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CLASSIC muscle cars and custom-made creations provided a petrol-head paradise on Friday at the fourth annual Batelco Motor Show.
The event, organised by the company’s Youth Marketing Team, was held at Batelco’s Hamala headquarters and attracted more than 3,000 visitors, an increase of 15 per cent on last year, largely due to the event being part of the official Race Fever programme to promote this coming weekend’s Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.
There were 180 cars and 40 bikes on display, from classic luxury brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley, to American muscle powerhouses Dodge and Chevrolet, to supercars like Ferraris and Lamborghinis.
Many motors were decked out in customised paint jobs or decorated with stickers and hand-painted artwork to make them stand out from the crowd.
Young automobile fan Faisal Ahmed, 12, was delighted at what he saw. He said: “I’m so excited to see all these amazing cars in real life, I’ve only seen them on the television and it’s hard to believe they’re real. One man even let me sit in his Ferrari and move the steering wheel, it was brilliant!”
Complementing the chrome and carbon fibre beauties was a live music show featuring local music sensations Likwid and a DJ. Even more exciting was the Vortex Gaming Centre which held numerous racing video game competitions on the day, proving a strong hit with the younger generation.
The range of vehicles on display included custom cars, classics, scooters, sport and touring bikes, and even retro four-wheel drives.
There was something for all the family, as Nasser Al Mohammed, 42, a business manager from Budaiya, was happy to attest to. He said: “Today has been such a good day out, my family has enjoyed every moment of it.
“I wanted to check out the classic cars from the 1960s and 1970s and wasn’t disappointed, there’s such a wide array here. My wife, Noor, came for the more traditional sports cars like Porsche and Ferrari, although it might be bad news for me as now she’s nagging me to buy her one. Maybe in 20 years’ time!
“It’s also my son Ali’s ninth birthday nd he wanted to see the bikes. Luckily, the Harley Davidson gang showed up and let him explore the motorcycles a bit, so he has had a great day. My 12-year-old daughter Fatima thought the scooters were cute and she also played in the game zone and beat a couple of the boys so she is over the moon too.”
Of particular interest with the masses was a bright orange Lamborghini Aventador that surely featured in the souvenir photographs of everyone who attended, and another favourite was a Suzuki that had been customised so that the roof was removed. There was just something completely adorable about seeing a convertible 4x4 with sun visors utilised as makeshift windshields.
Seeing such a wide array of cars from a variety of specifications was a rare treat for motor enthusiasts in the kingdom and with the Formula One just two days away, things are promising to get even better.
