Dubai: Over 200 classic cars, some dating back pre-war days, will again be showcased to the public in Dubai during the Emirates Classic Car Festival, which will take place from March 19 to 22, 2015 near the Burj Khalifa area.
A number of cars from world-renowned manufacturers have already started arriving this week at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard in Downtown Dubai in preparation for the extravaganza.
This year’s show, which promises to be the largest edition, is expected to feature more vehicles, including classic motorbikes and trucks, with the exhibition site extending all the way up to the area fronting the world’s tallest tower.
The classic vehicles of popular manufacturers including Ferrari, Bentley, Rolls Royce and Aston Martin, among many others, are expected to wow hundreds of automobile enthusiasts, motorcycle aficionados and tourists.
The organisers of the show said that several of the cars and motorbikes come from the private collections of car enthusiasts in the UAE, while several of them have been flown in from across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, the wider Middle East, Europe and the United States.
“The upkeep of classic cars and building their collection is more than a hobby for many participants – it is their passion. With the festival, visitors have a rare opportunity to appreciate the vehicles that are true works of art. Every classic car on display has a compelling story that will fascinate car lovers,” said Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE).
Ahmad Al Matrooshi, managing director of Emaar Properties, said the classic car extravaganza will offer the public the opportunity to appreciate the “aesthetic brilliance, evolving technologies and progressive add-ons to cars and motorbikes over the years.”
“The event further underlines Downtown Dubai, which welcomed over 80 million visitors last year, as the go-to lifestyle destination in the city.”
A panel of judges, including automobile experts, will evaluate the cars and prizes will be awarded to the winners based on car upkeep, value, originality, uniqueness, finishes and visual aesthetics.
At the same time, visitors will be given the opportunity to vote for their classic car of choice through a popular vote. On the last day of the festival, March 21, the winners will be honoured at the closing ceremony.
The best cars will be chosen under different categories, including The UAE Award, The Dubai Award, The Emaar Award, Classic Truck Award, Pre-World War II Award, Heritage Car Award, Modern Classic Award, American Car Award, The Public’s Choice Award, Parade Car Award, Chevrolet Centennial Award and Blancpain Award, among others.
