The annual Riyadh Car Show
By "Coach" Karabo Nqabakazi Mashiane
Full image gallery here.
If Car gods are anything to go by, I am indeed a living testament of them; and I’m in automobile Heaven. Seven Concours, in affiliation with Seven Car Lounge, are hosting the annual Riyadh Car Show.
Seven Car Lounge- awarded Showroom of The Year for three consecutive years respectively have lived up to its standard. The rarest, most valuable vehicles from all over the world at one exhibition.
Walking in, welcomed by Saudi Police units guarding the VIP Car Lounge entrance of the event, I’m already greeted by a fleet of exotics; and it’s only just the guest parking lot. Peeping through the glass window of the showroom, I’m stunned! The epitome of ‘rare’, both classic and modern-day from Bugatti KSA showcasing the Chiron range and the Bolide, to Swedish brand Koenigsegg with the Gemera and Jesko, to the magnificent Pagani showroom (or rich rather, a fortress.
27-year-old Marc Philip Gembella, son of controversial Ewe Gembella showcased his Porsche inspired off-road Supercar, the Project Sandbox Marsien for the first time. Impeccable interior with the ‘G’ on the headrest of the Alcantara seats and yellow seatbelts being my favourite features of the interior, while I’m also left in awe by the growl of the 740 Horsepower 911 turbo engine.
Pagani brought both his personal cars for enthusiasts like myself to swoon at, such as the Pagani Zonda HP Barchetta, currently the priest car on the market. My favourite detail is the side mirrors shaped after his wife’s eyes; quite evidently Mr Pagani is quite the romantic. My fondest moment during my grand tour of the Pagani showroom was being politely interrupted by a local man eagerly inquiring about the Huarya Imola. For most much like him, this event was more than just an exhibition; it’s a shopping spree.
I enjoyed learning about Great Britain automotive brands such a David Brown Automotive, and Briggs Automotive Company. David Brown showcased their sixties-inspired Grand Tourer- the Speedback GT. My favourite feature of the Speedback is the Picnic Seat, Rolls Royce drew inspiration for the Cullinan.
Briggs Automotive Company brought out the Mono- a single-seater roadworthy sports car. It was the detachable steering wheel for me. Smooth waterproof Alcantara leather, exposed carbon fibre; with all the dials required to power it up, there won’t be any need for the driver to take their hands off the wheel. It is, after all, a borderline Formula 3 car- boasting with Racing brake callipers, FIA-compliant 5-point Williams harness, and 280 horsepower 2.3-litre Cosworth-tuned 4 cylinder engine.
The display of the cars was impeccable- each brand of cars parked in ascending order of generation. No day was the same as the previous in the outdoor display. The thought in attention to detail and order was thoroughly thought through and executed. The tickets ranging from SAR150 (R624,40), and VIP at SAR450 (SAR1873,20) were definitely great value for money. My Arabic may be a bit rusty, but one thing I do understand and share with Arabs is their enthusiasm and taste for luxury cars.
Full gallery here
