Arabian Strangeness

I grew up in the Middle East (Bahrain) in the 1970s-80s, and became accustomed to the high end strangeness in the school carpark (driven by the pupils; eg hunter conversion Range Rovers, a lot of Koenig-type S-Class Mercedes Mk2 Golf convertible conversions when Europe still had the Mk1 convertibleetc). We started off wth a modest Datsun 140J, and ended up with a ex-Royal Family Rang Rover (it wasn’t that fancy, but the owner had it all retrimmed in stripey blue velour to match the blue paint which somehow melted in the sun). Around where I lived, which was in one of then villages, there was an abandoned orange E-Type sitting in the street. I think there were a few reasons why expensive cars came to be abandoned. Firstly, there is a tradition in the Gulf, especially among ruling families, that houses belonging to deceased senior members, were just abandoned. So, towards the south of Bahrain, as you drive past Awali to the now grand prix circuit, there are a few abandoned palaces. The same might also apply to some cars.

Another reason was, at the time, abysmal spares support from (mostly) Europe. The family Range Rover needed a new brake proportioning valve; a long expensive wait from the UK. In the local village, we found a fella who made a new valve using a bolt and a drill.

And finally, for some, they really couldn’t be bothered to get the car fixed. More of a Kuwaiti thing though.

I’ve been assembling a few photos that bring back memories, as well as basically high end cars in “distress”.

Here is a selection

This is quite evocative, a Range Rover on a dhow, probably being smiggled over to Iran or Pakistan. Before the 4-door Range Rover came out, there were a lot of stretched ones in Bahrain, with te front door shortened, and a new rear door made from a front door, with the distinctive grab handle being shortened. Thought it looked better than the Marina handles used.

This car is not a Aston Martin. Its a completely rotten Mercedes SEC with a Lagonda-looking front end grafted on. In Bahrain, I used to see a number of Range Rovers with the lights and bumper off Rover SD1 V8S (the rare ones with the black bumpers) grafted on. They looked impressive. Less impressive were the Range Rovers with a Ford Granada nose (ironic as Ford was blacklisted at the time).

This looks like a Land Rver catalogue shot. The Range Rover was pretty identical to ours. And we drove ours off road, every day, on account of the engineers failing to build a road to our accomodation. At one point, we shredded through 3 sets of Michelins in 6 weeks, before switching to cheaper Firestones sourced from the local village. After 5 years, the Raange Rover was in bad shape. The fancy retrimmed interior was shredding from heat damage. The Webasto fabric sunroof; no one dared open that up. The bonnet catch was profen, so the only thing holding the bonnet down were some wing mounted spring catches of the type seen on a rally car. The dash was completely different from how it left the factory. At some point, it was fitted with a British aircon unit, which meant half the dash was chopped out, and a new fitted with extra gauges. It didn’t work, so the windows were always left open. The sliding rears could never be closed as te catches had rotted away. The front passenger floor; there wasn’t one, as the leaking aircon had rotted it away (so some sheets of galvanized steel did the job). The rear hatch was held in place by a couple of household bolts. Yes, Bahrain was an island.

Stretched hunting Range Rovers, there were lots, for the Falcons.


A Lagonda in its natural surroundings

This Datsun pickup isn’t some sort of poor man’s limo. I used to see a lot of stretched Datsun and Toyota pickups being used by the oil companies as crew trucks. I’m not sure if they were a special order from Japan

Some dude in a Saudi Ferrari garage. It wasn’t much better in Bahrain. The local agent for Land Rover also handled Lotus, Ferrari, Rolls Royce and others. The garage (not the shiney showroom) was a dingy set of sheds in downtown Manama, with open roofed lifts. The Range Rover spent a month in there getting new shocks etc, and when picked up, it made it a mile down the road, befoe boiling over, on account of the radiator cap being left off. But it was nice also to acquire a dozen tools that had been left under the bonnet.


One of the Royal converted hunting Range Rovers. In the Gulf, the notion of “Royal family” is different from here. Its a clan, and it can be extensive. I think one fifth of Bahrainis were in the Royal Family. Hence we brought a 1978 Range Rover off an Army Lt who was in the Royal Family. Not so wealthy, but he loaned us a 1980 7-series for a while while he retrieved his Royal plates off the car. A lesser member got a 3 digit plate, and you were supposed to let them pass (for a while, we had cars pulling over for us). More senior members got 2-digits. Serious senior, like the Crown Prince, or Prime Minister, got 1 digit. The Amir of course just got the Bahraini flag. I think this mob might be Qatari. Notice how they did te extra door.



Young Princes liked the topless 2-door Rangies. This one with a folding screen looks cool

“Cheapo” conversion stuck to the gunnels

There were also Royal Guard vehincles, like this one with a GPMG on the back

The chap on the bonnet sitting in a throne apparently is a poet. So some sort of reading going on. How they got him up there I don’t know.

Coloured coded Mercs were common. This is colour coding to the extreme

The ubiquitous “1000SEL”. Sometimes there were Mercs with a serious amount of kit. Sometimes it was just a badge. Didn’t mean they were 10 liter V8ss

Not always Range Rovers. This is a GMC/Chevrolet truck (probably started out as a suburban) used by theSaudi Royal Guard. Stutz did the conversion, including that grill


This seems the ultimate in Suburbans

Proper stretched Suburban. The Amir of Bahrain, Sheikh Isa, used to cruise around in one of these, in fire engine red.

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Alternatives to the hunting Range Rovers

Couple of fellas with shotguns and a Beetle with rollback roof is sometimes all you need

Chevrolet stepside conversion

Brand new Cheverolets, fresh off the boat

I believe a lot of these Dodges are still running. I think they were made for ARAMCO in large numbers. A tough truck by the looks of it.

Now it looks like they just threw some sofas in the back but this is a proper conversion

Bit after my time, but a stretched Humvee is worth a mention. You might say so what, see a stretched Hummer before. The Hummer is basically a fake; Chevrolet truck chassis, with a Humvee-loook alike body. Th Humvee is the mil spec gargantuan thing, with kevlar etc. Ironically, I don’t think it actually seats that many people.

The middle class vehicle of travel in the Gulf was the Buick Park Avenue. They seemed to be everywhere. If you were not so well off, you went for the Buick Regal, which was similar, Chevy Caprice or a Plymouth Volare. They all seemed to share superplush red velour interiors, plent of room in the back for the MIL.

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Friendly people

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I swear this fellow is sporting a shoulder holster

Real period shot. Its a Caprice, but could also be a Park Avenue. Red velour, and a centre console crammed with your favourite knock-off cassettes. Note the car is pretty new and the driver has kept the protective plastic on the stalks.

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American sports.

American sports cars were almost entirely GM. Its eased off now, but in the 80s, Ford, along with Coca Cola were blacklisted due to their activities in Israel. Occasionally, you would see a pre-embargo car. Like this forlorn Mach 1 Mustang

Old Thunderbird (not exactly sports)



Vintage Charger, great shot with the Arabian horses in the background

I think these are old Caprices, or Bonnevilles, out hunting of course

The Saudia Corvettes, tagged and ready to go.


Camaros and Firebirds were common. Friends of ours had a pair of his and her Firebirds, in black and white, with the eagle livery (Bandit style). Wide wheeled Camaro

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Blimey, what a coincidence I’ve just posted a bit about American cars , great minds and all that :grin:
An interesting article about a fascinating place , that the likes of me will probably never visit :+1:

1 off those saudia air corvettes survives here in the UK, it was on bangers and cash last year

Ropey Rollers.

A lot of Rolls Royces and Bentleys are sold in the Middle East. They don’t always end happily.

To start off, the long serving Prime Minister of Bahrain recently passed away, and some Bahrainis decided to mark this by some customisation of the Silver Shadow II. I’m hoping this is some sort of hi tech 3-D wrap, not poured cement.

Rolls Royce pickup?

Worn out early Shadow, left at the side of the road

Abandoned Rolls in the early stages of decay, the vinyl roof is starting to peel off

Had a bit of a smack, covered in parking tickets

Oh

Palm trees tell you this isn’t a yard in Dalston

Lovely shine, junkie street

US spec

Paintwork is a bit flat

Mulsanne is going nowhere

Different time, during the early 1930s; Bahrin was the first Arabian country to strike oil (as we were taught at school). I think this would have been at the old palace in West Rifa’a

From the tyres, I’d say ready to go hunting

Obviously at the main dealer

Sand gets everywhere, even underground

Junkyard Roller

Another old Shadow. Don’t think its going to move again

Rare, a Carmarge

I approve of this

Airport cabs, as you do

Someone living in this?

Bentley & rubbish

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Bahrain is open to tourists.

I have a problem with flying unfortunately , which I need to get over at some point hence most of our holidays in recent years have been in Blighty, which isn’t a bad thing , especially at the moment.
That last colour image of the red Rolls is pretty striking.

I spent my childhood in Kuwait in the 1950’s. Just dumping cars in the desert was rife there, usually long American jobbies.

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Poorly Porsches.

928s struggle to survive.

This was apparenty the very first Porsche to be sold in the Gulf

Maybe this was the second

Air cooled

Air-cooled 2

Just buffed

928, it gets worse

Not in the Gulf but in Iraq. I think this is Uday’s and ended up as target practice

Porsche lift

Not sure of the story here; they are all of the same model year, and quite late. Maybe war trash from Kuwait city?

Someone had the bafge

Got moved

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Minging Mercs

US-spec 6.9 S-Class. A one time, this was an expensive car. Dig the wire holding on te exaust. US spec, odd.

Forgotten 600

Broken SL, also US spec

At first glance, thos car looks extremelyodd, but I think it was a Parade vehicle at one time.

Another 600, needs saving

Koenig SEC I think

Cossie Merc

Car show, with rugs

So when IKEA opened up the Gulf, they had to use a familar object to demonstrate how strong their chairs were. Everyone was super familar with the S-Class

When the 1000SEL is no longer good enough, you need a 1000SGS. Much modified interior. Bet it has a colour telly in there

I had to research this SEC. Unfortunately, its the work of a Brit, Robert Jenkel. And there was more than one.

On a lifter kit, for hunting I suppose

A 600, wire on the exhaust

When the 1000SGS is not enough, you need a 5000DEL

I don’t know who admits to this

Nice garage

Convertibe S-Class. These were done properly in Europe

ie

I think this is the local football team winning a cup. Not sure what is more remarkable, the custom grill on the Merc, or the number of guys hanging onto the TransAm

Interesting; an 80s S-Class with what look like a W110 Fintail bonnet on

Another Koenig

Stretch SEC

Oh

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Some people should not be allowed nice things.
Bl**dy atrocious.
These Rollers would provide millions £ worth of resto harvest parts.
All Brass…zero Class.

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Jags used to go down, pretty early. You didn’t see so many in Bahrain.

Daimler Limo. Now it was once covered, so why didn’t they fix it?

Pretty nice V12 E-Type, bt it has that all white interior

Early XJ

Jag interior cracking is epic

A rare survivor

XJS, plucked clean

Unloved

The story behind this E-Type is that its sat at customs in Manama for years because of unpaid duty.

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At an old petrol station

Abandoned Interceptor

A Vantage, I think

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Saz…I feel ill. :face_vomiting:
Desist!

On the other hand, if they hadn’t brought the Rollers, there might not be a RR

As I said, the story behind why some cars are abandoned as they are might be complex,

I expect the interiors are pretty much cooked. 10-15 years sitting at 50-55 does that.

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I remember the clean car law. I don’t think the 2 bucket wash had been invented then.

Tragic Italians. Predictably, Maserati’s, like everywhere, suffered.

This 222SE is rare, only 210 made.









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Great thread. Enjoyed reading this one very much. It amazes me how folk can just throw away an obviously very expensive car when they are done with it & then presumably just go and buy another one.

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Ferraris

I think this is a well known photo, one of Uday Hussein’s Ferrari’s in Iraq. Again, I think it was used eventually on the ranges.

Ferrari 512 BB at a Saudi Ferrari garage.

Busted handbrake in Kuwait (wheel chocked)?

Very Gulf. Lounging on the Daytona

A Dino that’s seen a lot of use

This is ok. Its a Mondial, and no one likes Mondials, especially blue ones.

Lambos

I think this is an Espada?


When Lamborghini tried to take on Range Rover. Its being used, but it looks a bit shabby

A fake Lambo

Not the best place to partk a Contach S

In Manama Bahrain, what appears to be an abandoned Miura

Lancia

Integrale. Looking at the special looking Defender in front, I think this is a car seeing some use as intended

Saudi Police Volvo pulls over a real Lancia Stratos

Alfa Romeo Spyders were pretty rare. Under the shredded car cover, this looks pretty decent

I’m not sure. A Detomaso?

DeLoreans…


Audi Quattro Treser. I remember these from FastCar, and remember a white one in Bahrain. This was a Quattro with a custom folding roof. Not a looker, I’d imagine this is incredibly rare.

BMWs

Aussie school nurse at the school I attended in Bahrain had one of these, thought without the tupperware.

I remember a lot of these first generation 7-Series. You never see them anymore.

Citroens of any sort were non-existant

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Well, that’s several countries removed from my bucket list.