Power Big Meet
{{short description|Car meet-up in Lidköping, Sweden}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
Power Big Meet (sometimes shortened "Power Meet") is a classic car show held in Lidköping, Sweden, for American cars (especially those from the 1950s and 1960s). It is held each summer during the first weekend of July and is a major event for people who hold an interest for old American cars from all over the world. While initially held Friday to Sunday, it has been changed to Thursday to Saturday.
Power Big Meet is one of the biggest car events in the world. Every year between 55 and 75 thousand people visit Power Big Meet to look at other and show their own cars at Hovby airfield in Lidköping.
The Power Big Meet began in 1978,{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/03/automobiles/detroit-love-swedish-style.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140803100941/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/03/automobiles/detroit-love-swedish-style.html | work=The New York Times | archive-date=3 August 2014 | title=Detroit Love, Swedish Style| author=Tenold, Vegas | date=1 August 2014}} and celebrated its largest crowd on record ever in 2007 during its 30th gathering.
During the Power Big Meet 2004 the police reported that an estimated 12,000 cars had participated in the festivities, breaking all previous records. During 2014 17,000 cars participated and 200,000 visitors showed up.
The 2017 Power Big Meet in Lidköping drew approximately 22,000 automobiles.{{Cite news|url=http://bigmeet.com/tre-fantastiska-dagar-lidkoping/|title=TRE FANTASTISKA DAGAR I LIDKÖPING!|date=10 July 2017|work=Power Big Meet|access-date=11 July 2017|language=sv-SE}} Despite this, the newly instated Västerås Summer Meet only saw a minor decrease of cars and visitors compared to the previous year.
Move to Lidköping and Västerås Summer Meet
The night of 8 July 2016, during Power Big Meet, Kjell "Kjelle Power" Gustafsson was robbed while carrying over 1 million SEK in cash that were supposed to be deposited at a nearby bank,{{Cite news|url=http://www.vlt.se/vastmanland/vasteras/ran-pa-power-meet-1|title=Rån på Power meet|work=vlt.se|access-date=11 July 2017|language=sv}} something he had done the previous 30 years.{{Cite news|url=http://www.vlt.se/motor/bil/hotet-nu-lagger-han-ner-power-meet-3|title=Hotet: Nu lägger han ner Power Meet!|work=vlt.se|access-date=11 July 2017|language=sv}} According to Gustafsson, who owns the Power Big Meet trademark, there would be no more Power Big Meet, and the only ones who would be able to arrange it, besides himself, would be "Jesus and his buddies".{{Cite news|url=http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article23155843.ab|title=Slut för Power Meet i Västerås|work=Aftonbladet|access-date=11 July 2017}} A few days later Klas "Brinken" Brink, a local entrepreneur who had been a part of the Power Big Meet team for 15 years, hoping that Gustafsson would have a change of heart, booked the airfield for a 2017 car meet. After a week of silence from Gustafsson about Power Big Meet, Brink stated in the press that he was prepared to save PBM{{Cite news|url=http://www.vlt.se/vastmanland/vasteras/entreprenoren-som-vill-radda-power-meet-2|title=Entreprenören som vill rädda Power Meet|work=vlt.se|access-date=11 July 2017|language=sv}} and hoped that Gustafsson would join him and make the 40th Power Big Meet something special. Gustafsson stated that the booking of the airfield was an act of treason, and that Brink would be unable to organize anything as big as Power Big Meet.{{Cite news|url=http://www.vlt.se/vastmanland/vasteras/fullt-krig-om-nasta-ars-power-meet-1|title=Fullt krig om nästa års Power Meet|work=vlt.se|access-date=11 July 2017|language=sv}} He also claimed that Brink had used the Power Big Meet brand without permission, threatening him with a lawsuit. As of July 2017, no suit has been filed.
On 19 July Gustafsson apparently changed his mind, stating there would indeed be a Power Big Meet in Västerås 2017, on the condition that Brink, one of the contacts between PBM, its sponsors and the city of Västerås, would not be allowed to get involved in any way whatsoever.{{Cite news|url=http://www.vlt.se/vastmanland/vasteras/svanger-det-blir-power-meet|title=Svänger: Det blir Power Meet|work=vlt.se|access-date=11 July 2017|language=sv}}
On 30 October, Gustafsson confirmed a recent rumor that Power Big Meet would move to Lidköping, stating that the event had outgrown the Johannisberg airfield.{{Cite news|url=http://www.vlt.se/vastmanland/vasteras/bekraftat-power-big-meet-flyttar-fran-vasteras-johannisberg-ar-for-litet|title=Bekräftat: Power Big Meet flyttar från Västerås – "Johannisberg är för litet"|work=vlt.se|access-date=11 July 2017|language=sv}}{{Cite news|url=http://bigmeet.com/power-big-meet-i-lidkoping-6-8-juli-2017/|title=POWER BIG MEET I LIDKÖPING 6–8 JULI 2017!|date=31 October 2016|work=Power Big Meet|access-date=11 July 2017|language=sv-SE}} Brink then started working on bringing a car meet to Västerås,{{Cite news|url=http://www.vlt.se/vastmanland/vasteras/klas-brink-utlovar-biltraff-i-vasteras-aven-2017-men-den-maste-heta-nagot-annat|title=Klas Brink utlovar bilträff i Västerås även 2017 – "men den måste heta något annat"|work=vlt.se|access-date=11 July 2017|language=sv}} and following a public poll the name of this meet was decided 2 November: Västerås Summer Meet.{{Cite news|url=http://www.vlt.se/vastmanland/vasteras/klart-sa-ska-nya-power-meet-heta|title=Klart: Så ska "nya Power meet" heta|work=vlt.se|access-date=11 July 2017|language=sv}}
Gallery
Image:Johannisberg Camping during Power Big Meet 2005 15.jpg|A 1961 Lincoln Continental.
Image:Pontiac at Power Big Meet 2005.jpg|A 1959 Pontiac Starchief 4DHT.
Image:Red Pontiac at Power Big Meet 2005.jpg|1966 Pontiac Tempest 23717.
Image:White Cadillac with flames at Power Big Meet 2005.jpg|White Cadillac with flames
Image:60's car, unknown model and a raggare at Power Big Meet 2005.jpg|A 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle 13569.
External links
{{commons category|Power Big Meet}}
- [http://www.bigmeet.com/ Official website]
- [http://www.classicnation.com/blog/view/979 Power Big Meet information]