Downtown Dubai hosts 8th edition of emirates Classic Car Festival

The Emirates Classic Car Festival returns to Downtown Dubai from March 24 to 27. Bigger and better than ever, over 300 classic cars, motorbikes and trucks, some over 100 years old, will take centre stage at the eighth edition of the festival which is widely regarded as the Middle East’s premier showcase of classic cars.

Organised by Emaar Properties, in association with the Automobile & Touring Club of United Arab Emirates (ATCUAE) and the UAE Ministry of Culture, Youth & Community Development, the Emirates Classic Car Festival will enthral auto-enthusiasts of all levels with an unparalleled showcase of automobile-excellence and a packed programme of exciting events, set against the glorious backdrop of Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard.

In its largest edition to date, the Emirates Classic Car Festival will open doors for visitors to a spectacular breadth of classic European and American cars, motorbikes and trucks by world-renowned manufacturers including Mercedes, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Harley Davidson and Chevrolet. The vehicles, dating from 1916 to 1986, will be featured along Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard.

Several of the cars and motorbikes at the festival come from the private collections of classic car enthusiasts in the UAE, while a number of them have been flown in from across the GCC, the wider Middle East, Europe and the US.

The festival’s opening ceremony will be held on March 24, 4pm, at Emaar Pavilion, Downtown Dubai. Following the ribbon cutting, VIP guests will be treated to a tour of an exclusive photography exhibition and a preview of this year’s cars.

Open to public, the Emirates Classic Car Festival has been expanded for 2016 and will now also feature movie screenings on classic cars at Emaar Pavilion and live restorations of a 1926 Ford Model T Coupe and 1974 Honda CB 550 in front of VIDA Downtown Dubai. The restored car and motorcycle will be presented and driven down the red carpet at the end of the festival.

Ahmad Al Matrooshi, Managing Director of Emaar Properties, said: “The Emirates Classic Car Festival has become a highlight of the Dubai social calendar. It is an unmatched opportunity for auto-enthusiasts of all ages to come together to celebrate the aesthetic brilliance and evolution of the ‘classic car’ and we are very pleased to welcome more models than ever this year. Furthermore, with the addition of live restorations, a photography exhibition and movie screenings, the eighth edition of the festival is the biggest and most exciting to date, underlining Downtown Dubai as the lifestyle and cultural destination in the city.”

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE, said: “Once again the Emirates Classic Car Festival will provide a wonderful opportunity for UAE enthusiasts and international participants to share their passion for beautiful and historic vehicles. It is very encouraging to see how the event continues to expand, with new features added this year, and I’m especially looking forward to the live restorations.”

The cars will be evaluated by a panel of judges, including automobile experts, for a number of prizes based on criteria including upkeep, value, originality, uniqueness, finishes, and visual aesthetics. The public will also have the opportunity to vote for their classic car of choice during their visit to the festival. Voting opens on March 24 and the winners will be honoured at the closing ceremony on March 26 at 4pm at Emaar Pavilion.

This year, the Emirates Classic Car Festival has introduced an exciting new category to the awards; the ‘Concours d’Elegance’. This will recognise cars that have been given upholstery, paint, plating and mechanical restoration to a standard that far exceeds that of the car when it was in ‘mint’ condition (when it left the factory).

The Emirates Classic Car Festival is free to visit and is one of the headlining events held in Downtown Dubai, a thriving lifestyle destination, described as ‘The Centre of Now.’