Century-old Model T Ford is star of car show

Addiriyah Classic features cast of iconic vehicles

Al-Diriyah Gov. Prince Ahmed bin Abdullah bin Abdulrahman visited the exhibition grounds at Bujeiri Park in the capital’s old Diriyah city, where he spoke with car owners, vendors and dealers at the show.

The event was sponsored by the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), Saudi Aramco and AlJazirah Ford Co.

Exhibits included classic, vintage, and antique cars and trucks that were on the Saudi roads till 1979.

Speaking to Arab News, the chief organizer of the Addiriyah Classic Car Show Nasser Al-Mashari said that 460 cars were on display. Car models ranged from 1915 to 1979. “The oldest on display was Model T4 of 1915,” he said.

Other rare cars on display included a 1955 Mercedes Benz 300, one of only eight in the world.

A car auction on Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m. will help car owners profit from the careful maintenance of their vehicles. Car accessories and spare parts will be available at a “swap meet.”

Al-Mashari recalled that the exhibition initiated under the patronage of the Diriyah governor in 2016 had a display of 425 cars.

Last year, King Salman attended the show and four of his cars were displayed, he said.

During the auction in last year’s event, a Mercedes 190 SL was sold for SR280,000 ($74,700).

One of the car owners, Sulaiman Al-Marzooki, told Arab News that he has kept his Lincoln Continental Model 1978 for display only. “It gives me great pleasure when people admire my car and the way I have maintained it,” he said.

Ghaneim Al-Khalaf, who has been using his vehicle since 1978, said he hopes to sell the car at auction for SR67,000.

RIYADH: Car lovers thronged the annual Addiriyah Classic Car Show on Friday to see a collection of more than 450 motoring icons stretching back to 1915.