The seventh edition of the Emirates Classic Car Festival organised by Emaar Properties and the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Culture, Youth, & Community Development, welcomed thousands of classic car lovers and a strong turnout of family visitors, who were treated to an unprecedented array of classic cars and motorbikes, some from as early as the 1920s, and yet in mint condition.
At the closing ceremony, Emaar honoured the winners of the festival, chosen on the basis of several criteria including the upkeep of the vehicles, value, originality, uniqueness, finishes, and visual aesthetics. The public also had the opportunity to select their favourite classic car of choice.
Ahmad Al Falasi, Executive Director – Group Operations of Emaar Properties and Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of ATCUAE, along with the official judges of the event, presented the awards to the owners of the winning cars.
A 1952 model Jaguar XK 120 OTS owned by Wael Buheiry received the FIVA passport, the first passport ID in the UAE handed by the ATCUAE, the official representative of the ‘Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA), the world-wide authority for historic vehicles. The FIVA passport provides details about the vehicle and its history, including engine, gear box, body and number sequences. It will also open doors for the car’s participation in historical events and classic rallies around the world such as Mille Miglia 2016, if chosen by the event’s selection committee.
The winners in various categories include: The Best in Show Award (Imtiaz Sheikh for his 1956 Ferrari 250 GT Boano), The UAE Award (Marzooq Al Mansoori for his 1947 Chevy Pick Up), The Dubai Award (Mohammed Al Tahiri for his 1976 Daimler 420), The Emaar Award (Rafiq Mahmoud for his 1967 Mercedes 250SE), Classic Truck Award (Tariq Javaid for his late 1960’s Pinzgauer), Custom 4×4 Award (HH Sheikh Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum for his 1970 Range Rover Hunting), Heritage Car Award (Sharjah Old Car Museum for the 1945 Riley convertible), Modern Classic Award (Aziz Metwali for his 1987 Ferrari 328GTS), American Car Award (Frederick Faydee for his 1963 Corvette Stingray), British Car Award (James Iremonger for his 1948 Jaguar XK120), European Car Award (HE Tariq Al Qemzi for his 1957 Mercedes 220S), The Public’s Choice Award No. 1 (Izzat Dajani for his 1957 Corvette), The Public’s Choice Award No. 2 (Arnd Springer for his 1951 Volkswagen Samba), Best Recreation Award (Ronald Powell for his Aston Martin DBR 2), Best Microcar Award (Faisal Al Humaid for his 1982 Citroen Eco 2000 Prototype), Classic Motorcycle Award (Manjeet Kwatra for his 1942 Harley WLA), Best Open Top Award (Aiman Qsous for his 1963 Corvette), Pre-World War II Award (Sharjah Old Car Museum for the 1930 Plymoth), and Club Merit Award (the UAE Classic Mini Cooper Club).
At the closing reception, Imtiaz Sheikh was presented the 2015 Concours d’Elegance Best of Show Award for his Maserati Ghibli while Vinod Sundan won the Elegance Award for his 1960 Mercedes 300D Convertible Adenauer and Mohammed bin Sulayem clinched the Excellence Award for his 1937 Cord.
Held on Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard, the bustling lifestyle destination in Downtown Dubai, this year’s Emirates Classic Car Festival was the largest to date with over 320 classic cars and motorbikes on display.
Among the vehicles on display included early models by world-renowned manufacturers including Ferrari, Bentley, Rolls Royce and Aston Martin, among others. The Emirates Classic Car Festival is one of the headlining events held in Downtown Dubai, a thriving lifestyle destination, described as ‘The Centre of Now.’