Dubai’s Motoring Nostalgia Museum Wows Crowds At Dubai International Motor Show

Everything old is new again. Or at least that’s the case at the Dubai
World Trade Centre’s Za’abeel Hall 1, where the finest collection
of classic and historic cars is gathered under one roof for the Dubai International Motor Show’s inaugural Motoring Nostalgia Museum.
Collectively worth more than AED300 million, the gathering of 80 exotic sports and luxury vehicles represents the pinnacle of motoring
from the 1950s through to the 1980s. The showcase is complemented by an array of themed nostalgia including music from the period and street food trucks to complete a streetscape through the ages. Among those displaying their cars is Wayne Stewart from the Sharjah Classic Cars Club, who says the reception to the Motoring Nostalgia Museum so far has been remarkable. “We’ve been floored by the response. We are trying to do more of these events because we’ve found the interest in classic cars has grown by 3000 per cent since we opened our doors seven years ago,” Mr. Stewart said. Mixed through the menagerie of near priceless cars, master craftsmen are on hand to show off the time forgotten traits of coach building including cobbling, leather stitching, designer Louis Vuitton style luggage and hand painting. Kids and parents alike can be transported onto the iconic Route 66 through Las Vegas with the help of the ‘Green Screen’ photo booth where they can grab a prop, strike a pose and be superimposed into any of their favourite classic cars. In full swing next to the street food trucks is live entertainment every day and night from the resident bands bringing the golden age of music back to the main stage. Among the stars of the show, there’s a stunning example of the first Lamborghini road car, the 350GTV sitting next to the bewinged Countach while the classic 1948 Mark VI Bentley shares space with the ultra-rare BMW 2002 Turbo. Tomini Classics have also loaned cars including a Ferrari Dino Spyder and a 12-Cylinder 512BB Boxer, as well as Toyota’s most valuable car, the 1967 2000GT that is now worth nearly AED 4.5 million. “It’s been excellent,” said Mr. Assyl Yacine, Sales Associate of Tomini Classics. “The Dubai World Trade Centre has built these beautiful display stands for our premium cars with wonderful historic backgrounds and it’s been lovely. The visitors know what they are looking at as well, they are very knowledgeable and it’s great to see there are some proper historic petrolheads in this part of the world.” There’s also a vast collection of American classics on loan from Dr. Mohammed ben Sulayem from the 1950s, including the classic 1959 Cadillac Eldorado convertible to the iconic Corvette Stingray of the 1970s.