Back on the streets: Karachi-Khyber Vintage Car Rally concludes at Peshawar

The 4th annual event brought together car enthusiasts from across the country.

PESHAWAR:

The 4th annual Karachi to Khyber Vintage Car Rally ended at the Peshawar Services Club on Saturday. The event was organised by the Vintage & Classic Car Club of Pakistan and sponsored by the Tourism Corporation Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP).

A huge collection of vintage and classic cars, as well as several of the latest models of cars and jeeps were displayed at the Peshawar Services Club. Two dozen vintage cars from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa were joined at the club by vintage cars from other parts of the country. This year at the rally, 15 cars headed out from Karachi and were joined by 20 from Lahore and Islamabad. The procession went through Bahawalpur, Lahore, Islamabad and other parts of the country to end at Peshawar. This was the third such rally held in the city after the event was once cut short at Islamabad due to security concerns.

Among the cars were 1948 MG, 1957 Humber Hawk, 1967 Citroen 2 CV, 1955 Mercedes Benz 170 SD, 1960 Volkswagen, 1975 Volkswagen, 1979 Range Rover classic, 1957 Willy’s Jeep, 1939 Chevrolet Master Deluxe, 1965 Ford Mustang, 1939 Austin, 1961 MGA, 1965 Peugeot 404, 1950 Hillman Minx, 1939 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith, 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback and 1969 Mini Clubman 1275GT. All the vehicles have been carefully and dedicatedly restored to be eased back on the road.

The event did not attract as much of a crowd as expected since access to the services club is not open to all. However, there were still a number of visitors who showed up with their families to see the rows of cars. People spoke to the owners about the upkeep, history and painstaking restoration of the vehicles. The car owners also spoke about the experience of such a long journey.

An owner of several vintage cars, Asim Durrani, told The Express Tribune such car rallies and shows will help create awareness about preserving heritage and will educate people about the evolution of the automobile industry. Durrani said the event also encouraged owners of such vehicles, who preserve them with a lot of hard work and money.

“These cars are also part of our rich history and heritage, as several of them have been used by the leaders of our country and are a reminder of those days,” said one visitor, Anum. She said such efforts should be made and the people who work for the protection of art and heritage should be encouraged.

TCKP Managing Director Mushtaq Ahmad Khan said sponsoring the car rally has become a regular feat of their organisation and they get a lot support from people. He added the event gives a platform to antique car lovers to showcase their vehicles which they maintain diligently.

A slideshow of pictures from the event can be seen here.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st, 2013.