Car show

Terje's cars often stop by car shows in Norway, France and England. Impressions and images are conveyed to the best of our ability.

News photos from Oslo Motorshow

Posted 28/10/2025 by Terje Bjørnstad

The car news at this year's motor show was electric – everything from unreal dream projects to popular cars. Here are some of them.

Solid black windows characterize prototypes and cars that are not yet production-ready. Renault RS Turbo 3E belongs to the latter category. Production is planned for 2027 in a quantity of 1980 cars. It was in 1980 that the Renault 5 Turbo was launched, and it is clear that Renault wants to evoke memories of the legendary model. The RS Turbo 3E will be built in carbon fiber and aluminum. Two "in-wheel" engines - one in each rear wheel - will produce 555 hp. A car with rear-wheel drive and its own driving programs for drifting and doing donuts can offer a lot of fun. The preliminary price estimate is 160.000 euros. That is a lot for a Renault. I wonder if this top model can also stimulate sales of the more common Renault R5 E-Tech.

Polestar 5

It may not sit well with some, but Polestar builds more beautiful cars than Volvo does these days. But beautiful cars are often expensive. The Polestar 5 costs 1.259.000 in the Dual Motor version and 1.528.000 as Performance. The Dual Motor has 748 hp and can do 0-100 in 3,9 seconds. The stated range is 670 km and it can tow a trailer up to 1800 kg. Do you need more?

Nissan Leaf

Whatever one may think of the Nissan Leaf, it has captured large parts of the market with aggressive pricing. The Nissan Leaf's success has been a lot of (electric) car for the money, while other competition in the compact class was low. The starting price is set at 359.900 kroner. In today's car market, I suspect we will see cheaper entry-level models when the novelty interest has subsided.

Nissan Micra

Well then it's not Nissan Leaf longer than a cheap car. That can new Nissan Micra be. It is based on a smaller platform, the same as, among other things, Renault R5 E-TechIt's also not hard to see that the new Micra shares a body with the R5. Both models are produced at the same production facility. Which one should you choose?

MG IM5

MG has gained a good foothold in Norway for the same reason that Nissan did – a lot of car for the money. The IM5 and the more high-built IM6 appear to be more expensive cars than the first electric MGs that came to Norway. The IM5 and IM6 have 800V architecture, fast charging, long range and good performance.

Changan Deepal S07

Deepal is one of the Chinese car brands that I have predicted would come to Europe and Norway, although I would hardly be able to recognize the car brand when I meet them on the road. The cars are designed in Europe for European tastes (which Chinese customers probably also appreciate), but the production and all the equipment behind them is Chinese. The Deepal S07 is 4,75 meters long, has a range of 475 km, fast charging up to 93 kW, prices from 400.000, 445 liters of rear luggage space and 125 in the trunk. The Deepal S05 appears to be a more Norwegian car with 4-wheel drive. It is 13 cm shorter, in the same price range, 445 km range and fast charging up to 167 kW.

GFG Kangaroo

This GFG is an unreal dream project Kangaroo – a 2-seat electric hyper SUV with 4-wheel drive and 4-wheel steering. The project is designed as a rolling prototype from GFG Style – one of several features at the Oslo Motorshow related to Giorgetto Gigiaro.

I understand that Kangaroo can be associated with long-legged mobility over savannas and dunes, but it also gives very bad associations. A kangaroo car is, in my eyes, a car that goes with jumps and bounces due to cheating in the engine, slack in the drivetrain and imbalance in the wheels.

aston martin valhalla

This is Aston Martin's first hybrid car. A monster of a supercar that will be produced in a limited edition of 999. Aston Martin is planning future production of electric cars and has entered into a long-term, strategic partnership with Lucid regarding the delivery of drivetrains.

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Oslo Motor Show 2025

Posted 25/10/2025 by Terje Bjørnstad

It's impressive to see how the Oslo Motor Show renews itself. Every year they manage to bring out "new" car treasures. That's why many of the visitors return year after year.

The exhibition covers many interests. You can find topics within racing, engine tuning, car building, workshop equipment, heavy transport, car accessories, clothing, model cars and toys – to name a few. My considerations can be summarized in show cars, nostalgic cars and electric car news. I will come back to new cars in a later post. Here are some pictures from the car show and a bit of nostalgia.

Show and supercars

The Ford GT40 was built in very small series in the 1960s. Today, GT40 cars are built as replica cars or under license. The car in the main picture is a more recent GT40 built as a complete copy of the 1966 Ford GT40 Series II. It has a chassis number listed in the Shelby registry and an engine built at Roush performance. Everything is hand-built. The car has been through, among other things Olthoff Racing for tuning. It is for sale – in a high price range.

The red car is also built as a 1966 Ford GT40 Series II, more specifically an authentic replica of Alan Mann's GT40 Series II who participated in Le Mans in 1966. The car was built by mechanics at Holman-Moody – Ford's official racing partner from the same time.

Factory Five is a renowned manufacturer of replica cars. The white car is their own model. GTM Supercar based on the GM Corvette powertrain. 0-96 mph in 3.0 seconds and 0-160 mph in 6.6 seconds.

The Fastest Car You Will Ever Build in Your Garage.

This is a mysterious car that was listed as 2010 Porsche Boxster 550The Porsche 550 was the car that James Dean crashed in, and you can see clear similarities to the legendary car. I don't know the origin of the car. Incidentally, Porsche made its own anniversary model in 2004 – 50 years after the original model was put into production. But Boxster 550 from 2004 had very little in common with Porsche 550.

Nostalgic cars

One of the sections at the Oslo Motor Show was dedicated to cars designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. Among other things, it said Volkswagen Golf 1 og Volkswagen Passat B1 pre facelift. It looks like a 2-door Passat without a full tailgate. It only came a couple of years after the launch in 1973.

Renault's main attraction was the new Renault R5 E-Tech – and an absolutely fantastic looking one RS Turbo 3EFor those of us who like French cars, the Renault 5 is special – especially the original "five".

The welfare and safety of children has always been a focus. But it may well indicate that velferd had a higher priority 50 years ago than today. I had the wonderful reunion with child seats (above) in this Opel Rekord C 1900 Caravan (below) which was every father's dream around 1970.

1970s estate cars in a row. Opel, Vauxhall and Volvo 145 Express. The roofline of the Vauxhall Viva HC (above) was more reminiscent of a combi coupé than an estate. In 1970, this shape was considered futuristic.

The Volvo 145 Express (below) was often used by craftsmen. The car in the picture is registered as a 2-seat van. The Express was also available with both 5 and 7 seats.

Nova Lillestrøm — 1965 Simca 1000 Coupe.

Lillestrøm — 1962 Ford Taunus 17M Turnier.

Lillestrøm Exhibition Hall — 1961 Buick LeSabre.

Bedford Workobus — 1966 Bedford CA Workobus.

This charming troll was restored between 2005 and 2009, and must be said to be very rare. Bedford CA were popular vans between 1952 and 1969 – also here at home. The car in the picture is a 1966 model originally converted into a 12-seater bus (Dormobile) at Martin Walter's coachbuilder.

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Oslo Motor Show

Eight Amcars Club – real American cars

Posted 11/10/2025 by Terje Bjørnstad

I visited the Eight Amcars Club today to see eight car brands that couldn't compete with the big three. These aren't just real American cars - they're also car models that were well received in Norway and that many people got to experience.

The US auto industry experienced turbulent times in the 1950s. Demand for new cars was high, and new models were developed rapidly. At the beginning of the decade, the three major car companies GM, Ford and Chrysler accounted for 70% of production. By the end, the share had risen to 94%. Several car manufacturers had financial problems and were acquired or merged with other manufacturers – and eventually went bankrupt. Legendary car brands such as DeSoto, Hudson, Nash, Packard, Studebaker, Kaiser, Frazer, Henry J and Willys have disappeared. For a long time it seemed as if the cars would disappear too.

The purpose of Eight Amcars Club is to take care of the cars of the American car brands that disappeared after the war. The club was founded in 1977 by Jack Tweets. Today, 430 cars have been taken care of and 120 of these are on display at the club's premises in Sørum. A great building with cars and an American diner was built with volunteer work (!) and almost 4000 volunteer hours.

It surprises me that many of the cars have Norwegian history. In my old photo album there is a picture of my great-grandmother and her adult children posing in front of a stately, black car in the yard by the small farm. For a long time I thought it was a Chevrolet, but when I looked closer, I saw that it was a Kaiser. The same car was also used in the first film with "The Olsen Gang". Benny's car was a Kaiser - and of course it is at the Eight Amcars Club with Basse's pram on the roof. Real cultural history!

The car in my photo album was probably driven by the husband of one of my great-grandmother's daughters. He also worked as a driver, and I remember him driving around the country for Bergene Chocolate Factory in an American van with a raised roof and a white-painted 50s grill. Probably a Ford F-series.

Cultural history is about how people lived and lived. Old houses, furniture, styles – and cars are part of this. The fact that the cars at Eight Amcars Club include so many Norwegian cars truly makes it a piece of cultural history. I have spoken to many young “Amcar”-saved people who believe that their ancestors drove around in Cadillacs and Lincolns. The truth is that it was almost impossible to buy a new private car before 1960, with the exception of taxi owners, doctors and veterinarians. There were a few loopholes in the regulations. Among other things, it was possible to buy cars that were older than 3 years. That is the reason why several of the cars are listed as “used imported” after only 3 years, which is actually the case for the Kaiser car in the picture.

Another model that was produced by Kaiser-Frazer var Henry J, named after Henry J Kaiser. This was a car that there were several of in Norway and that actually suited us well here with its compact dimensions. It was also a car model that I think seems ahead of its time considering that it was launched in 1951. The first cars were delivered without turn signals and a boot lid. In traffic, you therefore had to make arm movements to warn other road users. The cars in the pictures have both turn signals and a boot lid.

DeSoto has always been a car brand under Chrysler. The DeSoto Fireflite was a full-size car built on the same platform as similarly large Chrysler cars. The brand disappeared shortly after 1960.

After Studebaker merged with Packard in 1954, several models with the same origins as either Studebaker or Packard could be seen, like this Packard Hawk in the picture.

Rambler was an old car brand that was purchased by Nash in 2016. In the 1950s, "Rambler" was brought up as a model name, like this one Nash Rambler in the picture. Nash and Hudson merged in 1954 to form AMC. Under AMC, Rambler was used as a separate car brand throughout the 1960s.

Studebaker and DC3 — Studebaker inspired by an airplane.

I have always been fascinated by the Studebaker Champion – where it can be difficult to tell what is in front and what is behind. I heard the explanation today. It is said that the design is inspired by Douglas DC3If you look closely, you can see a resemblance between the rear part of the car roof and the nose section of the DC3.

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eightamcars.no

Volvo autumn meeting at Bilia Jessheim

Posted 28/09/2025 by Terje Bjørnstad

Last Saturday, Volvo Car Club Norway (VCCN) had its autumn meeting at Bilia Jessheim. I stopped by and took some pictures in the nice autumn weather. Nothing is as beautiful as stately Volvos under a low autumn sun.

VCCN has also arranged its autumn meetings at Bilia Jessheim several times before. The last time I visited, Bilia was located across the road in what can be called Jessheim's car city. I know people who will never buy anything other than Volvo. But in a time when the market is flooded with new car brands, loyalty can disappear. Therefore, I think it is wise for established car dealers to cultivate relationships with car clubs. It keeps the enthusiasm going.

Volvo's 900 series are the new classics

You can argue about whether a car model is a classic or not. With Volvo, it's just a question of when – not om – a model becomes a classic. Those of us who have owned, driven or experienced the 940 cars when they were new have always known that it would become a future classic. Now is the time. Now they are appearing at car shows. The beautiful 940 cars at this autumn's car show confirm the 940 series' status as a classic.

Pictures from the car meet

Volvo Amazon

Volvo 140 series

Volvo 200 series

Volvo 700 series

Volvo 900 series

Volvo 940 cars that stopped by Bilia Jessheim on Saturday.

In the 1990s, I was given a charcoal-gray Volvo 940 Turbo Herregårdsvogn for a vacation in Gudbrandsdalen. Every family man's dream car with room for children, a dog, and vacation luggage. I've had the pleasure of driving many great cars over the years, but rarely have I experienced so many envious glances from other family men.

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Volvo Car Club Norway

Ekeberg Market 2025

Posted 21/09/2025 by Terje Bjørnstad

Every spring and autumn, the Norwegian Veteran Car Club organizes its market at Ekeberg Camping. Car parts, sausages and various spinning goods are sold among beautiful vintage cars.

The Ekeberg market filled the entire campsite. The top was reserved for car-related items. Below there were large and small stalls on both sides of the road selling sausages, smoked salmon, jellies and more in several flavors. Come and buy! People were in a market mood and the threshold for a chat was pleasantly low. There was also a good atmosphere between all the cars – both those parked in the luxury car parking lot and cars that the car clubs were showing off.

Follow me on a walk among the cars!

American cars

Cars for sale

1964 Ford Fairlane 500 Sports Coupe Hardtop with Ford's 260 V8 - a current engine that is also used in the Ford Mustang, among other things. Manual transmission and trailer hitch. Price 245.000,- Inquiries should be directed to Kenneth at 99114650, Høitomt Auto in Askim. Link to advertisement.

This Ford Zephyr with original paint and patina from 1953 caught my interest. The car is said to be virtually rust-free! It has a newly overhauled engine, propeller shaft – and everything new in brakes, front suspension, new tires, lights, windshield and interior carpets. Price 65.000,- inquiries should be sent to nordlietom@gmail.com or phone 91108507.

European cars

Fiat 130 automatic — 1973 Fiat 130. These cars were expensive in the 1970s. Luxurious interior. This car has an automatic transmission.

1962 Ford Taunus 17M van at Ford M Club.

Sports cars

Sunbeam Tiger 260 V8 — Sunbeam Tiger at the Ekeberg market in 2025. They were delivered with 260 V8 engines from Ford.

Pre-war cars

Ekeberg Camping — Front: 1930 Ford Model A Roadster. Rear: 1929 Ford A Pickup.

moped

When you turned 16 in the 1970s, this would have been high on your wish list as an alternative to the Tempo Panter. Strangely enough, such gadgets still bring back fond memories.

The Ekeberg market in the fall of 2025.

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Terje's cars — Veterans market at Ekeberg

Classic Weekend at Bertel O. Steen's

Posted 08/06/2025 by Terje Bjørnstad

There was a star-studded selection of cars gathered at Bertel O. Steen's headquarters in Lørenskog for Classic Weekend. Several of the cars are both rare and extremely expensive.

The best or nothing

If you take good care of a Mercedes-Benz for 30 years, it will probably become a classic. It's not just about the cars being attractive, but also about their exceptionally good quality. This was proven by several of the private car owners who came by with their own classics.

Pictures

The Black Series are cars with reduced weight. This 2014 Mercedes-AMG SLS Black Series is the only one in Norway. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3,5 seconds and reach a top speed of 315 km/h.

Mercedes-Benz 200D with Lærdal first aid kit

1973 was the last year before the W114/W115 received a facelift for the 1974 model year. Note the first aid cushion on the parcel shelf. These were produced in Lærdal and were popular Christmas gifts for car owners all over the country in the 1970s.

Bertel O. Steen — 1985 Mercedes-Benz 300TDT

The W123 is a real quality car. The cars endured many hundreds of thousands of problem-free kilometers and were popular as taxis almost all over the world. Not only was the construction of the cars very solid and robust, they were also assembled under strict quality control. So it is perhaps not so surprising that many are still rolling on the roads.

MANUFAKTUR gives customers the opportunity to determine unique and personal touches for their cars – both exterior and interior. One example is the choice of colors.

Bertel O. Steen Lorenskog — Mercedes-Benz W108

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Bertel O. Steen

Enfield Pageant of Motoring

Posted 28/05/2025 by Terje Bjørnstad

When local English car clubs are invited to meetups, English models that are no longer around today but were common in the 1960s and 1970s appear. We're talking about Austin, Morris, Vauxhall – and fun variations like Wolseley, Riley og Vanden Plas.

Made in England

Last weekend a big event took place in Enfield Town – a few miles north of London. Enfield Pageant of Motoring. It was The Whitewebbs Museum of Transport who invited local car clubs to meet. In addition, the museum displayed its own cars, including old commercial vehicles such as Commer, Austin og Bedford. Bedfords were popular distribution trucks until well into the 1980s also in Norway. The event is held annually to raise money for the small motor museum run by volunteers, the majority of whom claim to be in their 70s and 80s.

English Ford

The uniformed service car for Mid-Anglia Constabulary is one of two remaining 4-door Lotus Cortinas in existence. The car has been restored over a ten-year period ending in 2017. One of the rarities at the Enfield Pageant of Motoring.

Ford sent cars to Crayford Engineering for conversion to convertibles. They are rare. In Norway there is only one Ford Cortina mk2 Crayford.

Vauxhall

BMC/British Leyland

Triumph

Rover

The body shop FLM PanelCraft made convertibles and estate cars for Rover, among others. One of their variants is a Rover P6 Estate. They were also commissioned to make a convertible variant of the Rover P6. Only one prototype was made – the one photographed in the photo above.

"Foreign" vehicles

Whitewebb's Museum — 1972 Mercedes-Benz 350 SE Coupe.

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The Whitewebbs Museum of Transport

Sports cars at Øvrevoll

Posted 13/05/2025 by Terje Bjørnstad

If you like rare, old or exclusive cars, there are few car collections that are more fitting than the Norwegian Sports Car Club's spring musterings. Last Sunday, Øvrevoll Galloping Track was filled with fine cars that you rarely see in real life.

Pictures

According to the vehicle registry, this is the only original Lancia Stratos which is drivable in this country. The model was built for racing and only 492 cars were produced. According to the chassis number, it is probably a 1975 model, first registered in Norway in 1978 and has had the same owner since 1987. We have seen this car several times on the road.

There are probably only 2 replicas of Shelby Cobra Daytona in Norway – both probably based on kits from Factory Five – a manufacturer of Shelby Cobra replica kits. The only 6 original Daytona cars were built between 1964 and 1965 for racing. Later cars are either "continuation models" built by Shelby himself, or replicas. According to the vehicle registry, the car in the picture was first registered in 2023. The engine is a 5.7 liter V8, probably from the Chevrolet Corvette.

Bentley S1 was Bentley's version of Rolls Royce Silver Cloud 1. The 2-door Continental variant was considered a sporty variant. Several variants were made with different bodies, including a "drophead coupe" and special bodies from the coachbuilder H.J. Mulliner.

DeTomaso Pantera was equipped with Ford 351 Cleveland V8 engine, rear mid-mounted. Ford bought into the company and sold the cars in the US through Lincoln – Mercury dealers. The partnership with Ford lasted from 1971 to 1975. It was probably the oil crisis that made Ford withdraw. After the breakup, De Tomaso was allowed to continue selling its cars in markets outside the US, but production never reached the same level as when Ford was involved.

This variant of Ford Sierra is rare. The XR4i was equipped with a 2.8i V6 engine and received two layers of rear spoilers and special rear side windows. It was introduced in 1982 and disappeared from the model program in 1985.

The Scimitar was Reliant's sports car model that stood out from the brand's simpler models. Scimitar SS1 were pure sports cars with 2 seats. The car pictured is a 1987 model with a Nissan 1.8 liter turbo engine.

donkervoort — 1985 Ford Mustang LX 5.0 V8

Ford Mustang The mk3 was produced with either the Ford Pinto's 2,3-liter inline-four or the 5,0 V8. The model is referred to as the "Fox Body Mustang" and has long been somewhat overshadowed by other Mustang models. Recently, its popularity has increased significantly in the United States, which also affects prices.

Visually, the Porsche 964 is the last model to feature the early 911 look, although when it was introduced in 1989, it was said that no previous 911 model had undergone as many changes as the 964. The most noticeable change compared to its predecessor are the bumpers that were incorporated into the bodywork. However, it can still be seen that the 964 carries many features from the original 911 series.

aston martin — 1979 Aston Martin V8 Vantage

It looks like a Lotus 7 – but is built by Dutch DonkervoortThey started by selling kits of the Lotus 7, but began to produce their own, improved models based on the Lotus 7. The car in the picture is a Donkervoort S8A – Super 8 “Amber” – named after founder Joop Donkervoort's daughter. I have previously written about Donkervoort, and then found out that there was only one Donkervoort registered in Norway – namely the car in this picture.

2023 Chevrolet Corvette Hardtop Convertible

The Chevrolet Corvette C8 changed the concept quite a bit by placing the engine in the middle. You can clearly see the air intakes on the sides. The model is also available in an electric version. The car in the picture is a Hardtop Convertible in the European version (imported new to Europe). The car is for sale for 1,99 million kroner. Sales ad

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norwegian sports car club — Spring muster at Øvrevoll 2019

The organizer's website

Jaguar spring mustering at Fornebu

Posted 02/05/2025 by Terje Bjørnstad

The Norwegian Jaguar Club had their spring muster at the old air traffic control tower at Fornebu. Spring doesn't get more beautiful than this!

Flytårnet Cultural Center

The Flytårnet Cultural Center is located in the building and courtyard within the old flight tower at Fornebu Airport. Within its walls, businesses, municipal activities, crafts, art and volunteer work are carried out, among other things. Culture on Wheels is a voluntary organization that exhibits sports cars, scooters, toys and memorabilia from the motor and racing world. The museum is a favorite destination for car and motorcycle clubs.

Cars create atmosphere

The building complex at the Cultural Center is owned by OBOS. They have major development plans for the area, although the flight tower will remain standing as a landmark. One can only hope that they will manage to make the place more public-friendly. Today the area lacks atmosphere, partly due to sad and dilapidated buildings, and partly due to little activity. The museums are a positive feature there, but they have limited opening hours.

When the Jaguar Club filled the courtyard with its members' cars, the atmosphere rose considerably. The drab, industrial courtyard was brought to life. Perhaps it was in such surroundings that the first Jaguar cars were built? Jaguar, which started producing sidecars in 1922 under the name Swallow Sidecar Company, later Swallow Sidecar and Coachbuilding Company, so Swallow Coachbuilding Company, further SS Cars Ltd – and finally Jaguar Cars.

Jaguar XJS from a Jaguar car meet at the old air traffic control tower at Fornebu.

Jaguar XK140 – Fixed Head Coupe and Drophead Coupe.

Jaguar XK140 with Swedish history. Was rigged for rally/racing in the 1950s and brought back after 50 years of dormancy.

The Leaping Jaguar

The Leaping Jaguar, The leaping cator The Leaper, was first introduced in 1938 as a hood ornament and changed several times later. The sculpture in the picture above, sits on a 1956 Jaguar Mk1. By this time the Jaguar had gained more spring in its kick-off and a more aggressive expression to convey power and elegance.

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Norwegian Jaguar Club