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Children of Bodom is one of the most successful and recognizable Finnish metal bands. Until they disbanded in 2019, the band recorded 10 studio albums and toured relentlessly through Europe, Russia, Asia and North- and South America. In 2020 former frontman Alexi Laiho passed away, closing the chapter of Children of Bodom forever. Alexi Laiho is remembered for his musical prowess, his V-shaped guitars and fedora hats and his love for American cars. In a 2015 interview, Alexi explained how American movies and TV shows helped create his love for American cars:
When I was a kid, my favorite TV show was Knight Rider, and KITT was my favorite car in the world. Ever since, I was like, I have to get one at some point.
As Children of Bodom became more successful, Alexi saved up and bought a Pontiac Firebird, the car from Knight Rider. “It was burgundy red and not black, but still good enough for me. That was my first”. Many others followed and the car-movie connection remained strong. Today, Laiho owns a 1974 Dodge Monaco from the movie Blues Brothers and a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere as seen in the movie Christine and a 1987 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Although many people drive older cars on a weekend-and-sunshine basis, Laiho uses his cars daily in Helsinki. Laiho adds that the Firebird is also well suited for the Finnish winter, when fitted with proper snow tires.
Like many European fans of American cars, Alexi is drawn to the enormous size of both vehicles and engines. They are big, bad, and deliciously decadent, just the right choice for a rock star to stand out from the crowd! He explains how his cars help him relax after a busy day:
When I go cruising around, that’s a form of therapy for me. Let’s say I’m done with a day in the studio, I take one of my cars and go cruising forever, windows down, listening to the V8.
Although he already owns quiet a collection, Alexi still thinks about buying more cars. According to him, the 1969 Dodge Charger is the ultimate American muscle car: It just looks so mean! One day I've got to get one, for sure.
So this is the story of how a Finnish rock star fell in love with American muscle cars.
I recommend you also watch these funny video clips about Alexi's cars!
Cheers! 🍸 🇫🇮 🇺🇸
In this short clip from 2019, you can see Alexi and his Dodge RAM pickup truck, another true American automobile: