Shivaum Punjabi will be visiting, are you going to join him?
Dubai is a city that has so much to offer everyone. It is known as Disneyland for adults. Nightlife, tourism, adventure activities, culture, architecture, etc. it has them all. One of the most important fabric of society here is cars. The love of cars unites 182 nationalities in this beautiful city, which I am lucky to call home. From hypercars to vintage vehicles, we have them all and are extremely lucky to experience all of them.
How many cities boast of an FIA certified racetrack 20 minutes from any part of the city? Very few, is my guess. The Dubai Autodrome is a fun track to experience. It offers race days, race school, and multiple other activities. It also hosts numerous international races. I have experienced the track in all its glory in multiple cars, as car brands love showing off their performance, and what better way to showcase that than on the track.
In 1981 Dubai hosted a street Grand-Prix with F1 cars and Le-Man cars on a temporary street circuit, 2.6 KMS in length. It was called the Dubai Grand Prix, and drivers such as Sir Stirling Moss, Nigel Mansell and Juan Manuel Fangio took part in it.
The event was done to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the formation of the country. It was followed by a parade of saloon cars, beach buggies and a police marching band.
Fast-forward 40 years later to 2021, the UAE is celebrating its 50th anniversary, and the good folks at Dubai Autodrome have managed to recreate the Dubai Grand Prix. It is aptly named the Dubai Historic Grand Prix Revival. To be held on the long holidays here and on the National Day of 3rd December.
The event will be held at the Dubai Autodrome, and you will be able to witness Historic F1 Grand Prix and Group C cars from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s competing around the track. It will also be followed by live music, food trucks, a classic car show and many other cool automotive things. We were invited to preview some of the cars, such as the Shadow DN1 F1 car, Porsche C28S, etc., that will race and came away impressed.
A little birdie has informed me that there will be over 30+ cars that will race. I am also hoping that this becomes an annual thing, and we see it every year. It will be fantastic to see Dubai becoming a part of the global classic car scene with an event that attracts people worldwide.
I am looking forward to it. Tickets are priced at a reasonable AED 100/ USD 33 and can be purchased from Platinumlist. I hope to meet all you lovely people in Dubai. If you are visiting, feel free to DM me on DriveTribe or Instagram. I am looking forward to meeting you guys.
Text and images supplied by Shivaum Punjabi
