UMM AL QUWAIN // Khalifa Al Ghafli loves classic cars of all shapes, sizes and ages. But he loves classic Land Rovers most of all.
The 57-year-old Emirati has a collection of 200 vintage vehicles that he has lovingly restored over the years, with 192 of the famous British off-roaders taking pride of place.
His passion for Land Rovers started in the 1950s when they were among the few vehicles that British troops stationed in what was to become the UAE were using.
His first experience behind the wheel was as a 14-year-old driving his father’s 1954 Land Rover.
“I used to repair any malfunction in my father’s car and go to school in it,” he said.
Mr Al Ghafli, who lives in Al Falaj Al Mualla and spent 10 years in the armed forces before working in business, did not start his collection until 2004.
“For years I was yearning for my past days and for my father’s car that I had driven in my youth,” he said. “Then in 2004 I found the same car model when my friend brought it from Britain, and I bought it from him.”
This was the spark that led Mr Al Ghafli to buy another Land Rover, and then another until his collection reached three figures.
“At the beginning, I used to put them in the yard of my house and the number of people who used to come and see the vehicles increased until the Ruler of Umm Al Quwain [Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu’alla] gave me a piece of land, which is now my exhibition.
“The UAQ Ruler is the main supporter of my project, in addition to the piece of land that he gave me, he exempted me from licences and commercial papers that are required when I need to buy or bring a car from outside the country.”
As well as Land Rovers, Mr Al Ghafli also owns a Ford, Dodge, Nissan, Cadillac, Audi, Volkswagen, Land Cruiser and a Bedford, although only one of each make.
“I intend to increase the number of the other car types and to diversify by bringing more saloon vehicles and American and Japanese kinds.
“I concentrated on assembling models of classic cars launched between 1940 and 1970 because they are cheaper than the models of 1920s and 1930s. The price of a 1922 model costs US$1 million (Dh3.67m) which is equal to the value of all my cars and auto parts.
“I always search to buy old cars that are cheap and need an engine or to be fixed. I have 200 classic cars and want to buy 300, but I concentrate on bringing more auto parts.”
Word of his collection soon spread, attracting tourists and other car enthusiasts from all over the globe. Some come to admire the vehicles, while others hope to drive one away.
“The tourists began coming from Europe, America, Japan and Russia to see the cars and buy auto parts,” said Mr Al Ghafli, adding he always gives visitors a gift as a sign of what he calls “a desert generosity”.
To finance his passion, Mr Al Glafli occasionally has to sell some of his beloved cars or parts to other fellow collectors, exhibitions or museums.
“I don’t have government financial support,” he explained. “So I do these sales to bring an income.”
Although his collection of Land Rovers came out of a personal desire to collect the cars that meant so much in his youth, Mr Al Ghafli is also keen to give a little back to his community and used to offer training courses to youngsters keen to lean about cars.
“Every year in the summer vacation I used to do lessons for about 15 school students and train them on mechanics and structures of cars. But the heat of the summer was not conducive to the continuation of the lessons because the exhibition does not have air conditioning.”
His dream is to have a permanent museum for his cars and a place where he can offer vocational training to youngsters.
“Expo 2020 is coming and many tourists will surely come here, so I want the support of the Government to develop my gallery and provide air conditioning in it to make me able to welcome tourists and visitors and to bring school students to train them practically, along with the theoretical lessons that they take them in their schools.”
