Shake, rattle and roll in Västerås

This weekend over 10,000 classic cars will converge on Västerås at the Power Big Meet as car enthusiasts from Sweden, Europe and as far afield as Russia, Israel and Australia make their annual pilgrimage to the biggest Classic car event in the world.

For Sweden’s Raggare, the Power Big Meet is more than just a car show - it’s a celebration of a way of life that is peculiarly Swedish, despite being entrenched in the fashions, music and motor cars of Americana. Since the 1950s, a version of the American Dream has been embraced with an enthusiasm that has endured for half a century.

I´m really not a super fan of American classic cars (allthough there are some really nice ones). But the Power Big Meet is something to be experinced! Also, the happening draws crowds from the ages of 10-80 years old. Raggare [cruisers] have been around now for half a century. Expect a lot of gasoline and tyres being burned the coming days, with hair greasier than a Volvo 140 engine room.

Hmmm, crap! Got to stop now. A bat just flew in to my living room (I'm not kidding!) Have to take care of it...

Continuing...

Yuck! That was creepy... The thing just flapped in through the open balcony door and landed on my TV set. Hate those critters! Well ,I tossed it out, so I will go on with the story now...

Anyway, being a "Raggare" is something hard to explaine. It is a life style. A way of life cherishing some rosy idea of how the fifties in the USA was. It's "Happy Days and America Graffiti all over again with a touch of Grease.

The cars will range from Street Rods to Cruisers to Muscle cars and the roar of the engine and smell of gasoline is accompanied by the rock and roll beat. The cruising is a chance to admire other cars and show off a year of dedicated work in the garage.

“Members of Street Pack include police and lawyers, we have everyone from young guys to 75 year old men who are still driving the cars they imported 50 years ago” he says, as we are joined by a man in a leather waistcoat with enormous sideburns and four inch quiff."

Sten, a large man with tattooed arms and middle-aged spread draws on his cigarette, “Put it this way. Little kids dream of Father Christmas all year round. We dream of the annual Power Big Meet”. For Håkan and Sten, it’ll be Christmas in July as they shake, rattle and roll up the E18 to Västerås.

Here it is