Emirates National Auto Museum
This national auto museum is about an hour's drive
from the city of Abu Dhabi, going south, with many signs to show the
way. It contains a magnificent collection of automobiles, but mainly
from the 1950s to the 1990s in different stages of customization,
and unique, since there aren't many of these cars found anywhere
else in the world. Their exhibits include; the star pieces are four
times bigger copies of a Dodge truck with different trailers, road
going and said to be able to provide full mobile housing inside it,
a detailed copy of an 1890s Benz 3 wheeler, a collection of 4 wheel
drive vehicles, some 10 prototypes and racing cars, a small
collection of identical Mercedes limousines, that all together
showcase every color of the rainbow, and the trademark of the owner.
There is a workshop behind the museum where all the exhibits are
kept in showroom condition and many are roadworthy. This fabulous
collection is owned by H. H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan. Many
of the vehicles were purchased from their owners right on the spot
like the customized camper van as well as getting many as presents.
Many military vehicles are seen here, that allow even children to
climb around them and one has a golfing range on top. The gallery
contains minis, military vehicles, convertibles, vans, coupes, SUVs,
pickup trucks, sedans, jeeps and Mercedes. There are 1976 Cadillac
convertible, 1967 Pontiac Firebird convertible, Mercedes
convertibles, Chevrolet convertible, 1960 Thunderbird convertible,
and many more types although they aren't listed but rather shown in
a slide show. The structure that these fantastic autos are shown and
preserved in is a huge pyramid with enormous earth globe out in
front and looks very strange in this environment. There is also a
Mercedes Big Wheel, Fiats, Mini-Coopers, Volkswagen, Beetles, Beetle
dune buggies, L1011 Jet plane, hand built Morgan, and more than can
be imagined, some that aren't even recognizable, that are certainly
modified and customized.
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