Bubble Odyssey - In an era when automotive design often feels carefully optimized and predictably polished, there is something irresistibly charming about creations that dare to wander outside the lines. Custom car culture has always thrived on that spirit of rebellion, blending personal imagination with mechanical curiosity. Against this backdrop, one particular machine stands out not only for its bold visual presence but also for the story behind it:
the 1975 Saab 96 known as
the WaSaabi, a remarkable project brought to life by
Marco and
Mico Hämäläinen of Orimattila,
Finland.
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| The 1975 Saab 96 “WaSaabi" by Marco and Mico Hämäläinen. (Picture from: Moottori.fi) |
At first glance,
the WaSaabi looks like it slipped through a time portal from the retro-futuristic visions of the 1950s and 1960s—eras that worshipped chrome rockets, wild color palettes, and dreamlike bubble-topped concepts.
Marco and his son set out with far more modest intentions, planning a traditional custom by chopping the roof of their recently acquired
Saab 96. It was supposed to be a straightforward father-and-son project: disassemble the car, rebuild the engine, adjust the bodywork, give it a fresh personality. But the moment the roof came off, the project changed course entirely. With nothing but sky above the cabin, new ideas began to collide, reshape themselves, and multiply faster than either of them expected.
The centerpiece of this transformation became the bubble top—a dramatic, transparent dome that completely redefines
the Saab’s silhouette. Instead of sourcing specialty materials from afar, the pair looked locally and found exactly what they needed in an unexpected place: a large roof window intended for factories and industrial halls. Cut, shaped, and adapted to fit the car, it became the defining visual signature of
WaSaabi. Suddenly, the once-practical Scandinavian sedan now radiated an exuberant sci-fi presence that captured the imagination of everyone who saw it.
Color played just as vital a role in its reinvention.
Mico, long before the car was even purchased, had already chosen the exact shade he wanted it to wear. True to his vision, he painted the vehicle himself in
a vivid green Metalflake finish that sparkles aggressively under light, punctuated by gleaming gold details. The process took about a year of steady work—disassembling “into atoms,” as they put it, tinkering, redesigning, refining, and fueling the car with fresh waves of enthusiasm.
By the spring of 2021,
the WaSaabi was complete, shimmering like a jewel from a retro comic book.
Its debut came on July 31,
2021, at
Malmi Airport in Helsinki, a fitting place for a car that seems almost ready for liftoff.
And in case the bubble top didn’t emphasize its space-age character enough,
the rear end certainly completed the mood:
a faux thruster paired with a central fin and twin 1959 Cadillac taillights, giving it the posture of a small starship waiting for clearance to take off. The modifications weren’t merely for show; they were playful expressions of the creative freedom that inspired the build from the moment the roof was cut away.
What makes
the WaSaabi especially captivating today is how it bridges multiple eras. It is undeniably rooted in mid-century American custom culture, yet it was constructed in modern Finland using a Swedish car from the 1970s, guided by the imagination of a father and son who grew up in an entirely different automotive landscape. In a world where high-tech electric cars dominate headlines, this handcrafted experiment in creativity serves as a reminder that car culture is as much about personal expression as it is about engineering advancement. Projects like
the WaSaabi preserve the joy of building, dreaming, and reinterpreting history through fresh eyes.
The WaSaabi doesn’t try to blend in. It wasn’t built to follow trends or chase perfection. Instead, it stands as a rolling snapshot of shared curiosity—a family project that expanded far beyond its original blueprint, embracing spontaneity and celebrating the wildness of imagination. As it sits gleaming under the sun, its bubble top catching reflections like a floating glass helmet, it continues to inspire anyone who sees it to imagine what else is possible when creativity is allowed to run just slightly out of hand.
*** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | MOOTTORI.FI | KUSTOMRAMA | ROLLING ART IN FACEBOOK | THINGIES IN FACEBOOK | QUIRKYRIDES IN X ]Note: This blog can be accessed via your smart phone.
