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KUSTOMRAMA NEWSLETTER NO. 214

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January is already in our rearview mirror, and we've cruised into February while watching fresh photos and videos roll in from the 76th Annual Grand National Roadster Show. What a way to kick off the year! Another amazing show we wish we could’ve attended...maybe 2027 will be our year to go back.

Over the past months, our Swedish friends have been a big source of inspiration. Thanks to contributors like Björn and Mats, we’ve been flooded with new photos, stories, and even old film reels documenting Sweden’s early hot rod and custom scene. It’s a treasure trove of kulture, much of it centered around the builders of southern Stockholm.

In mid-January, we launched a new shirt to honor that era, our Kustomrama Stockholm Legends Division design. The car chosen to represent the series? The legendary 1957 DeSoto custom built by Hans “Hasse” Broberg and Kjell Gustad. A true Scandinavian milestone.

Just a week after the shirt launch, we received the sad news that Hasse Broberg had passed away.

Hasse and Kjell, known as Sillarna, were pioneers of the Swedish scene. Together, they shaped a tight-knit community around Enskedefältet in Stockholm. Hasse’s family home became the unofficial clubhouse, a welcoming haven where a generation of motor-hungry teens found belonging, friendship, and inspiration. Through it all, Hasse remained a kind, curious soul with a deep love for the craft.

We are incredibly grateful to the Broberg family for preserving a vast photographic archive of this era. It’s thanks to collections like theirs that the stories of early Scandinavian hot rodders can continue to inspire new generations.

This month’s newsletter is dedicated to Hasse Broberg. If you haven’t yet seen the film we released last year, The Sill Drivers' Story: Hot Rod Life in Stockholm 1957–1964, we recommend starting with it. It captures the spirit, the streets, and the camaraderie of that golden era.

Rest in peace, Hasse.

Your legacy lives on, in steel, in stories, and in the hearts of custom car lovers across the world.
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Best regards
Sondre
Kustomrama Editor

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Enskedefältet — Where Swedish Hot Rodding Took Root

When hot rodding and custom car culture reached Sweden in the 1950s, it arrived through curiosity, borrowed ideas, and youthful determination. American magazines and films introduced new ways of thinking about cars, and in southern Stockholm, the residential area of Enskedefältet became one of the places where those ideas were first turned into reality.

At Österbottenvägen 10, Stig Broberg lived with his wife Viola and their son Hans, also known as Hasse. Together with his classmate Kjell Gustad, Hasse began working on mopeds, motorcycles, and eventually cars on the family property. The driveway and basement gradually evolved into an informal workshop where friends gathered, tools were shared, and projects multiplied. By the late 1950s, the group included Arne Lindstrand, Bengt Wennergren, Lasse “Junken” Ljungqvist, “Lill-Pelle” Karlsson, “Lill-Hasse” Källberg, and others, forming a tight-knit circle bound by mechanical curiosity rather than status or reputation.

The early builds were ambitious and often improvised. Cars were rebuilt in the open, engines swapped, bodies modified, and ideas tested without formal guidance. Stig Broberg documented much of this activity with a Super-8 camera, leaving behind a rare visual record of Swedish hot rodding in its infancy. As driver’s licenses were obtained and parts sourced from across Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, the pace intensified. The group built and rebuilt cars continuously, including custom builds and engine swaps, and eventually constructed Sweden’s first dragster after seeing the American Moon Dragster tour the country in 1961.

Despite noise, late nights, and occasional chaos, relations with neighbors remained largely positive. Enskedefältet became a place where experimentation was tolerated and creativity encouraged. Over time, stricter regulations, inspections, and enforcement made modified cars harder to operate legally, pushing some members toward boats and other mechanical projects. Still, the bonds formed in Enskedefältet endured.

Today, Enskedefältet is regarded as one of the foundational environments of Swedish hot rodding, defined not by a single car or personality, but by collaboration, persistence, and shared passion. It was here that a generation learned by doing, laying the groundwork for a culture that would grow far beyond the neighborhood’s quiet streets.

​Click here to explore the full story of Enskedefältet and its role in shaping Swedish hot rodding on Kustomrama.​

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Missed the 76th Grand National Roadster Show?

The 76th annual Grand National Roadster Show is on its way to the history books. While we couldn’t make it over this year, we’ve still been able to enjoy the action thanks to dedicated content creators like Custommikes, who covered the event on YouTube.

If you missed the show yourself, don’t worry, head on over to YouTube and relive some of the highlights. From wild showstoppers to timeless traditional builds, there’s plenty of eye candy to enjoy.

​Click here to check out the coverage on Custommikes YouTube Channel.​

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Indoor Hot Rod & Custom Shows in Sweden – 1967

The hot rod and custom car shows held in Sweden during 1964–1966 sparked a fast-growing interest in the scene. By 1967, new cars and bikes were being built all over the country, ready to shine at indoor events in Stockholm’s Marmorhallarna, as well as in Sundsvall and Gothenburg.

Our good friends and Kustomrama Contributors Mats Wallander and Björn Ramsten have once again dug deep into their archives and put together another great film showcasing photos and highlights from the Swedish show season of 1967.

​Click here to check it out and experience another golden year of Scandinavian custom culture brought back to life.​

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Featured Event:

Custom Car Revival 2025

Before you scroll past, take a moment to admire Jimmy Hervatin’s stunning 1951 Ford F1 Pickup, captured in all its glory at the 2025 Custom Car Revival by photographer Ron Hensley.

Held June 5–7 in Indianapolis, the 2025 Custom Car Revival marked the 13th year of the event and brought together 200 handpicked traditional customs from across the country. With roots reaching back to the golden age of American custom car building, this invitation-style gathering continues to celebrate the aesthetics of legends like Barris, Bailon, Winfield, and Watson.

Jimmy’s radically restyled Ford, complete with a flamed paint job, took home America’s Most Beautiful Custom, the Revival’s highest honor, earning its place among a field of historic and magazine-featured builds.

Want more eye candy?

​Click here to see more photos from the 2025 Custom Car Revival on Kustomrama, and don’t forget to mark your calendar: The 2026 edition is set for June 11–13 in Indianapolis.​

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Introducing the Legends Division – Starting in Stockholm!

Swedes have been building sharp hot rods and customs since the 1950s. Inspired by the rich photo archives and stories recently contributed by Björn and Mats, we’re kicking off our Legends Division with a special Stockholm Legends design.

To launch the series, we’ve chosen the iconic Sillarna — Hans Broberg and Kjell Gustad’s 1957 DeSoto. A true Scandinavian milestone and a perfect symbol for the legacy we aim to celebrate.

Click here to check it out in your local store: ​ ​
​Sweden - Norway - US - EU - Worldwide​

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This is a Paid Promotion: Promote your car to thousands of enthusiasts for just $100! Click here for more info.​

For Sale: Martin and Marion Bennett’s Uncertain-T Recreation

Built in New Zealand as a faithful tribute to Steve Scott’s legendary Uncertain-T, this hand-crafted show rod has stunned crowds from SEMA to Salt Lake City, and it’s now available to purchase.

A seven-year build with nearly every part handmade or specially commissioned, including custom wheels from ET and Radir, a one-off Hilborn Fuel Injection system for the Nailhead, and a hand-built body. Approved by Steve Scott himself, this car is more than a tribute; it’s a work of art.

Price: $140,000 USD

Includes: Full Swisstrax show floor, custom display stands, promotional material, and a shipping container loaded and delivered to your nearest port, freight included. Martin will even come meet you when it lands.

Interested? Click here for more info, photos, and contact info on Kustomrama.​

February might be short, but this playlist’s got long-lasting flavor. From the twang-fueled burnout of Cody Parks & The Dirty South’s ‘Thunder Cash ’69’ to the heavy-lidded soul of Nicky Thomas’ ‘Lonely Feelin’,’ it’s a ride across genres and state lines. Will Van Horn’s ‘Yekermo Sew’ keeps things smooth with steel, while The Damned rip it open with ‘New Rose.’ And kicking it all off? A proper tribute to tradition; ‘Ala Kart’ by The Kustomramas. Fire it up, lean back, and let the tunes do the talkin’. ​

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Where Is the Kandy Kart Today?

A big thanks goes out to Frank Spittle for digging into his archives and sending us this great garage photo of the Kandy Kart, a radically restyled 1958 Chevrolet Impala built by Dave Stuckey for Pat Mulligan of Wichita, Kansas. Completed in early 1964, the car was chopped, sectioned, and converted into a hardtop before being treated to custom touches like sectioned 1962 Pontiac quarter panels and a big Chrysler mill under the hood.

Dave built the car alongside the second version of the Li’l Coffin, and both were shown at the National Roadster Show in Oakland. After its show career, Mulligan stored the car in a custom-built trailer where it remained in pristine condition until Spittle purchased it in the early 1970s. At the time, he had just opened Specialty Car Sales in North Carolina, and the Kandy Kart became a showstopper that helped bring attention to the new business.

Frank sold the car again around 1974… and that’s where the trail goes cold.

Do you know where the Kandy Kart ended up? Drop us a line, we’d love to track down this lost show car legend.

​Click here for more info and photos on Kustomrama.​

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How much is our automotive heritage worth to you Reader?

At Kustomrama, we're driven by passion, not paywalls. As a volunteer-run Encyclopedia, we're dedicated to keeping the history and legacy of traditional hot rods and custom cars free and accessible to everyone, everywhere. From server costs to content collection, every aspect of our mission needs fuel. Whether it's $5, $20, $50, or any amount you choose, your donation keeps the engine of history running.

​Click here to tip today and be a part of preserving this unique legacy for future generations.​

I appreciate your support!

Best regards
Sondre / Kustomrama Founder / Keeping History Alive

What is Kustomrama?

Kustomrama is a comprehensive online encyclopedia passionately dedicated to the preservation and sharing of traditional hot rod and custom car history. With a mission to keep this vibrant history alive for generations to come, Kustomrama offers an extensive repository of knowledge, featuring over 11,716 pages filled with information and more than 30,000 photos showcasing hot rods and custom cars from around the globe. Our goal is not only to document but also to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the hot rod and custom car community, ensuring that the stories and innovations of yesteryear enthusiasts are accessible to everyone.

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