The Shah of Iran had a large car collection that included a Bizzarrini GT 5300 that appears to have been in a front end accident and not repaired. It also has many other dents and dings as you can see from the picture below.
I was reminded of the Shah's collection when I read the Michael Sheehan article in the latest issue of Sports Car Market magazine. In this article he talks about his experience with the car collection of the Sultan of Brunei. It is worth reading, I have included a link below.
Here are more pictures of the Shah's Bizzarrini which is in a museum in Tehran along with many other cars.
The front end damage is evident in this picture.
A close up of the nose badge shows the damage to the aluminum.
It is sitting on stilts. Looking at this car is especially painful for me because it has a chassis number very close to my Bizzarrini, it is the same color as mine and it has early style door handles just like my car.
Maserati Ghibli also on stilts.
Lamborghini Miura that also appears to have front end damage similar to the Bizzarrini, again on stilts.
I am sure that many of us would like to rescue some of these cars.
The Michael Sheehan article about the Sultan of Brunei is here. A link to more pictures of the cars in Iran is here.
Click on the images for a larger view.
why is it that 'many of us would like to rescue these car'?? is it not important for any country to retain its history. they seem to be doing whatever they can for them i.e keeping them on stilts. its better then a messed up repair job or worse still an attempt to restore. what about the italian hoarder with 3 miuras who wants them crushed upon his death..with several other exotics..
ReplyDeleteThese cars are not being cared for properly. It seems at least they are inside and not exposed to the elements.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if they are not started up and driven occasionally bad things happen. Some of these cars are likely in very bad mechanical condition. I wonder when the Bizzarrini was put in that position and when it was last driven? I would be happy to see the cars stay where they are but I would like to see them cared for properly.
Mike, I agree with you, they should be cared for but having spent the last 20 years in the region i know that these cars are better off where they are then being handed to inexperienced mechanics for 'care'..they will probably mutilate them. At the same time I wouldn't want to see these or anything removed as with all that is happening in this part of the world it is the little things like these which give hope to the people. I know how proud Iranians are of this collection..and I also know of several collectors in Iran, Pakistan and India who have a far superior collection rotting away in their estates..
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