Raggare and Delsbo Car Culture - A Cruise to Remember
I am about to tell you a tasty little secret. So put the 10 mm down, or if you haven’t found it yet, take a second and sit on the ground (P.S. it’s in your pocket). You are going to want to hear what I am about to say. Sweden is lying to you. Yes, you heard me correctly. The tax loving, Volvo driving, quiet folk to the north are lying to you. Well, at least the Swedes above the river Dalälven are. Everything south is exactly as you’ve been told. But the northerners, those sneaky beautiful bastards are scamming the world. Since the 1950s, the supposedly “sensible” Swedish country dwellers who preached the concepts of Lagom (which translates roughly to just enough) have been hoarding classic American cars, novelties, and their own take on the greaser lifestyle. They have their own term for this as well. Welcome to the incredulous world of Raggare.
To best understand how Raggare came to fruition, some geopolitical politicking is required. After World War Two, Europe was obliterated. Six years of total war left the continent in ruin. Cities where manufacturing occurred were reduced to rubble. Countrysides where food was grown had turned into cratered muck. As a result, the economies of the majority of the European nations were in tatters. America on the other hand, having gone through the war relatively unscathed was left as the undeniable economic powerhouse of the world. The American dream was built on the backs of the soldiers, sailers, and marines who took the fight to the enemies door instead of letting the enemy come to theirs. In 1947, President Truman authorizes the Marshall Plan which provided the equivalent of 100 billion US dollars by today’s standard to be either provided or lended to European countries to help reinvigorate the economy. For many war torn nations in Europe such as France and Germany, this aid was critical to the future of their countries. However, American aid was also provided to other nations as a way to strengthen ties in the face of the growing Soviet menace. Despite their neutrality during the war, both Sweden and Switzerland were provided substantial economic aid. Because of Sweden’s neutrality, the country was perfectly intact. Resulting in an economic posture similar to the United States.
No empty seats allowed! The rule to Swedish cruising is a full car.
When everyone around you is broken, merely being ‘ok’ is a significant advantage. The Swedish economy thrived. Like a carburetor in peak condition, the mixture was perfect. Along with the American dollars flooding the continent, American culture poured in as well. Rock ‘n’ Roll, US made cars, and American films captured the hearts and minds of Swedish teenagers and young men. Combining this influx of Americana with unprecedented buying power resulted in a diaspora for American cars, memorabilia and views. The greaser lifestyle was imported in mass.
The European greasers were coined “Raggare”. Ragga in Swedish means "to pick up”, as in picking up a girl in your car. The American car loving youth of Sweden would drive around to pick up chicks. They drank, they smoked, they had sex. They were the “bad boys” of Sweden. Inevitably, likeminded friends formed gangs and rivalries emerged. These first generation Raggare were more than willing to fight for fun and meaningless violence was common place. Just like the greasers of America, the Swedish Raggare just wanted to have fun and drive cool cars and just like in America, the police and the media looked disapprovingly upon them.
Low and slow down down Edevägen Street in Delsbo
While Americans went for the fastest cars, the Swedish went for the biggest. The more girls you could fit in the seats, the better. The Pontiac Bonneville and the Chevy Impala were imported by Swedish buyers more than anywhere else in the world. On cruise nights, drivers would easily have 5 or more people drinking and smoking in their cars, listening to Elvis on the radio while driving around the small towns.
If you ask some of the original Raggare about if the culture still exists today, they will tell you that Raggare died when the originals settled down. Back in 2013, Vice interviewed Sven-Erik "Svempa" Bergendahl. Svempa was a member of one of the original four gangs of Raggare in Stockholm. In his opinion, Raggare is long gone.
“The raggare culture ended when the original gangs and our hangouts disappeared in the 70s and we moved on to family life. Sure, there are still people who call themselves raggare and busy themselves with fixing up American cars, but that just makes them car enthusiasts. What makes you a raggare is cruising around to pick up girls, but that's no longer possible because, nowadays, you can't hitchhike without risking getting raped or killed. There's so much violence these days. When we started out, girls stood along the streets looking to get rides, and we'd drive around to parties and listen to Elvis Presley. That sort of thing doesn't happen anymore.”
- Svempa
While it is true that in the major cities of Sweden, people are no longer comfortable hopping into strangers cars, Raggare definitely lives on. I’ve seen it myself.
Rain or shine, shine or rust… if it drives you drive it.
Sweden is distinctly two separate societies today. There is a north and a south. Southern Sweden for the most part is reminiscent of a cleaner and happier New York or California, albeit one that started over a thousand years ago. You have the undeveloped land surrounding the big city. Just substitute New York City or Los Angeles for Stockholm and you have a rough example of lower Sweden.
Polished paint on display
Above the river, you enter the Swedish equivalent of the midwest. Small towns that support the local farmers and craftsmen who enjoy the simpler lifestyle. They are good, honest, hardworking people who help one another without hesitation. Here, Raggare is alive and well. During the summer months, local car clubs organize cruises. For decades, these clubs have worked with one another to schedule out their gatherings across the small towns. One weekend the cars take over the streets of Delsbo for instance. While the next weekend they run around in Hudiksvall. The locals, unlike in the city, seem to embrace the gatherings and open their businesses doors later to accommodate the car loving enthusiasts. The classic cars that were imported in the 50s and 60s have been kept in surprisingly good shape. Especially considering the willingness of the owners to burn rubber and drive hard in weather that would scare off the vast majority of car show vanity queens in Los Angeles.
Delsbo Trachts and MAD Cuts. Each local area has different traditional wear.
In August, we got wind of a local cruise happening on a Saturday evening in Delsbo, Sweden. The cruise was hosted by a car club called MAD Delsbo. A group of like minded individuals with an undying passion for Americana and motor culture. Delsbo is a small quiet town with roughly 2,000 inhabitants. According to locals, the Swedish scene has operated roughly the same for a long time now. Each weekend during the summer season, a different town hosts a cruise night. Locals and enthusiasts from the region will flood the selected town to enjoy a rowdy night out. Sometimes up to 500 cars can be in attendance for these cruise nights. Unfortunately for the Delsbo cruise, weather had ulterior plans. Despite intermittent rain, over 250 cars rolled down the regularly sleepy streets. We arrived around 4 pm to witness the occasion from start to finish.
Rain meets power.
The cruise event was compounded with a local festival. As a result, hundreds of people filled the small city center. Rock ‘n’ Roll emanated from a live band on a stage. A large beer pavilion was erected, drawing in large crowds. Children dressed in traditional clothing performed dances that harked back to a bygone period of time. The crowd gathered to celebrate Delsbostintans Day. The festival is in honor of Ida Gawell-Blumenthal, a renowned writer and folk singer who made Delsbo her home. Born in 1867, Ida who went by Delsbostintan or Stintan would become a major proponent of folk and cultural performances in the region and the world. Meanwhile, downwind of the culturally rich celebration, another celebration was soon to begin. American muscle cars and big finned classics slowly but surely began to circle the neighborhood and fill up parking spaces. The rumbling of big block V8 engines soon overpowered the speakers from the festival. The cruise was sparsely populated until after dinner. Then, underneath a sun that would never completely set, a veritable swarm of American beauties flooded the roads. For hours cars drove around the block in both directions.
Coffee for everyone!
Much more effective than a speed bump.
If this type of car gathering occurred in Los Angeles, the police would have come in force to disperse the enthusiastic crowd. In Delsbo though, the two celebrations merged seamlessly. Beautiful women in traditional Delsbo clothing stood in the center of the road offering coffee and snacks to the endless stream of cars going around and around. Drivers and their passengers parked to join the growing crowd to watch people dance with their partners to local musicians. Beer flowed from taps stuck wide open. One police car did show up. The officers appeared to have a good time driving around with the crowd.
As the evening continued, the Raggare spirit took hold of the event. Every other car was filled with drinking passengers. Something that’s completely legal here in the Hälsingland. As rain began to come down a bit harder, the crowd didn’t disperse. Instead, they used the wet ground for fun. As we know, tires are expensive. Therefore, the best time to do massive burnouts and slide around is when the ground is at its wettest. In true Raggare fashion, we were offered multiple rides throughout the evening. First we rode sedately in a Buick Riviera. After we were offered another in a 1971 Plymouth Cuda owned by a man named Fredrik. You can see more about his car here. Coming from Los Angeles, the cruise turned my concept of classic car culture on its head. No one from back home would be driving in the rain, let alone tearing up the roads with strangers in the car at a 45 degree slide. Around 11 PM the various cars began to depart. A party was taking place at MAD Delsbo Clubhouse. Everyone was invited. Live music and cold beer carried the car enthusiasts and party goers into the night. The event changed me. I arrived an American and went to bed that night a hopeful Swede. This is where classic car enthusiasts belong.
GALLERY
