Seaside Sightings – Cars in Ohtakari

Antti Kautonen

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Comments

ohtakari_autot_8

Last weekend, we jumped into the Peugeot and drove a half hour’s distance north from here, to see a coastal village that was said to be worth seeing. And it was actually a positive surprise: soft sand, red wooden huts, seaside scenery and a general feel of being somewhere in the best bits of the Nordic countries. Ohtakari sounds almost like a Japanese word for something uncomfortable, but it was the polar opposite; it’s a slumbering seaside attraction spiritually close to Amity but without all the pesky man-eating sharks.

What caught my eye was the diverse selection of cars, as well. Since I brought my camera, I happily snapped away at the cars I found worth documenting. And yeah, some of the scenery will be brought for your enjoyment as well.

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A Saab 9000 CSE with the 2.3 Turbo engine should be well qualified for transporting a few bikes now and then.

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Manta! Even a late GSi, and white with white wheels is always a nice combination. I even got a thumbs-up from the driver.

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Yes, I did actually take a photo of that Ford Freestar. Has to be a rarity over here.

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Grand Cherokees are more common, and I think this is a second-hand German or Swiss import.

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Caravelle Coach is fit for camping.

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A Volvo Amazon wagon suits the archipelago really well.

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Tough as nails, the old thing. It has the B18 engine, as the badge on the front grille testifies.

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I should get around to documenting one of these things more closely one of these days. I really like the 607’s shape, and this colour suits it the best.

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We will probably be returning there next weekend. I kind of hope I’ll see something interesting the next time round, too.

[Images: Copyright 2013 Hooniverse/Antti Kautonen]

About

Antti Kautonen

Antti Kautonen

The resident Finn of Hooniverse. Owns old Peugeots and whatnot, writes long thinkpieces on unloved cars. These two facts might be related.

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19 responses to “Seaside Sightings – Cars in Ohtakari”

  1. FreeMan Avatar
    FreeMan

    Maybe it's the angle, but that 607 looks very beige err… Toyota to me.

    Reply
  2. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    A Ford Freestar? Did you warn the owners to dump that turkey before it bankrupts them?

    Reply
    1. Maxichamp Avatar
      Maxichamp

      What's the difference between a Freestar and Windstar?

      Reply
      1. dukeisduke Avatar
        dukeisduke

        The Freestar is newer, has different nameplates and minor front and rear styling tweaks. Mechanically it's a Windstar.

        Reply
      2. wunno sev Avatar
        wunno sev

        one's a windstar so you know it's a POS, and the other one sneaks up on you when you least expect it.

        Reply
  3. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    Does a Volvo Amazon (122S to us here in the US) actually say "Amazon" anywhere on it?

    Reply
    1. julkinen Avatar
      julkinen

      Just numbers, I'm afraid.

      Reply
    2. mdharrell Avatar
      mdharrell

      It depends on the year and (I think) market. Some have the name on the front fenders.
      <img src="http://bildarkiv.hififorum.nu/Amazon/Emblem.jpg&quot; width="450">
      It's just barely visible here, in the location that others say Volvo and/or have numbers:
      <img src="http://bildarkiv.hififorum.nu/Amazon/Amazon3.jpg&quot; width="450">

      Reply
      1. ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq Avatar
        ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq

        The pictures don't load for me, but I thought it only had those emblems on some Scandinavian countries, possibly it was for Norway and Sweden, and for early models. And I think it was spelled Amason, with an S. And Duke, this is crazy, even though mine has 122S (they all were S in US, I think it means it's sporty) on the flanks, it's really a 220 in the numbering scheme like used in the Volvo green books, go figure. Finally Antti, thank you, it was a very pretty Amazon.

        Reply
        1. mdharrell Avatar
          mdharrell

          They spelled it with a Z on the car and in all the sales literature I've seen. Let's try a different photo:
          <img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2275/2342774923_2cc4f3f1a2.jpg&quot; width="450">

          Reply
          1. ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq Avatar
            ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq

            Thanks: http://www.flickr.com/groups/462555@N25/pool/with…

  4. dukeisduke Avatar
    dukeisduke

    What's the temperature there, anyway? I can't imagine any place in Finland being that warm.

    Reply
    1. julkinen Avatar
      julkinen

      70°F next weekend, it seems.

      Reply
      1. dukeisduke Avatar
        dukeisduke

        It's warmer than that here in the morning. The current temperature here is 96°F. I could handle 70, but I'd probably freeze in a pool, unless it's heated.

        Reply
        1. ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq Avatar
          ˏ♂ˊ mzs zsm msz esq

          Here near Chicago a couple days back, I relented and turned the heat on for a little bit, in July.

          Reply
        2. Dean Bigglesworth Avatar
          Dean Bigglesworth

          Hah, over here it is officially a hot day when the highest temperature of the day is over 25,1°C or 77,18°F. 35°C / 95°F is about as hot as it get's, and that's rare. The average temperature in July is about 60°F in the south and 55°F in the north.
          The highest temperature ever recorded was 37,2°C or 98,96 Fahrenheit in June 2010, the previous record of 35,9°C or 96,62 Fahrenheit was from July in 1914!
          The cold record was broken last winter, and that was -38,2°C or -36,76°F. I've been out skiing in similar weather as a kid.

          Reply
        3. Perc Avatar
          Perc

          Finns don't really understand pools, not privately owned ones anyway. What we do understand is how to make use of our lakes and the long coastline. There is usually a sauna involved as well. There is nothing quite like skinny-dipping in 10C water straight from the sauna on a dark night in October. And then quickly back inside, of course. Foreigners (and some of our countrymen) think we are mad but I love it.

          Reply
  5. skitter Avatar
    skitter

    The Grand Cherokee makes me wonder: Did Chrysler take the 'Imported From Detroit' campaign global?

    Reply
    1. Nomandamarinero Avatar
      Nomandamarinero

      Actually Grand Cherokees for foreign consumption were made in Austria by Steyr, don't know if that's the case now.

      Reply