Signs on the highway to the
museum are easy to follow admission cost is AED50 for adults. However, it is
advisable to check local news for latest opening times before the trip.
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Exhibits
The pyramid-shaped building
houses an unusual collection of predominantly 1950s to 1990s vehicles in
various stages of customisation, hard to find in any other car museum,http://www.enam.ae/index.html
This museum is the private
collection of H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan.
The collection houses a vast
array of cars and other vehicles; some seemingly bought from owners there and
then, such as a customised camper van, others received as presents from all around
the world. While some have been kept as originally intended, others have been
modified to suit the Sheikh's preference.
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You will find several Mercedes,
one in each colour of the rainbow for each day of the week. And they are all
fitted with conveniences such as refrigerators and TV. A number of other
vehicles are also rainbow coloured or have a rainbow logo painted on them and
have matching seats and hubcaps. There are a number of military vehicles into
which children are allowed to climb; one even has a golfing range on top.
The Dodge comes in all sizes
but none is as impressive as the 5-metre-high model with a complete apartment
under its roof. It was parked next to some dune-bashing monstrosities and a
shiny see-through disco car. including:
·
An 8 times oversized replica of a Dodge
Power Wagon truck,
this is a tow-able caravan and has four bedrooms inside.
·
A very detailed replicable of an 1890s Benz three-wheeler.
·
A collection of 4-wheel-drive vehicles.
·
A small collection of identical Mercedes limousines,
representing together all colours of the rainbow, are the trademark of the
owner.
·
A number of 1950s American and 1970s European limousines with
their large dimensions build a striking contrast to a sizable collection of
bubble and mini cars in the adjacent row.
·
Some 10 prototypes and racing cars.
With a workshop located behind
the building, all exhibits are in excellent condition and several are
roadgoing. There are also many gaps in the displays with no explanation. Only a
handful of vehicles have information placards at all and even then it is simple
specification info. There is no history or provenance provided.
On display outside are:
·
a 4:1 scale Jeep
·
a 4:1 scale Land
Rover
·
Lockheed
Tristar L-1011-385-1-114
MSN 193N-1093 the former British
Airways Loch
Fyne
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Exhibiting an
astonishing suite of more than 200 cars, the Emirates National Auto Museum is
not, in fact, a national museum but rather a car collection turned into an
exhibition. The owner is H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, probably the
most eccentric member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Hamad is also
known as the "Rainbow Sheikh" not for the first thought that crosses
your mind but because he has a passion for colors and in particular the colors
of the rainbow. As a result, he uses a rainbow logo for all his leisure
businesses.
The building housing the collection is not particularly attractive: a rusty steel pyramid.
Going back to the cars: this collection wow-ed all the connoisseurs that have been there: it features everything one could think of: from the weirdest items ( military vehicles - tanks, a New York yellow tax cab, a Red Cross vehicle, a NYPD car) to Guinness Book records: an 8 times oversized replica of a Dodge Power Wagon truck - used as a caravan, and unique items such as: a 4x4 Lamborghini, a world globe-shapped 3-storey caravan with all the facilities in a normal house - usually used by the Sheikh and his family during their trips in the desert.
I remember watching a show with Sheikh Hamad presenting his museum. He was mentioning that some of his cars were bought, some were custom-made from scratch and some were gifts. When asked if he sells any of his cars in case he doesn't like/use it anymore his answer was: "Sell it? That's embarrassing for me. I just give it away to friends..."
The story behind the 7 Mercedes 500 SELs painted each one in one color of the rainbow : When Sheikh Hamad got married, the party lasted for 7 days during which he wanted to use the same car but in different colors. It was just another "wedding decoration".
Open daily 9am-1pm , 2pm-6pm (Timing may vary). Make sure you call in advance to check someone is there.
Entry fee: AED 50.
The only downside of this museum is the poor signage and explinations. With such auto jewels, it's a shame no to know the stories behind the cars.
The building housing the collection is not particularly attractive: a rusty steel pyramid.
Going back to the cars: this collection wow-ed all the connoisseurs that have been there: it features everything one could think of: from the weirdest items ( military vehicles - tanks, a New York yellow tax cab, a Red Cross vehicle, a NYPD car) to Guinness Book records: an 8 times oversized replica of a Dodge Power Wagon truck - used as a caravan, and unique items such as: a 4x4 Lamborghini, a world globe-shapped 3-storey caravan with all the facilities in a normal house - usually used by the Sheikh and his family during their trips in the desert.
I remember watching a show with Sheikh Hamad presenting his museum. He was mentioning that some of his cars were bought, some were custom-made from scratch and some were gifts. When asked if he sells any of his cars in case he doesn't like/use it anymore his answer was: "Sell it? That's embarrassing for me. I just give it away to friends..."
The story behind the 7 Mercedes 500 SELs painted each one in one color of the rainbow : When Sheikh Hamad got married, the party lasted for 7 days during which he wanted to use the same car but in different colors. It was just another "wedding decoration".
Open daily 9am-1pm , 2pm-6pm (Timing may vary). Make sure you call in advance to check someone is there.
Entry fee: AED 50.
The only downside of this museum is the poor signage and explinations. With such auto jewels, it's a shame no to know the stories behind the cars.
Emirates National Auto
Museum is an exhibition of private cars collected by Hamad bin Hamad Al
Nahyan, one of the sheikhs of the UAE who is known as the 'Rainbow
Sheikh'. The cars include Mercedes (one of each colour of the rainbow), Dodge
pick-ups and also oversized caravans (one in the shape of a globe). The bizarre
collection was once featured on the BBC television programme Top Gear.
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