Swedish Volvo dealer Jakob Walfridson is a bit of a national celebrity. Now he has won two cars from the competitor he won't touch.
Car dealer Jakob Walfridson from Torsby in Värmland got a surprise when, on his 38th birthday, he finally got a forgotten Lotto ticket corrected.
He had won not just one, but two cars in a double ticket. However, the prize quickly proved to be a dilemma, as the cars were Volkswagens.
"Volvo is something that's in your blood. I'll never drive anything else," says Jakob Walfridson NWT .
His loyalty to Volvo is not surprising. Jakob comes from a well-known family of Volvo dealers.
His grandfather, Helmer Walfridson, founded Helmia Bil, and Jakob spent his childhood in the family car business. Although he now works primarily as an ICA dealer, he is still involved in Helmia Bil as a board member.
– I've been involved since I was little. It started with my grandfather, and I grew up with my father. I was involved in the garage from an early age, from when I was seven or eight years old.
– I've had five Volvos, never any other brand. The first was a V50, says Jakob.
The lottery ticket that Jakob had bought ahead of a Bingolotto night lay forgotten on the kitchen table for over a month. It was only when his mother found it on his birthday that the big win was discovered.
– It was my mother who saw that I had lottery tickets on the kitchen table that I hadn't corrected. She looked at them and told me that I won a car.
– People were completely shocked, and then I had to sit down and take it all in, says the 38-year-old car dealer.
Now Jakob Walfridson is left with two brand new Volkswagen T-Crosses worth over half a million Swedish kronor, which he refuses to drive. The cars have not yet been delivered, as it can take up to 30 days.
– There will be a form of sale here, says Jakob Walfridson about what will happen to the cars.
For Jakob Walfridson, Volvo is more than just a car brand – it's part of his identity and history. And while he may have dreamed of winning a Volvo, it has actually happened to others.
However, it required millions of kilometers in an old 740. Read more about it here .