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Stamps and collecting

7 October 2017 – Norwegian cars

In total, 13 different Norwegian car manufacturers have thrown their hat in the ring between 1906 and today.
NK1966
NK1966 – Mustad "Giganten", 1917

 

NK1967
NK1967 – Bjering, 1921
NK1968
NK1968 – Troll, 1956
NK1969
NK1969 – Think City A266, 1998

 

Four of these cars have now become stamps. Mustad “The Giant”, 1917 Hans Clarin Hovind Mustad from Gjøvik built the car depicted on the stamp, “The Giant”, but he built only one. The name said it all. The car had six wheels with brakes and power to all four back wheels. The front pair of back wheels could pivot, much like buses today. After rebuilding the car in 1927, it had room for 12 passengers and could reach a top speed of 110 km/hour.

Bjering, 1922 This car was also developed in Gjøvik. Hans Christian Bjering mainly had winter roads in mind when he designed this car. It was only one meter wide, with room for a driver in the back and one passenger in the front. The front wheel could be switched out for a runner, with the idea that the car would be used on narrow and poorly ploughed winter roads. The conditions of the roads in the winter improved over time, thus reducing the need for a car like the Bjering. It therefore never made it to mass production, as had been intended.

Troll, 1956 The Troll car from Lunde in Telemark emerged as the country rebuilt itself after the war. In Norway, access to new cars was so limited that it was necessary to apply for a permit to buy one. Engineer Per Kohl-Larsen returned home after several years in Africa and had the idea of building Norwegian cars that did not require a permit to buy. The problems mounted, both in terms of technology and financing, and when the Troll factory declared bankruptcy in 1958, it had only managed to produce five cars.

Think, 1999 In 1972 inventor Lars Ringdal developed a city car concept and produced two prototypes. The idea did not take off then, but in the 1980s the plans were dusted off and new prototypes were produced. 16 Think cars were driving around downtown Lillehammer during the 1994 Olympics. Another 120 were produced in 1995–96 for testing. The breakthrough came in 1999 when Ford bought 51 percent of the shares. More than 1,000 Think Classics had been built at the factory in Aurskog when production stopped in 2002. The new Think City was taken into production in 2006, but the definitive end was reached after 460 were produced.

Facts:

NK 1966-1969
Type: Coil + miniature sheet
Artist/Designer: Enzo Finger