Vintage car show takes enthusiasts on a trip back in time

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Joelyn Baluyut | The Peninsula

Doha: Sixteen vintage cars are being exhibited at“Al Baraha Classic Cars Showroom” at Barahat Msheireb Downtown Doha. 

The show, which runs until April 11, was opened by Gulf Qatari Classic Car Association Vice-President, Omar Hussain Alfardan; Msheireb Museums Director Dr. Hafiz Ali; Turkish Ambassador H E Mehmet Mustafa Göksu; Italian Ambassador H E Alessandro Prunas; and other officials and dignitaries.

In a statement, Gulf Qatari Classic Car Association's Chairman of the Board of Directors, sheikh Faisal bin Qassim Al Thani, said:“We are elated to witness the steady and rapid development and elevation of the Al Baraha Classic Car Show.”

“It has surely become an invaluable asset in the arsenal of the cultural sector in our country, and it needs to be supported and preserved, so that it can continue to thrive and expand, both locally and internationally,” he added.

Holding the exhibit at Msheireb“revitalises our national belonging and heritage of what we drove and what we had during that era,” said Omar Hussain Alfardan on the sidelines of the event. 

Turkish Ambassador Mehmet Mustafa Göksu; Italian Ambassador Alessandro Prunas; Gulf Qatari Classic Car Association Vice-President, Omar Hussain Alfardan and others during the inauguration of the show. Pic: Salim Matramkot/The Peninsula

He said Msheireb is the centre of Doha for all businesses and the time he spent as a young child in Msheireb, driving with the cars from 1960s and 1970s brings that same feeling at it was decades before.“Msheireb is becoming the centre of Doha for art in general and of course classic cars and cars of that era complement this terminology so for sure this accumulates. If you go to a fashion show, to a restaurant, you go by car, automatically — a car is part of you going out, just like you carry a bag, or wear a nice shoes, you go on a beautiful car,” he said.

Alfardan said this kind of exhibit will attract tourists.“When we started this journey with Gulf Qatari Classic Car Association, we had a limited number of cars, but then with time, we attracted more members. Now we have 3,000-4,000 classic cars [that] are available in the market, and it increases every day.”

Alfardan revealed that they will plan two more exhibitions in the coming months and a bigger event will soon be announced. Recently, the Association participated in the outdoor car exhibit at the National Museum of Qatar which will conclude today.

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Furthermore, he said all cars are“masterpieces” and the display of vintage cars is“for people to remember the era, to remember what happened during that time.” 

Preview as old as a 1958 Chevrolet Corvette is at the exhibit, and the latest is a 1982 Mercedes Benz 450 SLC. 

The most powerful and fastest car on display is a 1986 Porsche 935 Kremer K2 (street version) with a 462 horsepower (HP). Meanwhile the car with the lowest HP is a 1971 FIAT 500 L with only 13 HP which was from Italy.

Among the other cars are 1963 Pontac with 345 HP, 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor, 1967 Jaguar MK II 3.4 Saloon, 1968 442, 1971 FIAT 500 L, 1971 Mercedes Benz S600, 1972 Mercedes Benz 280 SL, 1974 BMW – Baur Cabriolet, 1972 Chevrolet Corvette, 1978 Land Rover – Range Rover, 1976 Rolls Royce – Silver Shadow, 1982 Mercedes Benz 450 SLC, and 1980 Wild Cat.

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