Prins Bertil Memorial 2009

“Prince Bertil Memorial Day” is one of the largest meetings for classic car owners in Scandinavia.  This event in Stockholm (Sweden) is intended for all types of vehicles manufactured up to 1970.

 On 31 May 2009, RMW organised a group of fans who set out on the journey from Latvia in restored cars. These consisted of two 1956 Mercedes Benz SL 190s and a 1956 edition BMW 501. Their owners covered a total of 1000 km in one direction in their beloved classics. The first day of the outward journey saw the cars negotiate the distance from Riga-Tallinn-Helsinki-Turku. The second day was spent driving through the Aland Isles and from Marianhamn-Stockholm.

The meeting took place in the very heart of Stockholm next to the Vassa Museum which was the arrival point for the all drivers participating in the event. It was a chance to enjoy the buzz of meeting old friends, making new contacts and the initial excitement arising from the realisation that there are a lot of classic car lovers out there.

The event continued with a parade along the streets of Stockholm and concluded in the Museum Isle Park. Cars were exhibited for viewing, while parallel competitions were held featuring regularity drives and speed drives. Participation in the event was open to anybody prepared to test out their treasure technically and emotionally. This was the moment when event participants could get to know one another a lot better and swap experiences, make new contacts, admire their neighbours' acquisitions and delight in the wonderful weather with which the event and its visitors had been blessed by the northern elements. 

Car models were exhibited so that every resident or visitor to the city could admire the uniqueness and beauty of these classic vehicles. And adding to the attraction of the event, the cars on show were interspersed with vintage era motorbikes, bicycles, mopeds, classic speedboats and planes. 

During the course of the day, we also enjoyed a parade of wooden boats and a flyover by classic planes in the skies above Stockholm. Participants also pay a lot of attention to deciding what to wear for the event, because another element of the event programme is a competition in which crew fashions are judged. The owners exchanged information, bought and sold and simply enjoyed the chance to spend some time in the company of fellow devotees. In the evening, everybody gathered to enjoy a lively open-air party. The majority of those taking part were Scandinavians - Finns and Swedes. The RMW team was the only one to make the trip from the Baltic States.

The main goal of this trip was to enjoy the journey in the restored cars and to meet fellow connoisseurs. The Riga Master Workshop team stood out with the quality, freshness and lustre of our car restoration. Once again, everybody was surprised by the fact that the cars had made the journey from Riga independently and were in perfect working order. In regard to the other participants, in quite a few cases one could see that their cars were quite long in the tooth and had undergone restoration quite some time ago. RMW was accompanied by its technical support team with a specially equipped bus. Our technical team ended up providing assistance to other participants. The team regulated engines and did some first aid by repairing various technical problems.

For the RMW team this was one of the most enjoyable events of the year. The trip was a huge success. It was a truly enjoyable experience fuelled by the wonderful weather, beautiful landscapes and the joy of undertaking the journey in our own restored classic cars. And we were particularly pleased by the fact that in spite of the considerable mileage involved, none of the cars in our group required technical assistance. Many conversations arose during the event with our new acquaintances about the nuances and details of restoration. Several agreements were reached about the utilisation of RMW’s services outside Latvia. New contacts were established. We sincerely recommend others to join us on future trips organised by RMW! This is not just the pleasure derived from your car; it’s a heady feel-good cocktail!