- Title: KUWAIT: Kuwait hosts prestigious car show for first time
- Date: 25th January 2010
- Summary: MORE OF PEOPLE LOOKING AT CARS VINTAGE CARS ON SHOW CAR REGISTRATION PLATE FROM ONE OF THE CARS ON EXHIBIT VARIOUS OF CARS ON SHOW ((VINTAGE RENAULT ) REGISTRATION PLATE WITH 'CONCOURS D'ELEGANCE' LOGO PEOPLE AT EXHIBITION WITH MAN TAKING PICTURE
- Embargoed: 9th February 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Kuwait
- Country: Kuwait
- Topics: Lifestyle,Transport
- Reuters ID: LVAE5XM4MO7TYGWWG32AT3063JYX
- Story Text: Kuwait hosts the Concours d'Elegance exhibition of vintage vehicles, which is a first step towards towards supporting future automobile exhibitions in the Gulf country.
Kuwait held its first vintage car exhibition to launch a new cultural campaign aimed at attracting car collectors from around the world.
The Concours d'Elegance was held in one of the country's smartest areas, the Crescent area marina and mall in Kuwait city, and showcased vintage cars dating back to the early 20th century.
One of the oldest cars on show was the Renault Torpedo DM 1913 model. Also on show was the Belgian luxury automobile, the Minerva, imported into Kuwait a century ago during the reign of Amir Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah.
"This is the 100 year anniversary of the first car to enter Kuwait. It was called the 'Minerva'. That is why we wanted to organise an international celebration of this event, it is why we hosted the 'Concours d'Elegance'. It is an international event that usually takes place in Japan with the participation of European countries. We wanted to hold this event for the first time in the Middle East and specifically in Kuwait,' said Abdul Aziz Is'haq, head of the organising committee for the competition.
The event was an opportunity for vintage car owners to showcase a wealth of classics including the Rolls Royce and Bentley, luxury cars that even today remain at the top of design excellence, according to car fanatics.
The Kuwait government hope the event which ran from January 20 to 24, will put the Gulf nation firmly on the map for hosting such prestigious events.
"There are a lot of international judges and VIPs gathered here. It looks very interesting and it seem Kuwait has started to pay attention to these types of cultural and intertainment events, and a museum for vintage cars will be opened," explained journalist Rita Abi Deeb.
The Concours d'Elegance, or 'elegance competitions,' began in the 17th century in France, where members of the French aristocracy showed off their horse-drawn carriages in the parks of the country's capital, Paris.
As time passed, the competition looked at cars and even motorbikes and the locations took on a more global feel, taking place in Asia, Africa and the United States.
At each event, strict regulations are followed and cars are inspected by a panel of qualified judges.
Leonardo Fioravanti from Italy headed up the judges in Kuwait, joined by Eberhard Kittler from Germany, Jacques Braneyre from France, Chris Bangle from the United States, Hideo Kodama, Shiro Nakamura and Ken Okuyama from Japan, Paul Goldsmithand from the United Kingdom and Fersan Haddad from Lebanon.
The vintage cars in this year's Kuwait concours were divided into age categories from 1910-30, 1931-45, 1946-60, and 1961-75.
A total of 45 cars took part in the competition, and the judges voted that the Delahaye 135 1937 model, owned by Frenchman Jean Claude Marmier was the overall winner. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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