If one event captures what Swedish car culture is all about, it’s Vallåkraträffen. Every August, thousands of enthusiasts head to the small village of Vallåkra, 564km south of Sweden’s capital, Stockholm. Held at the usually quiet Enoch Thulin Airport, the grounds transform into one of Scandinavia’s biggest automotive gatherings.
Back in 1982, Vallåkraträffen was little more than a gathering for Volvo enthusiasts. Today, it’s grown into something much bigger, with nearly every corner of the Swedish car scene represented and more than 15,000 spectators coming through the gates.
Although Vallåkraträffen has expanded well beyond its Volvo roots, it’s still very much Swedish car territory. The humble Volvo has practically become a national symbol here, and Vallåkraträffen is where owners show just how far you can take one.
Whether it’s a carefully restored Amazon, a 700-series brick with an engine swap that probably shouldn’t be road legal, or a modern estate sitting so low that speed bumps become a legitimate threat to its existence, you’ll always find something interesting around the next corner.
I’ve wanted to photograph one of Rickard Rydell’s Volvo race cars for as long as I can remember, and at this year’s event, I randomly stumbled across his 1995 Volvo 850 BTCC. Unfortunately, it was sitting on a wooden platform, which was a real shame. I did try to arrange a shoot for when the car was back on the ground, but the event organisers said no. Maybe next time…
Never mind, though, because there was plenty to see. One minute I could be looking at an old racing legend; the next I’d be staring at the entire 1990s Volvo accessories catalogue.
And I mean that in the most literal sense, because I came across a car that needs to be seen to be appreciated. For a moment, it felt like stepping into a ‘90s fever dream, looking at all the things that any Gen X-er would have wanted while flicking through the official accessories brochure back then. I mean, just look at it. Every single item is there, from the Volvo luggage on the roof to a special Volvo baby seat.
The 740 accessories catalogue isn’t exactly small, and it came in different varieties depending on where in the world you lived. Out of the entire collection, the owner, Alexander, is only missing a couple of items.
From rare accessories to rare cars, the Volvo R models are becoming increasingly uncommon, even here in Sweden. Not to be confused with later R-Design models, these were released at a time when Volvos were genuinely exciting. Think fun colors and plenty of power. Even the engine bays were interesting to look at.
You don’t have to look very far to find a Volvo at Vallåkraträffen. In fact, you’d probably struggle to go five minutes without seeing one. But there’s plenty more going on around the airfield.
Sweden has had a strong hot rod community for decades, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. During the event, a parade of rods made its way down the strip. One of them even had a Moon sticker on the side, which immediately took me back to the Mooneyes event I visited in Japan back in May.
Then there’s the stance and tuner crowd, which also shows up in pretty impressive numbers. From slammed imports to heavily modified European builds, you’ll see them all at Vallåkraträffen.
At the Bilsport tent, the event finalists lined up just before heading to the strip for the official award ceremony.
Among the winners was my latest feature, Fabian’s CSF-cooled Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. It won Best Japanese Car and was also named one of the Top 10 builds.
The most prestigious award, and the one everyone is after, is the ‘Sveriges Häftigaste Volvo’, which translates to ‘Sweden’s coolest Volvo’.
Over the years, all kinds of Volvo models have won the award, and this year, Magnus Martinsson took it with his Volvo 142.
After spending another day surrounded by more Volvos than I could count, I think it’s safe to say they’ve started to grow on me. I’m not quite ready to trade in my camera for a set of Volvo keys just yet, but Vallåkraträffen is certainly making a convincing argument. Who knows, maybe there’s a 740 in my future after all…
90% Volvos, 0% SAAB, already forgotten brand, shame…
Shocking to see such a broad display of Swedish car culture and not one picture of a 240 in the bunch. have they fallen out of fashion or were they not as polished as the featured cars?