Sharjah: While car lovers nowadays pay more attention to a vehicle’s specifications such as horse power and engine and rim sizes, they can now acquire a better understanding of the historical value behind a collection of cars dating back to the 1900’s at the Sharjah Classic Car Museum.
Displaying more than 90 antique cars from five different eras, the museum takes its visitors through a timeline from when the first vehicle made and how cars have transformed in this time.
“The museum shows the development in the car industry throughout the 20 century,” the Museum’s Curator Abdul Rahman Ali Ebrahim Al Hamadi told Gulf News.
First opened in 2008, the museum was renovated in January 2013 and re-opened introducing five galleries that display the development of cars according to different time periods.
“Starting in 1915 and ending in 1979, the cars on display not only show the vast change in the cars exterior and interior, but also the different materials used over the years,” he said.
Recalling the types of vehicles made in the early 1900s, Al Hamadi explained that wood was the main material used to make car parts.
“You can witness a big change in the cars displayed in the first section of the museum where the vehicles were made out of wood and were operated manually, to the cars in the following section when metal was introduced,” he added.
The museum’s earliest collection of cars includes vehicles from 1915-1939 including the model T Ford, Rolls Royce 25/30, and Fiat, while its second collection displays cars from 1940 to 1950 such as the Cadillac Fleetwood, Riley RM, Bentley Mark VI, and Chevrolet Bel Air.
The third and fourth galleries include a more modern collection of cars made between 1950 to 1979.
Pointing out that the oldest car at the museum is an American Dodge form 1915, Al Hamadi said that the museum also gives visitors the chance to become more acquainted with different car engines and how they function. “The museum represents different historical phases where people can appreciate a variety of old and classic cars and understand how they work,” he said.
The Shaikh’s collection
The newly redecorated museum also includes a special collection of 10 cars that were driven in the UAE belonging to his His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.
“The Shaikh’s collection includes his 1969 Mercedes Pullman Limousine which is on display at the museum’s fourth gallery and is one of only 2,000 in the world,” explained Al Hamadi.
The rare car model is custom made upon request and was only produced between 1965 and 1969, he added.
Catering to the UAE’s desert culture, the museum has also specified another gallery for large cars commonly used in the UAE, ranging from four-wheel vehicles to UAE taxis. The cars include the Jeep Land Rover, Nissan Patrol, Renault Van, and Chevrolet Tanker Truck.
Located on Al Dhaid Road near the Sharjah International Airport, Sharjah Classic Cars Museum has attracted over 17,000 visitors since its re-launch early this year, said Al Hamadi.
“We hope to see an even larger number of visitors by the end of the year,” he added.
The museum opened several new facilities as apart of its relaunch which includes an interactive area, a mother’s room, and food outlets.
It is open from Saturday to Thursday from 8am to 2pm, and from 4.30pm to 9pm. It is also open on Friday from 4pm to 8pm, and is closed on Sunday.
