Hundreds of classic cars and motorbikes from as early as 1920, and defined by unmatched elegance and continued functionality, will take centrestage at the seventh edition of the Emirates Classic Car Festival organised by Emaar Properties and the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE (ATCUAE), the official representative of the ‘Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA), the world-wide authority for historic vehicles. The event will take place in Downtown Dubai from March 19 to 22, 2015.

The must-visit event for classic car lovers, automobile enthusiasts, motorcycle aficionados and the general public is held in collaboration with the UAE Ministry of Culture, Youth, & Community Development.

In its largest edition to date, the Emirates Classic Car Festival will open doors for visitors to a spectacular breadth of classic cars and motorbikes by world-renowned manufacturers including Ferrari, Bentley, Rolls Royce and Aston Martin, among others. All vehicles will be featured at a specially designed pavilion along Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard. The opening ceremony is on March 19, 2pm.

Ahmad Al Matrooshi, Managing Director of Emaar Properties, said: “The Emirates Classic Car Festival is today one of the keenly awaited events that not only celebrates the unmatched aesthetics of classic cars but also charts the evolution of the automotive industry. Apart from its family fair ambience, the Festival offers the opportunity for automobile enthusiasts and the general public to appreciate the aesthetic brilliance, evolving technologies and progressive add-ons to cars and motorbikes over the years. The event further underlines Downtown Dubai, which welcomed over 80 million visitors last year, as the go-to lifestyle destination in the city.”

Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of ATCUAE, said: “The Emirates Classic Car Festival is growing year-on-year in the number of cars and motorbikes on display as well as the level of engagement it builds with visitors. The upkeep of classic cars and building their collection is more than a hobby for many participants; it is their passion. With the Festival, visitors have a rare opportunity to appreciate the vehicles that are true works of art. Every classic car on display has a compelling story that will fascinate car lovers.”

Several of the cars and motorbikes at the Festival come from the private collections of classic car enthusiasts in the UAE, while a number of them have been flown in from across the GCC, the wider Middle East, Europe and the US. The cars will be evaluated by a panel of judges, including automobile experts, for a number of prizes based on criteria including upkeep, value, originality, uniqueness, finishes, and visual aesthetics.

The categories include: The UAE Award, The Dubai Award, The Emaar Award, Classic Truck Award, Pre-World War II Award, Heritage Car Award, Modern Classic Award, American Car Award, The Public’s Choice Award, Parade Car Award, Club Merit Award, Classic Motorcycle Award, Chevrolet Centennial Award, Blancpain Award, FIVA Award, among others. The public will also have the opportunity to vote for their classic car of choice through a popular vote. The winners will be honoured at the closing ceremony on March 21, 4pm.

The Emirates Classic Car Festival is open for free to the public, and is one of the headlining events held in Downtown Dubai, a thriving lifestyle destination, described as ‘The Centre of Now.’