Ockelbo-Lundgren

Who was Ockelbo-Lundgren?

Ockelbo-Lundgren, born Erik Lundgren, first became known during the 1940s when he became known as "Trollkarlen från Ockelbo" when he in a Ford 38 powered by a V8 engine with eight carburettors producing 280 hp participated in several races in speeds up to 220 km/h. He was a forest farmer and car dealer. His father was a blacksmith in Mo By and from him Erik Lundgren got his talent for constructing things. He raced around in various cars, often with his wife Ulla as co-driver.

Erik Lundgren built and sold tuning items and it was during his own experiments he found that plastic was an excellent material for fuel lines. In the mid-1950s he heard about a burned-out Alfa Romeo Giulietta Sprint and got the idea to make his own plastic bodywork for it. He made a fibreglass mould using Uffe Norinder's Ferrari 500 Mondial and then started making his own bodies. They were considered very good and could take many different power plants. The Ockelbo-Ferrari is still made as the Pagano. Teknikens Värld made a story about his car and this piqued the interest of Bengt O Alskog who drew a few suggestions for a hardtop for the body. Later Erik Lundgren was also hired to make plastic boats resulting in Ockelbo-Båtar AB that was in business until 1979.