If you’re interested in motor sports, you should book for 30 June and 1 July. The airfield outside Mariehamn will be a big draw on account of all the activities that will be taking place there. Jonny Mattson from ÅMK is one of many motor sports enthusiasts in Åland. We ask him what he thinks is the biggest attraction:
“The street racing - or, to be more precise, the drag racing - is going to be something special. We’ve invited teams from Sweden. But really I think that the atmosphere all round is going to be brilliant. Displays of folkrace and vintage cars. You’re going to get to see a lot of fine vehicles, not just on the airfield but out on the roads as well.”
Bring along your own pride and joy!
Jonny explains that they try to encourage as many people as possible to bring their own cars along and put them on display. They invite clubs and private individuals from both Sweden and Finland. Both Viking Line and Eckerö Linjen have travel packages for you if you are coming in your own car.
“This could really be a big event. There’s plenty of room on the airfield and if everybody brings along their vintage cars, home-made cars and newly polished treasures, the weekend will be a success.
The Dwarf Car Clubs are coming
About thirty years ago the Swedish Microcar Club and the Finnish Dwarf Car Club met up by chance in Åland. Since then they’ve been meeting up every year in western Åland in Eckerö. “Dwarf cars” and “Microcars” are the same thing, namely three-wheeled cars and smaller cars with an engine capacity up to 425 cc. The best-known of these is probably the Messerschmitt. In the summer of 2012 the meet happens to fall on the same weekend as ÅMK’s anniversary meet in Mariehamn.
Ford meet and VW meet
The seventh Nordic Ford “EuroFord Nordic 2012” meet will take place in the Badhusparken in Mariehamn on 4 August. Read more on the meet's website about times and travel offers. Are you a Volkswagen fan instead? They are meeting in Åland for the twentieth year in a row. Same venue, Badhusparken in Mariehamn, but on 11 August. Read more on the Bugnic website.
Big American car show in July
The American car hobby is widespread in Åland, as it is in the rest of the Nordic area. In addition to two dedicated clubs, Oldtime Cruisers and Suncoast Cruisers, there are two hot rod and custom car clubs that uphold the culture of customised and converted vehicles. Oldtime Cruisers arrange a big car exhibition in Mariehamn every summer, which in recent years has attracted over 200 cars. This year it will be held on 21 July and there’ll be cruising through and around Mariehamn in the evening.
Meet venue at a reasonable distance
Åland is a popular meet venue for car and microcar clubs from both Sweden and Finland. It is good value for money to take the ferry and there are many beautiful country roads to travel around on, plus distances are short. There is plenty to do, there are some excellent restaurants and there is accommodation available to suit all budgets. Brand clubs that have visited the island state in recent years include Aston Martin, the AMC Euro-meet, the Model “A” Ford “Gränsträffen” meet for Scandinavian enthusiasts, the Swedish and Finnish Cadillac Clubs, the Mazda Miata Club, the Finnish Mercedes Club, the Swedish Citroen Club, the MG Club and the Viper Club Nordic. The Nordic Mini Meeting has also been held in Åland several times, as has the Swedish Corvette Club’s autumn meet.
Read more
You’ll find just about everything about motor sports on the Motor sports portal.
Åland’s events calendar shows current times and more events.
Read more about accommodation in Åland
Photographer (large image): Mikael Mattsson.