Bo "Gamen" Sandberg's 1951 Hudson

Bo “Gamen” Sandberg’s first car, a 1951 Hudson purchased in November 1957 for 2,300 SEK. After earning his driver’s license in January 1958, Bo quickly gave the Hudson a custom look with a purple roof, purple panels under the side moldings, and a set of hand-painted flames. Believed to be the first flame-painted car in Sweden, it marked the beginning of Bo’s lifelong passion for custom styling.

Bo "Gamen" Sandberg’s 1951 Hudson is widely regarded as the first flame-painted car in Sweden, marking an important milestone in the early days of the country’s hot rod and custom scene.

Early Days

In November 1957, 17-year-old Bo "Gamen" Sandberg of Kungsholmen, Stockholm purchased a 1951 Hudson imported from the United States. The car cost 2,300 SEK, a substantial sum at the time, but it became the foundation for what would be remembered as Sweden’s first flame job.

Bo had already developed a strong fascination for American cars and culture. His father, Ewert Sandberg, ran a forwarding company that frequently operated between Sweden and the U.S., allowing young Bo to visit America and return home with car magazines, photos, and inspiration that few Swedish teenagers had ever seen.

At age 14, Bo had started buying and modifying mopeds, often repainting them and adding small custom touches. By 1957, when he bought the Hudson, his imagination had moved from two wheels to four.

Sweden’s First Flames

Bo obtained his driver’s license in January 1958, and according to friends, the first thing he did was take the Hudson downtown for a celebratory cruise. Before long, the car received a custom treatment that would make history.

Bo painted the roof and side panels purple, and then added hand-painted flames that swept across the hood and front fenders. Though rough and experimental, the job captured the spirit of the American custom scene he admired, and represented the first known instance of a flame-painted car in Sweden.

The bold design stood out immediately on the streets of Stockholm, making the Hudson a local legend among early “raggare” and inspiring many others to start customizing their cars.

The Road Devils Connection

The same year the Hudson hit the streets, Bo founded The Road Devils, a Stockholm car club inspired by the American movie Hot Rod Rumble (released in Sweden as Vägens Djävlar). The Hudson, with its new flame job, became closely associated with the club’s rebellious image and attitude.

Bo had a batch of aluminum club plaques made for members’ cars. Each was numbered, with Bo’s personal plate stamped #0, symbolizing his leadership role. The Hudson was among the first cars to display one of these plaques.

Legacy

Bo’s 1951 Hudson remains one of many historically significant custom cars in Sweden. It not only introduced the American flame motif to Scandinavian streets but also marked the beginning of Bo’s lifelong mission to bring hot rod and custom culture to Sweden, a mission that would continue through his later ventures, including Yankee Custom Parts and the magazine Colorod.