Drammen`s Car

 

The Drammen Car: Norway’s been buildin’ cars for a long time, just on a small scale. But these last 30–40 years, Norwegian car‑buildin’ has gotten a bit more attention, even if it ain’t what it used to be. Most folks have heard ’bout Pivco — the ones who made the PIV1, PIV2, PIV3 and the City Bee — and later on the Think cars like the Think City MK1 and MK2. They even had the Think OX and a little Think bus, though those last two never made it past the concept stage.

And sure enough, a whole lotta people know ’bout the Buddy Electric story — the Norwegian buy‑up of the Danish Kewet Buddy that later turned into the Norwegian Buddy Electric. But none of those, maybe ’cept for the Pivco stuff, can really be called vintage rides today.

What most folks don’t know, though, is that back in the 1980s — all the way up to ’93–’94 — there was a test project down in Drammen to build a Norwegian family car. A big ol’ van based on the Volvo 850 and the Chrysler Voyager. But they only ended up buildin’ two of ’em: one five‑seater and one cargo van.

Those cars eventually got the nickname ‘the Drammen Car,’ ’cause that’s where the founders came from. The company was called Norsk Bilproduksjon AS — NBP — and it ran from 1986 to 1993.

One of those Drammen Cars got restored between 2014 and 2023 and put back on Norwegian plates by the Motorhistorisk Klubb Drammen, so it can cruise the roads again. It’s now part of the Motorhistorisk Senter out on Burud in Øvre Eiker.

Far as I’m concerned, the Drammen Car is badass. Would’ve been mighty cool if somebody picked up that project again here in the 2020s. But the original Drammen Car from the early ’90s — that thing’s a straight‑up relic. A relic, you heard me right!