Dubai and the UAE are an epicentre for automobile events par excellence. It’s the place for high-octane races, grand parades, motor shows and festivals that appeals to scores of car enthusiasts. The nation’s Classic automobile community alone proclaims that the land of the World’s Tallest Burj Khalifa is indeed the region’s hottest and most attractive motoring haven. Melissa Randhawa has the story.
I was about five when the Dubai Grand Prix 1981 had served to me my first and unforgettable charm of a race car event. Right till this very day, those reverberating vrooms are forever etched into my headspace. With the five star Hyatt Recency Hotel and its revolving restaurant for a backdrop, Dubai, even back then, was clearly ahead of its time.
Only Citroens
Before the headlines ever boasted of spectacular car shows, this game-changing Grand Prix involving 15 Citroen CXes with roaring engines had caused quite a splash worldwide, back in December 1981.Celebrity race car drivers Stirling Moss, Bruno Giacomelli, David Kennedy, Dan Gurney and James Hunt were zooming into Dubai, either racing or being photographed at the Hyatt Regency Circuit.
What is understandable, is that when a revival of that historic event recurs forty years later for a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle of retro racing cars at Dubai Autodrome, one does begin to feel nostalgic about legendary racers and the magnificent machines of yesteryear that used to tear up the tracks.
Retro Racing
On our radar for UAE’s 50th anniversary is this once-in-a-lifetime spectacle. The Historic Grand Prix Revival 2021 is a magnificent retro racing event that coincides with the UAE’s 50th anniversary. Adrenaline-pumping action from F1 Grand Prix and Group C cars manufactured in the 60s, 70s and 80s that whizz through the revival circuit at over 300 km/h, plus classic automobiles and quirky collector’s items at the Exhibition Village.
Classic Car shows in the UAE are famous for displaying a bona fide history of evolution of the global automobile industry. The last decade witnessed a series of extraordinary world class parades in honour of its burgeoning classic car community. The Emirates Classic Car Festival had set the stage for grand scale car shows. Year after year, colourful parades of classic automobiles would completely transform the Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard. Located in Downtown Dubai, the venue is popularly known as ‘The Centre of Now’ and it brings together some of Dubai’s widely broadcasted and record-breaking displays of fireworks to bring in the New Year.
Car collectors from across the Middle East, Europe, Australia, North America and New Zealand have displayed their vehicles, several of which boast an illustrious legacy. Unforgettable, jaw-dropping automobiles from the roaring 1920s and after.
BMW Art Cars
For the very first time, BMW Group Middle East presented one of its creations from the BMW Art Car Project at Art Dubai. The city’s predominant art event which overlooks the iconic seven star Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, is a regular fixture at Madinat Jumeirah — a secluded arabesque beach resort of meandering waterways.
In 1989, the parrot and parrot fish became creative inspirations for Australian artist Ken Done who then cast their natural legacy upon the BMW M3. Their attributes such as beauty and the ability to move at fantastic speeds is vivid in Done’s brushstrokes. Not only do they transform the BMW M3 into a dynamic visual feast, but they also make it stunningly eye-catching to admire. It wouldn’t surprise us in the least to say that this showstopper was the most photographed automobile presentation inside Art Dubai to date.
The event, of course, is testimony to the variety of car brands that engage with the region’s brisk and vibrant car community. Alongside the 1989 BMW M3 Group A racing version painted by Australian artist Ken Done, was an exhibition in miniature form of all Art Car commissions. Through it, visitors were treated to a display of the heritage and history of the BMW Art Car project which, since 1975, has involved renowned artists including Alexander Calder, David Hockney, Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella and Pop artist Andy Warhol. Contemporary creatives like Jeff Koons have also turned their exceptional talents to a BMW of their choice.
IMAGES COURTESY: BMW GROUP
The good Communities that gather to appreciate art, culture and automobiles
The bad Allowing just one day for car festivals; they’re rarely sufficient especially when a large number of units are on display. Also, hosting events at tedious locations.
The trendy Portraying cars as forms of art in order to preserve their heritage, craftsmanship, fellowship and memorable stories.
Melissa Singh Randhawa is a Dubai-based news editor who loves sailing, art, economics and astronomy. As Brand Ambassador for SheScapes Global and the Delhi Poetry Festival, her network portfolio is rich with diversity. She is a sustainability champ at heart, a spokesperson for the International Fashion Innovation Conclave and works with NGOs for the United Nations. Born and raised in Dubai, she enjoys research writing about the UAE and those who shape the nation (Khaleej Times —Business & Culture). With 27 years as a published journalist, her byline appears in the UK, HK, UAE, USA & the Far East media. New York Times —Dubai: Refined Desire.