I spent a cold chunk of 2009 living in Stockholm, Sweden where I saw very few cool cars (the cost of auto ownership is astronomical there) but I’ll never forget this bizarre downtown storefront display.
March 27, 2021 Car Autance Feature Photo Details
Car(s): 2009 Audi R8
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Photog: Andrew Collins (it me!)
Camera: Some old waterproof Olympus digital camera
Yeah there I was, face pressed up against the glass of an Audi store admiring an R8 and wondering why the hell there was a sexy Austin Powers bed in the middle of the joint. Thinking back even harder, I’m trying to remember if it actually was a car dealership with a bed in it or a furniture place with a car in it.
But I’m almost positive it was the former, and not some kind of upscale IKEA.
Weirdly the main memory I have associated with this photo, and actually my whole Swedish experience, is the taste and smell of roasted almonds. There was a guy near this store with a cart who sold hot and sweet almonds that were soul-warming and delicious and I think about him almost every time I’m very cold. It was one of the few indulgences I could afford when I lived up there – it was hard to get a beer for less than $10 at a bar and eating out in general was similarly spendy.
I’m sure there are Swedes who get into cars and keep vintage hardware alive outside the big cities, but most of the machines I saw on the roads of the capital were late-model econoboxes or high-end luxury sedans whisking royalty around. And buses. Like much of Europe, Sweden’s public transportation system is damn decent.
Any Scandinavian Car Autance readers have automotive experiences to share?
