A 1995 Jaguar XJS and a 1975 Cadillac Eldorado! You don't go for ‘normal' cars, do you?
I have always had an interest in unusual cars. Before my wife Lana and I came to Dubai from the UK three years ago I had owned various cars over 40-odd years of driving.
My first car as a 21-year-old was a 1928 Model A Ford Tourer which was great for carrying my jazz band, including the double bass. After that I had a 1928 Lancia Lambda Tourer, then a 1931 Wolseley Hornet, a very large 1931 Sunbeam 25 saloon and a 1961 Citroën Light 15. Then a 1971 Panhard PL17 which had an air-cooled two-cylinder engine.It really was a great car as were my CitroënDS 21 and 23.
That's an amazing list. Anything else?
Yes, I had my share of family cars which also included some unusual ones such as a 1988 Bristol Brigand with a turbocharged 6.75-litre V8 which was very quick. My 1970 Maserati Khamsin was fabulously handsome.
More recently, I had two Porsche 996 Cabriolets, a 1989 Mercedes Convertible 280 and a Chrysler Crossfire.
I had earlier renovated a 1923 Rolls-Royce 20 and a 1959 Maserati 3500 and took delivery of the beautiful new Maserati Quattroporte, drove it for one day before three months of corrections then returned it — but that's another story. You may get the impression that I do like cars.
You certainly are a certified car nut. Did you plan to buy anything in particular when you and Lana moved to Dubai?
I was keen to get hold of a 1998 Bentley Continental R. It's one of my favourites anda car which I had always admired, but the cost of running one in the UK was prohibitive. So,I imported one from the US which I now own as a second car to my 2004 Jaguar XJ8.
What attracted you to the Eldorado?
This exercise of importing a car opened my eyes to other classic US cars. I was taken with the calmer, post-Fifties extravagant designs of the Sixties and Seventies Cadillacs and also the more restrained styled Lincolns, particularly the Mark IV series.
I thought it would be interesting to have cars like that here, as one only sees Nineties and later cars. When the much-talked-about ban on 20-year-old vehicles was revoked, I went ahead with my idea to import these cars.
They're not a part of a private collection — I am creating a hire company which will allow people to enjoy the experience of these extravagant, extra-large American land yachts.
The brown 1975 six-seater Eldorado Biarritz with an 8.2-litre V8 engine is the first of the fleet and it is certainly a treat to drive here on the American-style road system.
And the Jag?
Lana's car is a 1995 XJS convertible. I bought it for her, again from the US, as she has had an interest in convertibles. Her previous car in the UK was a red convertible Mini. Her ideal car would be a baby blue convertible Bentley Continental. Funds don't stretch to that but she enjoys driving the Jag here and it suits her ongoing interest in fashion since the XJS is an icon of the Jaguar brand after successfully following the famous E-Type.
It has a 4.0-litre straight six which was the best engine available as the 12-cylinder models were unreliable.
They both must get lots of attention…
We enjoy the idea of having cars that onedoes not see many of, but which are in some way classics.
We both get a buzz from the looks of appreciation we get when driving and this, I believe, gives enjoyment to the onlookers as much as it gives to us.
What's missing from the list?
I don't think it exists as it would be the equivalent of a Thirties Duisenberg or Cord but with modern Rolls-Royce engineering and recyclable. You know, something simple.
Bio
- Name Donald Starkey
- Job Yacht and interior designer
- From The UK
- Cars 1995 Jaguar XJS and a 1975 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz.
- In the UAE Three years
