Peshawaris with a taste for antique cars must have had their fill on Saturday as sixteen gleaming vintage cars were driven into the city as part of the third Vintage Car Cross-Country Rally.
Initiating from Karachi on November 4, the rally passed through Sukkur, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Lahore and Islamabad before reaching its final destination. It was welcomed by 12 more vintage cars at a car show organised by Peshawar Vintage, Peshawar 4x4 Club and Vintage and Classic Car Club, in collaboration with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Corporation (KPTC).
People performed traditional Khattak dance as hundreds gathered at the event.
The 1957 Willys Jeep, 1939 Chevrolet Master Deluxe, 1965 Ford Mustang, 1961 MGA and 1965 Peugeot 404 were the highlights of the rally, while of those exhibited at the car show were the 1939 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith, the 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback and the 1969 Mini Clubman 1275GT.
A majority of cars exhibited at the car show were owned by the Khans of Charsada and Swabi, while a few were owned by army officials based in Peshawar.
Asim Durani, the managing director of Classic Land Rover said, “We want the world to know that there are people in Pakistan who love to preserve history.” He had showcased a 1949 Mercedes Benz, a 1967 French Citron, a 1975 Fox Wagon and a 1975 Land Rover at the event. He said that all the cars he has showcased are still in his personal use.
A “fully-operational” 1939 Austin 10 stole much of the attention at the car show. According to the owner, Husan Khan, the antique car runs perfectly and can still reach up to 40 miles an hour with its 12-horsepower engine. He added that his Austin 10 is the only car of this model and make left in the country. He lauded the organisers for hosting the car show and cross-country rally; “It shows the world a soft image of the Pakhtuns,” he said.
Afraz Khan, a youngster from Charsada, also said that his 1975 Mini Clubman Estate was the only such car in the country. “People have offered me Rs1 million for my car, but I refuse to sell it is a legacy of my forefathers,” said Khan.
Asfandyar, who participated in the rally with his 1976 Chevrolet Corvette (aka Dukes), said the seven-day journey was not easy. “We faced a lot of problems along the way, but thanks to the expert mechanics who accompanied the rally from Karachi, it was a success.” He hoped that more of such events will he held in the future.
“Our objective for organizing the event was to provide a common platform for classic car enthusiast in Pakistan and to encourage them in pursuing their passion,” said Tourism Corporation Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP) Media Advisor Zahra Alam. “We want these unique cars to be kept on display rather than to rot away in a garage. And in the process, show the world that K-P is safe to travel and tour,” he concluded.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 11th, 2012.
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"Fox Wagon" lol
Cool!