Austrian national Heli’s dream of owning a classic car began after his father took him to his first car show. “I was 14 then, and the owner of a classic Ferrari G328, who was from Switzerland, allowed me to experience being in the driver’s seat. As I sat there, I promised myself that I’d own the same model in the future,” Heli told Gulf Times on the sidelines of the Qatar Motor Show 2017.

And, according to Heli, for the thousands of children and young adults visiting the event, many of them would have been inspired to dream of becoming a vintage car collector someday.
To own a classic car, Heli said that a person needs “a lot of patience” when looking for the right car or when searching for original spare parts.
“There’s no point in owning a classic car if the parts are not original. Since these vehicles are old, parts do not come by easily, which is why you need to be patient, either when buying the car itself or the accessories and parts,” said Heli, who, aside from the Ferrari G328 also owns a vintage Aston Martin DB7.
“Down to the nuts and bolts, these parts should be original, which is why it also pays to have access to a wide network of other vintage car collectors, who could guide you when searching for parts,” he said, adding that he was “very impressed” with the 1957 BMW Isetta 300 and 1956 BMW R50 with sidecar on display.
The classic car exhibition, the latest addition to the motor show’s 7th edition, showcases on a 5,000sq m area 20 of “the rarest and most iconic pieces in the world” from the collection of the Sheikh Faisal Museum, Alfardan, and Mawater.
Among the crowd favourites is the classic Cadillac, which earned a medal from the inaugural staging of the Qatar Concours d’Elegance at the Katara Cultural Village in April last year.
Concours d’Elegance, or “competition of elegance” in French, refers to a public exhibition and competition of prestigious automobiles.
Its origins could be traced back to the 17th-century French aristocracy.
“Many classic car enthusiasts in Qatar and the region are eagerly awaiting the next Concours d’Elegance to be held in the country,” a European expatriate said.
The 1963 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III also drew many “selfie” takers to its stand.
“With extremely low production, a Silver Cloud III is a rare automobile by any measure. The last of the Rolls-Royce separate chassis-cars from Crewe, England, the Silver Cloud was the final Rolls-Royce employing body-on-frame construction,” read a brief description of the vehicle.
Other vintage favourites include the Mercedes 220 S, the Special Deluxe Chevrolet, the 1932 Lincoln KB V12, the 1938 BMW 327 Cabriolet LHD, the VCC 1900 Benz, and the 1958 Chevrolet Corvette, among many others.
The Qatar Motor Show 2017 concludes Saturday.
The opening hours are from 1pm to 10pm.