JEG Hobby: A Handmade Finnish Car from 1951 - AllCarIndex
Support our project
Help us to keep our content free by donating.
Your contribution helps cover technical costs and continue our research.
Help us to keep our content free by donating.
Your contribution helps cover technical costs and continue our research.
JEG Hobby
The JEG Hobby is a one-of-a-kind Finnish custom-built car, designed and constructed in 1951 by J. Evald Geust, a woodwork and metalwork teacher, in collaboration with another teacher. The project began in 1948, driven by the desire to build their own cars from scratch, a testament to the hands-on skills of Finnish craftsmen of the time. Geust, born in 1903, took the lead after his colleague left the project, completing the vehicle largely on his own.
Every part of the car was meticulously handmade, starting with a single-cylinder overhead valve engine that was later replaced by a German-made 566cc two-cylinder, two-stroke Ilo engine producing 19 horsepower. Almost all the components, from the cylinder castings to the brake drums, were fabricated by Geust. The frame, crafted from aluminum tubes salvaged from a scrap yard, was said to have been repurposed from a wartime fighter plane. The front suspension used overlapping wishbones with coil springs, while the rear featured swingarms with coil springs, showcasing advanced engineering for the time.
The car's body was also handcrafted, with the metalwork shaped and welded with rudimentary tools at Geust’s family cottage in Pirttikylä. A tinsmith assisted in shaping the curved forms, though Geust handled much of the cutting and welding himself. Even the small details, like the parking light lenses, were sourced creatively, using bottle bases. The interior, including the bench seat frames, was also fully custom-made.
In 1951, the car was officially registered as the JEG Hobby, named after its creator (J.E. Geust). Although the original plan was to build two cars, the project took longer than expected, and Geust’s colleague abandoned it, leaving Geust to complete the only model. The car served the family well for the next few years, regularly making the 50-kilometer journey between Pirttikylä and Vaasa. Despite some overheating issues, which led to the relocation of the radiator from the rear to the front of the vehicle, the JEG Hobby was a reliable mode of transport.
The car was driven regularly until 1954 when Geust acquired a 1938 Ford, and the JEG Hobby was gradually retired from use. It was last driven on a cottage road in the 1980s before being placed in storage. Today, this unique vehicle is preserved in the Vaasa car museum, a symbol of Finnish ingenuity and craftsmanship.
Key specifications of the JEG Hobby include its compact dimensions (3.40 meters in length, 1.50 meters in height, and 1.32 meters in width), independent front suspension, rear swingarms, and mechanical drum brakes.
