Swedish cars, I'm sure you'll agree, are different. And not only from other makes although unique characteristics are less achievable in today's interconnected, globalised world. Still, you're not likely to confuse a Volvo with a Saab. Indeed, for many years the two companies, one born in 1927 and the other conceived post-war by an aircraft manufacturer, produced automobiles that did not even vaguely resemble each other. Which guarantees that any gathering of Swedish cars is an event and which assures that Swedish Car Day, to be held on the lawn of the Larz Anderson Auto Museum just outside of Boston, Massachusetts, October 19, will be special. Last year's show drew more than 500 cars to the museum's rolling lawns.
I first tested Saabs when they were powered by 3-cylinder 2-stroke engines driving through the front wheels, and I owned, raced and tested Volvos when they were affordable sports sedans. My most memorable Swedish auto experience happened when Volvo loaned Tom Berent and myself a 122S (badged "Canadian" in Canada) for a road tester's dream ride. We started in Toronto, drove across the country to Vancouver, south to San Francisco with a stop at the Seattle World's Fair, then back to Toronto. Although Tom and I weren't out to break records we did the San Francisco-Toronto leg in just under 48 hours, including a sightseeing break at the famed Hoover Dam. Our test was the cover story in Track & Traffic magazine and the photo was taken next to the engine that pulled the first train into Vancouver. That's me at the throttle.
[Photo: Tom Berent]