Ove Andersson - Early Life

Early Life

Andersson was born in Uppsala and grew up on a remote farm. His father bought a 98cc motorbike, and Andersson said this was where he first fell in love with speed and machinery. He went on to begin studying engineering in Uppsala, and also began marshalling ice races. He dropped his engineering course and began working as an apprentice to a blacksmith in the city. He then went on to work in a car repair shop, the owner of which encouraged Ove to begin racing after showing him his skills with a motorbike.

In 1958, Andersson completed his military service with the UN peace-keeping force on the Gaza Strip. During this service he survived typhoid and a fire. Upon returning home he attempted to rejoin the UN but with little success. A friend encouraged him to join him on a rally, on which the pairing finished in 6th place. Local rally drivers saw that he had potential, but as Ove had little money he could not afford to race. His friend Bengt Soderstrom became a Saab factory rally driver, and Andersson was able to borrow parts to make his car more competitive. The UN eventually offered him the opportunity to serve in the Congo, but he turned it down to concentrate on his rallying career