RIYADH Car Show and Auction 2019
A Canadian Gone Wheeling in the Arabian Desert
We hit the dunes in a Nissan Patrol under the blazing Saudi sun with the engine screaming until it bounced off the rev limiter like the staccato beat of pinball machine being mashed towards a new high score. Tires that were barely aired down flung waves of sand into the desert wind with the force of a fire hose, while a chorus of North American voices screamed Go! Go! Go! then frantically No! No! No!
Photographers leapt from the path of the Patrol, which was weaving across the dune like a drunk with a hand gun, trying to capture the wild but calculated movement of the madgenius Bedouin behind the wheel. This was four-wheeling Saudi style.
And I almost missed it.
Fresh off the high-octane rush of the SEMA Show, I got an invite to travel halfway around the world to see a car show and auction. Leaving from Kelowna, this would be 28 continuous hours in shuttles, airports, and planes (repeat, repeat, repeat). Not my favourite cup of tea (which is a Long Island Ice Tea) or coffee (Kahlua), which is unfortunate as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is as dry of alcohol as the desert is of water. It’s available, but you have to dig really deep to find it. Also working against my desire to attend were the recent bombings of Saudi refineries, potential terrorist threats, and a country with a reputation for intolerance to western customs.
Time for a little research. If I believed everything was as bad as I read in the news I would never travel to Mexico, ride a Greyhound bus, or be downtown Vancouver in case the Canucks lose. In truth, the danger is only along the border that consists of skirmishes between the Yemeni’s and Saudi’s – they’re not targeting tourists. Where at one time tourist visa’s were non-existent, you can now apply online. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has opened its doors. Nonetheless, it’s still important to respect local laws and customs – as it is in any country, including ours.
Oil is on the way out and the Saudi’s know it. They know it’s time to develop another revenue stream for the country. As it turns out, the Saudi’s are crazy for cars. Perhaps more so than North Americans and they have money to spend, so the Kingdom did. So much money, that if cash is an indicator of commitment, then
they are very, very committed.
In July of 2019, the festival grounds were several square kilometers of desert. Four months later they paved a desert paradise and made it a parking lot large enough to house a concert, drift car track, stunt car and motorcycle show, 400+ exotic, custom and classic cars for auction, tents to house the auction, and exhibitor tents showcasing North American aftermarket parts. Much of the car show was organized by former VP of SEMA, Peter MacGillivray. Who is now VP Off-Road and Motorsports at Bonnier Corp, overseeing events including Off-Road Expo, Sand Sports Super Show, 4Wheel Jamboree, Street Machine Nationals and Jeep Invasion.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia paid for it all. They paid to have a massive number of containers full of cars, trucks, and exhibits get to Saudi Arabia from Europe and North America (not to mention all the staff and media). Not without hiccups of course, but they did it.
I arrived early Friday morning (2:30 am) to learn that on Friday mornings, a small group of roughly 20 Saudi car enthusiasts gather, weather permitting, in the Tim Hortons parking lot next to the Hilton Hotel Riyadh. Word had spread that a group of western auto journalists would be there to join them for ‘Car and Coffee’ Friday. Almost 400 showed up, some driving hours to be there to show off their cars and trucks. Cars, trucks and Tim Horton’s – sound familiar?
Timmy’s isn’t here alone. It appears as though every North American fast food chain is accounted for as well, from P.F Chang to Burger King. The mall proved to be a similar story and could have been any mall in North America, other than the signage appeared in both English and Arabic. The climate also affects the shopping and entertainment habits of the population. The malls might open their doors at 10 am, but the stores inside might not. The intense heat for most of the year moves everything to start later in the day and extend into the evening. Bet on starting anything after 4 pm.
Dual language signs were so common they became expected, from home reno and furniture stores to the road signs hanging over the multi lane highways. If you rent a car to drive, you may find the driving style a little different. Straddling lanes is common, drivers pass and change lanes within centimetres of each other, and a liberal application of the horn is the norm.
You’ll also have to watch your speed closely as cameras issue speeding tickets via
an app delivered to your mobile phone within minutes of your transgression. To be caught, the cameras have to take a picture of your front licence plate. Some drivers can remotely raise and lower their plate, leaving them dropped and hidden while driving, then up and showing when they suspect the police are in the area. Yes, it’s illegal, but then again so are radar detectors, n’est pas? You can also issue tickets yourself via an app if you see some dangerous driving. Or for instance, if your neighbour is parked illegally in front of your house. You take a picture via an app, which goes to the government, who issues a ticket. No, you don’t get to keep the cash from the fine, that goes to the government.
But I digress, back to the show.
The show didn’t start until 4 pm each day and then ran until 11 pm (or longer). It was always dark when we arrived. Two dozen searchlights swirled around the night sky as the techno beat pounded across the desert like it was the world’s last rave. Inside was considerably tamer as families strolled past automotive displays and gathered to watch the stunt shows, drift competitions, and the displays of automotive excess to be auctioned off.
We tripped over hundreds of rare classics, distinctive exotics, and artful custom creations. The best value I saw sell was a custom rat rod by Gas Monkey – a 1930 Ford Model T with a Harley chopper and custom trailer, which sold for $100,000 USD to the one and only bid. Richard Rawlings was on hand to talk about
the build, which was close to his heart as it was one of his first, and he was visibly disappointed in the lack of interest.
While many vehicles didn’t make the reserve bid and were returned to their owners, the final lot of the night was a custom 1984 Peterbilt 359 Ultra Custom TT Crew Cab called THOR 24. Opening bid $10,000,000 USD – sold for $12,000,00 USD. Add in the 10 percent buyers premium paid to the auction house and the final price is $13.2 million dollars.
Just a little above the prices of our hometown Saturday car auction.
A Saudi favourite was the show hosted by Hoonigans. Unfortunately for Hoonigans, most of their cars hadn’t shown up in time, but when word reached the Saudi competition drift drivers, they stepped up, filled in, and
as they say, the crowd went wild. Drift cars flew in a confined space, smoke pouring from rear tires in a dangerous dance as screaming engines popped off rev limiters, clutches burnt, and axles broke. The audience and drivers were well acquainted with what to expect from Hoonigans and chanted in unison at the end of the show, “THAT’S A WRAP!”.
We watched the Saudi’s enjoy western culture at the show, and they were happy to share their culture with us. Side tours included a trip to a camel farm. Picture an equestrian centre in a flat, dry, brown desert and you’ll get the idea. With adobe mud buildings that is. In near perfect English, our host explained why the camel is the perfect animal for the Bedouin. ‘You can ride a horse and eat it if you have too. You can milk a cow and eat it when necessary, but not ride it. The camel you can ride, get milk, and eat if necessary.’ The perfect desert overland vehicle as demonstrated during our ‘Camel Academy 101’.
While we appreciated the significance of these majestic denizens of the desert, we were here for gas/brake/clutch – hold the camel milk and meat, please. The Nissan Patrols aren’t available in North America but are an off-road staple in most of the world. Fully loaded with five humans they were whipped and beaten over the Saharan desert in a driving style we couldn’t replicate; bouncing the engine off the rev limiter using mostly second and fourth gear. The truck was repeatedly brought to the edge of rolling over then steered back from the brink. Speed is your friend, and centre high is not a problem.
When out wheeling with friends, eventually time comes for a break. Equipped with an overland café, our Bedouin barista made
coffee and served cakes, cookies and sweet bread from a small fire as we lounged on the surrounding carpets. We were at a high point in the desert where the powerlines stretched out over the dunes in both directions to infinite horizons, in an imitation of opposing fun house mirrors. Ancient culture in a harsh land barely tamed by technology.
After tea came lunch, served in a Bedouin tent. The food in Saudi is delicious. Foodies that appreciate Mediterranean cuisine will find most dishes familiar, and some a little more exotic, like finding camel on the menu. Always ready to embrace local customs I decided to forgo the utensils provided and learn to eat with my right hand from the communal dish, as the tea was brewed over an open flame in the centre of the tent.
The Saudi state is relatively new. An old culture but a young state. A fort called Al Masmak was the controlling structure for the tiny city of Riyadh. The ruling Al Saud family had been driven into exile to Kuwait by the invading Rasheed family. On a January night in 1902, 63 men led by Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Saud stormed the fort in a surprise attack, killing the invaders and regaining control of the region. This led to the first Saudi state. The fort is now a museum and touring this structure is the cornerstone to understanding present day Saudi Arabia. Considering that Dominion of Canada is a mere 35 years older, our nation is almost as young. Both countries are vast oil rich nations, destined to shed their dependency on oil revenues as we transition away from fossil fuels.
It was a massive effort to bring westerners to Saudi and re-introduce Saudis to the west. Was the show an unmitigated success? No.
But it has kickstarted a relationship that has the potential to grow. We experienced a polite, affluent, educated society that while different in garb and customs, shared many of the same passions that we have in the west. While leaving a mosque, a gentleman noticed the Canadian flag on my camera bag and we stopped to chat. He spoke perfect English, having gone to school in Vancouver and Toronto for several years. Many Saudi’s are educated in the US and Canada. They are familiar with our ways, and we can benefit by enjoying theirs. Ready to pop your rev limiters?
A special shout out to my friend Daniel Nikkhoo for the photo of the falcon and I. A great photographer and a super guy. Check out his work - https://danielnikkhoophoto.com.