Chrome Dreams — Oslo Motor Show 2025

The Oslo Motor Show is always loud, bright, and full of energy — but this year, it felt like the whole thing ran on nostalgia. Maybe it’s because everything around us is going electric, or maybe because there’s something about chrome and carburetors that still feels more alive.

I came without expectations — just my Panasonic Lumix S5IIx paired with the Voigtländer Nokton 35mm f/1.2 IV, ready to chase reflections, colors, and the small moments that make big machines feel human.

From the moment I walked in, it was sensory overload — polished metal, roaring engines from show runs outside, kids climbing into simulators, and the unmistakable smell of tire rubber mixed with popcorn. But once the crowd noise faded into background blur, the real beauty of the show revealed itself in the details — in the stories built into each car, each paint job, each owner’s smile.

Retro Pulse

The first thing that stopped me was a deep purple 1969 Dodge Charger R/T, the kind of car that doesn’t just sit quietly — it owns the floor. Its engine bay was cleaner than most kitchens, with chrome parts reflecting the overhead lights like liquid fire. Nearby, a bright yellow Fiat 500 reminded everyone that fun doesn’t need 600 horsepower.

That contrast summed up the entire show for me — brute force parked next to simplicity. You could feel the history in these cars, not just in their design but in the fingerprints of the people who restored them. Some looked museum-ready, others proudly wore their scars. Each one told a different story.

Modern Machines

Of course, the modern side of the show was impossible to ignore. EVs and hybrids lined the halls, glowing with LED accents and futuristic dashboards. A Porsche Taycan stood there like a spaceship in a sea of nostalgia — silent, sleek, and coldly perfect.

But the real crowd magnet wasn’t the future. It was the McLaren MP4/4, Ayrton Senna’s legendary Formula 1 car — still wearing its Marlboro colors, still looking faster than anything else in the room. Just seeing it up close gave me chills. Right beside it was a Mercedes F1 car from the early 2000s, the era when speed met elegance.

And in between all that heritage and technology, there were the dreamers — the Gatebil racers, the drift builds, the low-slung BMWs with yellow headlights and too much personality for their own good.

The Stories in Between

My favorite part of events like this isn’t the cars. It’s the stories that sneak into the corners — the suitcases strapped to a vintage Porsche 911, the toy Road Runner glued to a dashboard, the little boy pretending to race a mini-bike. Those are the details that stay with me.

There was a rusty Volkswagen Beetle parked in a “vintage camping” setup, complete with an old metal trailer, lanterns, and fake leaves on the floor. It looked like it drove straight out of a Wes Anderson film. A few meters away, someone was repairing a remote-controlled drift car with the focus of a brain surgeon — cowboy tattoo on his arm, kid watching every move in awe.

That’s the real charm of these shows. Behind every polished car, there’s someone with grease under their nails and a story that could fill a lifetime.

Worth Every Click

The Lumix S5IIx + Voigtländer 35mm f/1.2 combo was perfect for this. Fast enough to handle the weird lighting, sharp enough to capture every reflection, and still small enough not to draw attention. The lens flared beautifully under the show lights — not the kind of clean perfection you’d get from modern glass, but something more organic, more alive.

I shot everything handheld, wide open most of the time. You know the best part? Every single image is straight out of camera. Yeah, I’m just as amazed. It’s honestly brilliant how easy it is to use my Lightroom presets as LUTs on the Lumix — a few custom tweaks in-camera and the colors pop exactly how I like them. Damn, technology can be beautiful 🤪.

Reflections

Walking out of the exhibition hall, I thought about how car culture has shifted. We’re entering an era where noise and vibration are being replaced by silence and efficiency. And yet, the crowd around the Charger or that old Beetle was ten times thicker than around any EV booth. There’s a reason for that — emotion doesn’t fade with time, it just finds new forms.

Maybe that’s why I go to shows like this. Not for the specs or the horsepower numbers, but to feel that connection — between the past, the people, and the machines that once defined freedom.

Scroll down for a few of my favorite frames from the day. There’s chrome, there’s noise, and maybe a little bit of nostalgia in every shot.

The Gear I Used