Abu Dhabi: The Emirates National Auto Museum has displayed an amazing private collection of cars belonging to Sheikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan in a glorious private garage in Hameem, situated in the Western area of Abu Dhabi. (on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi City-Approx. 45 minutes drive from the city).
There are some 200-odd cars displayed in the garage which include some unique, very rare and unusual vehicles, like an enormous Dodge pickup that is still in good working condition and which has made an entry into the Guinness Book of World Records.
The main entrance of this museum has a beautiful arch of rainbow colours on the top. Next to it is a huge Land rover which is now being used as a canteen to serve refreshments to visitors. As you move inside you will see a huge architectural monument mounted on wheels. It is in the form of a Globe with luxurious rooms inside it and provides a very cozy feeling to the visitors who come here.
The moment I reached this destination I was greeted by four gentlemen, Hardeep Singh, Jaiprakash, Vijay Kumar and Prakash who work in the Private Department. I thought that the entire collection could be viewed in a few hours time, but after seeing the displays, an entire day is not enough for a car buff to get a clear idea of all the cars displayed inside the garage.
The cars and vehicles displayed include, the sheikh’s personal favourites, some of them purchased from different owners in their original condition, and others that are modified and custom made cars to suite the personal taste of Sheikh Hamad. The collection also include presents received from different dignitaries from all around the world.
There are a number of military vehicles into which children are allowed to climb and get a feel of the vehicle. There is a wide array of vehicles, different models and makes, but none is as impressive as the American Highway patrol, taxi and the 5-metre-high model with a complete apartment under its roof.
The other collections that caught my attention were vehicles like Mercedes, Ford, Cadillac, California, Pontiac, Rolls Royce, Moke, Mini Coopers, Citroen, Red Buggy, ME, Premier Padmini, Chevrolet, Dodge, Chrysler, ARO, and Toyota imported from different countries in the world. Some of them have been used by Sheikh Hamad?s father, H.H. Sheikh Hamdan Al Nahyan more than four decades back. There are some very unique vehicles that catch your attention, because of the colours and the rainbow design imprinted on them. The City Cruiser from China, Datsun from Japan, Premier Padminis and Mahindras of India are also seen and have an appealing look in the midst of such a huge collection.
I would like to dedicate this article to all the viewers of Mangalorean.com and my nephew Cal who is a car buff, currently studying in Mangalore. I am sure that there would be many more like him who have a craze and special love for cars.
Author: Claude Fernandes-Team Mangalorean