Custom Motor Show 2026 – Folk festival, premiere feeling and success for the live auctions in Hall A

An obvious meeting point for the motor hobby

The Custom Motor Show is about so much more than just vehicles. It is the kick-off to the season, a place where the entire motor hobby meets and where inspiration, technology, passion and community come together under one roof. Jönköping has been the show's natural home since the start, and it is noticeable that the event has grown far beyond its roots. What once began as a meeting for custom car enthusiasts has today developed into an international meeting place that brings together visitors from all over Sweden and large parts of Europe.

Saturday once again showed why it is seen as the show's big highlight. The halls were filled with a massive crowd, and together with the big profiles, the notable builds and the packed outdoor program, it created that special feeling that only the Custom Motor Show can deliver. Here, visitors got to experience everything from the year's most talked-about vehicles to drifting, stunt driving and classic crowd favorites like "Påskbrännet".

Photo: Mona Tallberg @snabbfotat_666

A new feature that created a buzz in Hall A

For us, this year's fair was extra special. At our stand in Hall A, we introduced a new feature in the form of live auctions on site – and the response was just as strong as we had hoped, perhaps even stronger. 

During the days, large crowds of curious visitors gathered around the cars on display. Many stayed for a long time, examined the details, talked to each other and followed the auctions with excitement until the very end. It quickly became clear that the live auctions added something completely extra to the fair experience. It wasn't just the vehicles themselves that attracted attention, but the very nerve of the bidding. 

Being able to stand in the middle of the action and feel the pulse as the bids ticked up created an energy that was contagious throughout the stand.

When auction becomes an experience

The beauty of live auctions in an environment like the Custom Motor Show is that they combine two worlds that fit together perfectly: the passionate enthusiasm for the vehicles and the intense emotion of an ongoing auction. Visitors didn’t just see the cars in pictures or read about them from a distance, but experienced them for real – on site, in the right environment, surrounded by like-minded enthusiasts. 

This was also noticeable in the results. The majority of the cars were sold during the show, and several of the buyers were actually there to experience the drama live for themselves. This gave the auctions an extra dimension and clearly showed how strong the interest is when the right object is presented in the right context.

One of our recurring sellers Per from Stromiq.se congratulates the new owner, who was on site, on his 1976 Porsche 911 Targa Flachbau.

This 1991 Audi S2 Abt was one of the cars where the highest bidder was on hand to experience the pulse of the live auction. Congratulations on a hugely cool car! 

Bidding battles that captured the entire stand

One of the most telling stories of the weekend was about a BMW M5 Touring that attracted enormous attention and invited a real bidding war. A total of 78 bids were placed before the auction finally closed at a whopping 542,875 SEK. That says a lot about both the demand and the commitment to the car – but also about the appeal that the live auctions actually had during the fair. As if that weren’t enough, the buyer wasn’t even in Sweden to begin with. Immediately after winning the auction, he boarded a flight from Holland to travel to Jönköping to pick up his new BMW, a story that captures exactly the passion and spontaneity that characterizes this world.

But the BMW was far from alone in getting the pulse racing at the stand. There was also a lot of excitement around the black 1976 Porsche 911 Targa Flachbau, which attracted great interest and was heavily bid on during the fair. After a whopping 68 bids, the final price stood at 439,675 SEK. There too, it became clear how strong the combination is of the right car, the right audience and a live format where each new bid is felt both in the air and in the bodies of those following the auction on site.

Immediately after the bidding ended, the buyer boarded a plane from Holland to Jönköping to pick up his new BMW M5 Touring.

Two of the cars, a 2002 Toyota Celica APR GT300 and "Doc Hudson's" 1950 Hudson Pacemaker Brougham, were on display at the popular Asecs shopping center in Jönköping to promote the Custom Motor Show. Both items were sold without reserve.

A fair to remember – and a format to build on

When the grand prize-giving ceremony was held in the Dag Hammarskjöld Hall on the afternoon of Boxing Day and this year's edition officially came to an end, it was clear that the Custom Motor Show 2026 was another great success. For our part, we take with us not only the impressions of a fantastic fair, but also the confirmation that live auctions on site are a format that truly engages. 

Seeing so many curious visitors gather at the stand, following the auctions with excitement and experiencing the cars up close made this year's presence something truly special. The combination of the energy of the fair, the enthusiasm of the audience and the strong sales results gave us a memory to last a lifetime – and a clear feeling that this is just the beginning.

This beautiful 1965 Ford Mustang GT Convertible was also picked up on site by a new happy owner.

We've only just begun

We are already looking forward to next year's edition of the Custom Motor Show. But first, one of the best periods of the year awaits: spring and summer, with all that it entails in terms of meetings, events and new encounters around the country. That is where our full focus lies now – and we are more excited than ever.

See you on the roads and meetings!

Tomas Jönsson, Marketing Manager

Were you at the Custom Motor Show? Tell us in the comments what you thought of this year's show?