Emaar Properties honours winners of first Burj Dubai Classic Car Show competition

Several classic car enthusiasts from the region participated in the two-day public exhibition and competition, the first-of-its-kind in the region.

The competition was held in several categories including a Public's Vote Award, which elicited strong response from the hundreds of visitors to the show. Mr Ahmad Al Matrooshi, Managing Director - UAE, Emaar Properties; Mr Marc Dardenne, Chief Executive Officer, Emaar Hospitality Group; and Ms Leanne Hamilton of Emaar Malls Group, distributed the awards.

The winners in the various categories are: Public Vote (1921 Ford Model T); Best Heritage Car (Blue Mercedez Gullwing); Best Parade Car (1928 Ford Essex); Club Merit, Best American Car (1959 Ford 500 Skyline); Best European Car (1956 Green Jaguar); Best Classic Truck (1977 Chevrolet Orange pickup); Best Pre-World War II Car (1931 Pierce Arrow Convertible Roaster); Best Post-World War II Car (1961 Red Daimler) and Burj Dubai Classic Car (1967 Ford Mustang).

An expert panel of judges selected the winning cars in the nine categories based on the criteria of car originality, engine cleanliness, original car colour, historical car value, finishing and aesthetics. To facilitate the pubic vote, several drop-boxes were placed at the venue. A highlight of the event was the winner's parade on the closing day, and the several colourful classic car parades held over the two days.

Mr Matrooshi said, "The strong response to the inaugural edition of the Burj Dubai Classic Car Show establishes Emaar Boulevard and Downtown Burj Dubai as Dubai's newest lifestyle destination. We thank the Automobile & Touring Club of the United Arab Emirates (ATCUAE) for their support in organizing this first-of-its-kind initiative in the region. We are also thankful to the support extended by Mr Mohammed Ben Sulayem, Vice President of Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and President of the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE; the El Serkal family; Mr Ahmed Abdulrahim Baker; Mr Khalid Yousuf Baker; and Sharjah Museum for presenting their rare collection of cars for the exhibition."

He added, "The success of the event owes to the strong participation of private car collectors and we thank them sincerely. Their enthusiasm and willingness to share details of their collection with the public made the Burj Dubai Classic Car Show a truly interactive event for visitors. With this, we are now flagging off a year-long calendar of events at Emaar Boulevard, and will continue to host the Classic Car Show and competition annually."

The 3.5 km Emaar Boulevard is billed to become one of the world's finest boulevards, and will be a preferred family destination in Downtown Burj Dubai, the 500-acre mega-development by Emaar. Several homes and offices in the community have been handed over already.

Adding to the lifestyle appeal are two malls - The Dubai Mall and Souk Al Bahar - and four world-class hotels. Emaar Boulevard will host several art, fashion, cultural and sports events in the coming months.