I was in a Malmo hotel last week (Sweden). Already six years ago I noticed this plaque with names of famous guests in the lobby. Among them Ronnie.
Next to the wrong spelling of his family name, I found the place rather peculiar. Why would Ronnie stay in Malmo?

Maybe it's this guy instead? Have no idea if this Ronnie is famous or not...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Pettersson

It looks like it's the correct spelling, but a different celebrity altogether.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronnie_Pettersson

It is probably the Ronnie Peterson. You can spell Peterson in several different ways. If you just heard the name in Swedish, you would spell it "Pettersson". But then the different Pettersson's want their name spelled in different ways. His father Bengt was usually named as Bengt Pettersson, when he raced in the early Fifties. But I don't know when it became Peterson.
Why would it be so strange if Ronnie would stay in Malmö? There could be many reasons. I think there were a Motor show there a couple of times. In early 1973 Ronnie travelled directly from Brazil to the "Mera Motor" show in Malmö for instance. And didn't Staffan Svenby live in Malmö...?

I agree with Tomas as most other celebrities are from the time before, during and after Ronnie raced. It would be peculiar that this young Ice Hockey player would be mentioned on this list (I guess there are no other ice hockey players on this list). Also I know that Peterson was spelled Petterson at times (most often pronounced that way).
For me it seemed strange as Malmo is just across the bridge from Copenhagen. Or could he have used the Malmo airport? Or would he fly from Copenhagen?

Where does Copenhagen come into the equation? If he visisted Malmö, he probably would have stayed in Malmö too. There were no bridge to Copenhagen in those days.

Indeed, but was Malmo airport in use or only military?

Malmö is Sweden's third biggest town and have of course an airport. The first, Bulltofta, opened in 1923. Bulltofta was closed in 1972 and the new airport at Sturup took over.
Kastrup at Copenhagen is a bigger airport, but there have always been a lot of traffic between the Danish and the Swedish airports. And if you landed at Kastrup, you had also the option to take a fast ferry across to Malmö (that was before the bridge...).

Before the bridge was built, Malmo-Copenhagen was the most direct ferry route to and from Sweden; even coming from Germany it would have been quickest to go to Denmark (Puttgarten-Rodbyhaven) and then to Malmo, so probably the starry hotel guest-list is mainly composed of people just arrived by a late-night ferry or who are catching the first boat next day.

Paul M

I think the residents of Malmö would have been offended by that explination. Everything isn't happening in Stockholm. The artists and celebrities have most probably all been visiting Malmö, while doing some sort of show or performance. There is absolutely nothing strange about that. Although Malmö is a big city (in Sweden anyway), there probably haven't been that many hotels that would have suited these stars.
Gothenburg, that I know a lot better, have two or three hotels that's used when big celebs, like George Bush or Bruce Springsteen, visit the town.

And, of course, Ring Knutstorp is not too far away from Malmø.

In fact the plaque hangs in the lobby of the Savoie hotel in Malmo. Once a classy hotel near the railway station but still with stylish interior (and restaurant and bar). Nowadays part of a modern chain of hotels. But nice to stay. Indeed there are more hotels in Malmo. There is a lot of activity going on there.
What non-Swedes overlook is the sheer length of the country. Hence my misplaced surprise of Ronnie's stay. "Why didn't he drive back to Orebro?" It is just 500km down the road.

He might have stayed here while he raced at Knutstorp, like Sept. 1 1974 (Kvallpostens Newsrace, works BMW CSL). That's not too far away.

Nice to see Brigitte Bardot appearing in two threads in quick succession. Now she is definitely worth arguing about...

Edward