Classic Beauties on A Roll

The Sharjah Old Cars Club and Museum is in top gear these days, with its ‘vintage’ collection getting a new lease of life. Their badges on bonnets beam as they grin from gear to gear. Wide-eyed headlights stare at you in the sprawling hall.

by

Allan Jacob

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Published: Sat 21 Feb 2009, 1:48 AM

Last updated: Thu 2 Apr 2015, 8:17 AM

You can sniff paint while watching the bevy of collectors’ beauties from another era. In an age of makeovers, they deserve one too, don’t you think?

ALL REVVED UP: Ahmed Mohamed Rashid Al Jarwan finds old is indeed goldAt the Sharjah Old Cars Club and Museum near the Sharjah Airport, 120 cars from the past seem to have a blast. Workers give them divided attention as they dust, wipe, polish and jazz them up for display. More will be added to the collection of this non-profit government museum next month, which will house one of the largest vintage and classic car collections in the region.

On Valentine’s Day, seven of the museum’s classics drove out to the Coral Beach Resort to romance the yesteryears, pumping some heart into those early V8 and V12 engines as they rolled past an excited audience.

Costumes and cars mingled that evening. Engines purred, sometimes sputtered to leave exhaust fumes suspended in the air over the lawns. It was nostalgia for some through the smoke and curiosity for others, but the iconic symbols of the tarmac only seemed to blush in the flush of attention as shutterbugs flashed.

Appreciative glances that the classics garner on such promotional outings have enthused Ahmed Mohamed Rashid Al Jarwan, chairman of the club and museum, and Mubarak Hassan Al Janahi, the director. Events like these spawned awareness on vehicles from another age. “We hope to get the community involved, to treasure history and trivia on wheels,’’ says Ahmed, who is also a Board Member of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Buicks, Plymouths, Dodges, Fords, Rolls Royces, Fiats, Volkswagens, Citroens: it’s an eclectic mix of soul-stirring machines from Europe and the United States under one roof. They date from 1917 to the late seventies and 95 per cent of them are in running condition.

For those who came in late, Vintage Era cars span the years 1916 to 1928, while Classics are those manufactured between 1925-1948. Sporty, speedy and muscular machines of the sixties like the Pontiac, Triumph, Chevrolet SS, Buick GS and Dodge Charger RT also strut their stuff here.

“A classic car for us is a model before 1969, perhaps with the exception of a Ford Mustang, an all-time special,’’ explains Ahmed, who puts the past into perspective while Mubarak nods in silent agreement.

Ahmed’s passion for wheels is evident but he knows this is a road less travelled in the Middle East. “I have been afflicted by this malady since childhood,’’ laughs the aircraft engineer, who is happy staying grounded in his beloved Sharjah with his dream project, the seed which he helped sow in 2000.

The idea gained ground by 2005 when land for the museum and club was allocated by His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah and Member of the UAE’s Supreme Council. Work on the building began soon afterwards and was completed in 2008. The grand machines have quietly moved into their new home since then even as finishing touches to the building interiors are being given for the March opening this year. A full array of 200 restored cars will be on rotational display later.

“His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi takes personal interest in all museums, including the old car museum which would not have been possible without help from the government of Sharjah,’’ says Ahmed. Nurturing this dream since childhood and now watching it unfold before his eyes has given him a sense of pride in Sharjah’s elevation as the cultural hub in the UAE. Restoring and displaying old automobiles is a work in progress. “We have only laid the foundation. Future generations will take it forward. Who knows, they may do it better than us,’’ he says.

The club offers annual memberships at Dhs 1,500 for men, Dhs 1,000 for women and Dhs 500 for students. It now has 100 members on its rolls.

Members can use facilities like the conference hall, leisure and reading rooms. They can also display their cars at the museum for free and get them repaired at the club’s special garage at rates much cheaper than those charged by private garages. The garage uses original parts as far as possible acquiring them from the US and Europe. Any part that is not available is carefully recreated by their in-house technicians.

The club also helps collectors register their vehicles with the Sharjah Traffic and Licensing Department. About 20 cars are registered through the club every month making them fit for the road, according to Mubarak.

International auctions are also on the radar and the automobile body seeks tie-ups with car dealers all over the world to buy and display the classics at the museum.

Out in the garage, Ahmed’s eyes light up as he watches the fuel lines of his favourite Packard V12 from 1939 being fixed. Mechanics work on the machines with gloved, skilled hands. A ’60s Pontiac nestled in a corner has been carefully stripped of its parts to restore it to its former glory beginning with a pale shade of green. There’s engine work to do, upholstery to strap up and wiring to get started.

Sharjah, it seems, is setting the pace for automobile art in the region. So sit back and buckle up for a memo-rable drive.

allan@khaleejtimes.com


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