PHOTOS: They exhibit a collection of motorsport rarities that belonged to the imperial family of Iran, overthrown in 1979

Posted: Dec 4, 2021 19:03 GMT

It includes a unique vehicle, jointly created by Mercedes Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen, as well as a 1922 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost.

The Antique Car Museum, inaugurated a month ago on the outskirts of Tehran, has managed to exceed the number of visitors to the National Museum of that country in the course of that time. And that success is largely due to the exhibition of classic cars that once belonged to the Iranian imperial family, reports ..

The collection includes numerous models of Mercedes Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen, the preferred brands of the monarchy, which in 1972 jointly manufactured a unique vehicle, called ‘MPV Tehran’.

It is an orange paint car specially designed as a gift for Crown Prince Reza, then 12, to learn to drive. It had two keys, a silver one that allowed it to circulate at no more than 30 km / h and a golden one, with which it was possible to reach the maximum speed of 170 km / h.

Currently, the collection includes 55 authentic rarities along with 2 floats and 4 motorcycles, one of which was personally used by the last empress, Farah Diba.

Likewise, the museum’s collection includes about 100 additional vehicles that have yet to be carefully restored to join the exhibition.

Another attraction is a black Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, 1922 edition, which half a year before the 1919 revolution – which overthrew the Pahlavi family – was taken to the manufacturer’s headquarters in Great Britain for repair. After arduous litigation with representatives of the monarchy in exile, the Islamic Republic managed to get it back.

Finally, one of the main protagonists of the exhibition is the Pierce Arrow ‘Model A’ of 1930, the year in which it was the most expensive car in the United States, where it sold for $ 30,000 at that time. An exorbitant sum, compared to the 600 dollars that a new car cost on average in the North American country at that time.

At the time of its purchase by Reza Sah, the founder of the dynasty, the cost of this luxurious car with bumpers, windshields and headlights with chrome gold finishes and the imperial shield on the doors, represented about one eighth of the state budget of Iran.

All these motorsport gems, located in a 11,000-square-meter facility, have already been appreciated by more than 20,000 visitors.

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