Welcome Back to the 1990s!

Mobilia announced that its Cars and the Road Museum in Kangasala will host a new themed exhibition, Ysärijysäri, bringing visitors back to the look, feel and everyday phenomena of Finland’s 1990s from 20 March to 8 November 2026.

The press release says the exhibition explores the decade as an era of change and upheaval through vehicles and cultural themes, including a celebration of Finland’s 1995 Ice Hockey World Championship win, a trip-style flea market round, and a look at how the used-car business and car sales evolved during the period.

Mobilia’s exhibition guide Kirsti Lehtomäki describes the early 1990s as a time of deep recession in Finland, with business failures and large-scale job losses, while the decade later became associated with technological transformation—highlighted by Nokia’s rise toward becoming the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturer and a driver of Finland’s economy.

Lehtomäki also points to major changes in road transport. Despite the recession, several large motorway projects were started, and the Helsinki–Tampere motorway is described as Finland’s first major route connecting two of the country’s biggest cities. The release adds that environmental considerations began to affect road building routes, potentially shifting even large projects to protect habitats for protected species and plants, while comfort for drivers improved with roadside rest areas and the first large traffic service stations—some accompanied by artworks.

The exhibition theme also includes how Finland’s vehicle fleet aged during the recession years, as car trading slowed rapidly. Lehtomäki notes that the average age of cars rose from 7.4 years to 10.3 years during the decade, with the Toyota Corolla listed as the best-selling model and most Finns driving just under 10-year-old Western European gasoline cars. The press release states that Ysärijysäri was chosen as the exhibition theme in connection with Mobilia Foundation’s 40th anniversary, which included a name change to Mobili(a) and new museum premises in Kangasala’s Kisaranta.