1968 John Erik became a member of the Nor-Way Custom car club.

Per Sjøvall's 1957 Chevrolet of Oslo, Norway was restyled around 1967 - 1968.

An customized 1955 or 1956 Ford photographed in Oslo around 1967 - 1968. Gunnar Berg Kristoffersen spotted the car in Sørkedalsveien, Majorstua at a fenced property where the vehicle licensing department stored cars they had towed in or confiscated. As a hot rod and custom interested teenager Gunnar was very excited about the customized American car, so he jumped the fence and took a photo of it. In 2015 Gunnar told Kustomrama that he believed the car was pink, purple or light green metallic. If you recognize this car, please get in touch with us at mail@kustomrama.com. Photo courtesy of Gunnar Berg Kristoffersen.

Harald Sannum's 1959 Chevrolet Impala was restyled in 1965, and it is known as one of the first full custom cars of Norway. It was sold to Oslo in 1968.

Viking Custom member Per Arne Knudsen working on his 1934 Ford Cabriolet. The photo was taken sometime between 1966 and 1969, outside a garage Per Arne and Roar Arnegaard rented at Alnabru. Photo courtesy of Per Arne Knudsen.

Almar Nordhaug's Dream Car was sold to Oslo.

Per Arne Knudsen's 1934 Ford Cabriolet of Oslo, Norway. The build was started around 1964 - 1965, and completed in 1969. Once completed the vehicle licensing department refused to approve the build. After several attempts, Per Arne gave up fighting the law, and he sold the car to Ludvig Bjørnstad. Ludvig turned the hot rod into a drag racer, and it became one of the first Norwegian cars to ever compete in an organized drag race.

Espen Volle's 1957 Plymouth Plaza of Oslo, Norway. The Plymouth was Espen's first car, and he bought it in 1973, when he was 16 years old. The car was mildly customized and fit with a 1957 DeSoto front end before Espen sold it in 1974.

Morten Thoresen's 1953 Ford Crestline Victoria of Oslo, Norway. Morten purchased the car from Lillestrøm in 1974. By then it had been dressed up with a Skyliner roof and 1956 Ford sidetrim.

Terje Sæthre's 1964 Ford Falcon Sprint of Oslo, Norway. The car was imported to Norway as movable goods in 1969. Back then, it was painted white and rolled on Fenton Hawk wheels. Terje purchased the Falcon in 1979. He bought it from a painter known as "Tom med tanna," and when he got it, it had been given a custom paint job. After selling the car around 1984-85, Terje bought the car back in 2023. Luckily, the wheels were still on it. "These are rare in Norway," Terje told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama, adding that he has never seen another set in Norway. Photo courtesy of Terje Sæthre.

Helge Solberg's 1967 Chevrolet Camaro of Bø i Telemark, Norway. Known as "Low'n Blown," the car was built in the 1980s. Featuring a sectioned body and a chopped top, the first version made its debut in 1984. For the 1987-season, the car was dressed up with purple and pink scallops by Helge and Arild Bergskås. Lasses Bil in Oslo bought the car in 1995.

Terje Rusthaug's 1928 Ford Model A Tudor

Kasper Kaarbø's 1929 Ford Model A Leatherback Coupe

Kasper Kaarbø's 1949 Ford Tudor of Oslo, Norway. Kasper is a member of the Coupe Devils car club of Norway. He started restyling the car in 2007. Known as "Pandora's Box," the build was completed in 2010, receiving a copper bronze paint job.

Tom Røine's 1963 Buick of Oslo, Norway. Tom is a member of the Coupe Devils car club, and his Buick received a gold metalflake paint job in May of 2014.