Sharjah Classic Cars Museum showcases ben Sulayem’s rare private collection

Sharjah Classic Cars Museum is offering visitors a trip down the memory lane to marvel at a rare and private collection of Emirati rally champion vintage cars, as part of its annual exhibition ‘A Car Enthusiast’.

The exhibition, which kicked off on November 24 to showcase classic cars worth AED300 million from the private collection of Mohammed ben Sulayem, demonstrates Sharjah Classic Cars Museum's support for car lovers by providing them with a platform to display their possession of vintage vehicles. 

Running until December 5, “A Car Enthusiast” displays a collection vintage cars including one of the cars he drove during his racing career.  

During a discussion held as part of the event, ben Sulayem, an influential figure in the region’s motor sports, will share details of his lustrous career in car racing including as many as 14 championships under his belt. 

Part of Sharjah Museums Authority (SMA), Sharjah Classic Cars Museum comprises five sections with each highlighting the development of the automobile industry over the years.

Being the destination of choice for car enthusiasts locally, regionally and globally, Sharjah Classic Cars Museum is considered the only of its kind in the region displaying around 100 vintage vehicles including Rolls Royce, Ford, Mercedes, Chevrolet, Bentley and many others. 

Accompanying the event, a number of interactive and entertaining activities for visitors from all age groups, will explain the different types of car engines and provide a demonstration of its mechanisms. 

Mohammed ben Sulayem

Ben Sulayem had seized the FIA Middle East title for the first time in 1986, winning it the next five years, then again in 1994 and for seven years in a row from 1996.

He had won many accolades and medals with some presented to him by the kings of Bahrain and Jordan and the president of Lebanon.

In 2006, he has become president of the Automobile & Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), the official representative in the country of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and Die Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA) and the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), which supervise all international motorsports events organised in the UAE.

His efforts helped transform the (ATCUAE) into a globally recognised body and resulted in the UAE joining international customs agreements that cover the temporary admission of motor vehicles and played a key role in the establishment of the Arab Council of Touring and Automobile Clubs.