1951 Berglund (Sweden) - AllCarIndex

The Berglund car, built in 1951 in Norrköping, Sweden, was a unique homemade automobile designed and constructed by Alvar Berglund, a sheet-metal worker. Originally planning a three-wheeled vehicle, Berglund shifted to a four-wheeler after creating a model. The car featured a wooden frame and a sleek aluminum body, formed using a contour traced by his wife, based on a life-sized sketch of Berglund and his daughter seated in the car.

After 1,100 hours of labor and a modest investment of 2,000 Swedish kronor, Berglund completed his creation. The compact car measured 280 cm in length, 132 cm in width, and weighed just 420 kg. It was powered by a 250cc, 9-horsepower Jawa motorcycle engine, allowing it to reach speeds of up to 70 km/h while maintaining a fuel consumption rate of 0.3 liters per 10 km.

The Berglund car was equipped with several inventive features. It had a simple yet effective starter mechanism, involving a stick connected to the engine's kickstarter, and a three-speed gearbox. For reverse driving, the engine could be switched to run backwards through a clever ignition switch. Despite its humble origins, Berglund’s creation was a remarkable feat of craftsmanship, blending ingenuity with functionality.