(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Two Ferraris, a Corvette Stingray and an Aston Martin DB6 were among the prize winners of the seventh edition of the Emirates Classic Car Festival held in Downtown Dubai.
More than 350 participating vehicles stood the chance to win awards in a number of categories, including the UAE Award, The Dubai Award, Classic Truck Award, Pre-World War II Award, Heritage Car Award, Modern Classic Award, American Car Award, as well as the People's Choice and Best in Show Awards.
The Best in Show Award was given to a 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Boano, which British sports commentator Toby Moody said reminds him of the films of the 1950s. "What a marvelous car," Moody said of the winner. "You could just imagine being Humphrey Bogart driving along with Audrey Hepburn in that."
A panel of international judges assessed each car on a variety of criteria such as upkeep, value and originality.
Judge Suhail Marar said rarer cars were most likely to catch the attention of the panel of judges.
"You can't compare apples and oranges, that's why we had different categories. But a rare car, which was expensive then, has only become more rare and expensive over time," he said. "We were especially looking for original cars that have been cared for and well-kept by their owners."
Ronald Powell, the owner of a restored 1966 Aston Martin DB6 Roadster which won the Best Recreation Award, said he gets excited when someone recognises the beauty of his car.
"Old people, young people, everyone loves this car. That's the good thing," Powell said. "People wave and give me a thumbs up when I drive by. It's just such a thrill."
Some car owners, such as Aziz Mutwalli, the Iraqi-American owner of a 1987 Ferrari 328 GTS which won the "Modern Classic Award", said they were surprised to be among those singled out for awards.
"I'm very honoured they found my car to be worthy. I was really surprised," Mutwalli said. "But it's just a beautiful car. The Italians have always been great at making cars that look incredibly sexy."
Saudi Khalid Nouh, whose rare 1963 Corvette Stingray won the award for Best American Car, said the cars on display demonstrate more style than the modern luxury cars seen on the streets of the UAE nowadays.
"There is simply no comparison," Nouh said. "It's an amazing feeling. Designers used to dictate how the car would be, how it would look. Not how economical or practical it would be. That's the main difference between then and now."
Suhail Marar lauded the festival as a great success and said car enthusiasts should expect "bigger and better things" in the future.
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