A unique cars exhibition by Mawater Centre opened Friday at the National Museum of Qatar (NMoQ), featuring 12 vintage cars used between 1950's and 1990's. Running until February 29, this month-long show forms part of a series of exhibitions that Mawater and NMoQ are organising throughout the year in Doha.
Speaking to reporters, NMoQ’s acting head of Exhibitions Section Bouthayna Baltaji said that the concept behind the exhibition was to tell the story of Qatar by showcasing some of the old vehicles used for government and public transportation. “The whole idea was just showing how something may have changed with modernisation and everything, but also something stayed the same,” she said. “Families are still very important, we love to go to the desert, have road trips together, so these simple things have remained the same.”
Among the cars on display include a 1983 Toyota Cressida (in orange and white colours), which was used as a taxi in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, roaming the streets in Doha until 2004. A water truck, a GMC 1977 model, was one of the vehicles mostly owned by Qatari families transporting potable water from the desalination plants in Msheireb and Ras Abu Abboud to residents.
“We start outside with the public transport cars, which is quite nice, because public transportation actually drops our current visitors there. So you have the school bus (1980 model and used by the Ministry of Education from the 70s to 2004),” Baltaji said.
“We have the taxi and the water truck on show. Since most houses in the past did not have their own water source, the water truck was used to distribute water to every household,” she recounted. “So again it is very familiar to most of the people who were here in the 70s, 80s and 90s.”
Baltaji said the exhibition also showcases government and ministerial cars such as the special forces car (today's Internal Security Forces -- Lekhwiya), as well as the ambulance service, fire truck and police car (1972 Mercedes-Benz 280E model).
A 1975 Suzuki Titan motorbike, she noted, was used to deliver official documents and letters between the Ministry of Finance and Petroleum and other government institutions in the 70s and 80s.
“The final section of the exhibition features personal cars. So we have the GMC, which was actually a family car, used not only around Doha and Qatar but also when families would go on pilgrimage abroad,” Baltaji said.
She added that the 1989 Nissan Skyline GT was one of the most popular sports cars roaming the streets of Doha until the late 1980s.
A 'preferred sports car' among the young generation was the 1989 Nissan Skyline GT, roaming streets of Doha until the late 1980s
A 1972 Mercedes-Benz 280E model, used as police car, at the exhibition
A 1977 GMC water truck used to transport drinking water from the desalination plants in Msheireb and Ras Abu Abboud to households
A 1977 GMC water truck used to transport drinking water from the desalination plants in Msheireb and Ras Abu Abboud to households
A highlight of the cars exhibition includes a 1983 Toyota Cressida, used as a taxi in the 70s, 80s, and 90s
A 1975 Suzuki Titan motorbike used for delivering official documents and letters in the 70s and 80s.
Among the cars on display include a 1983 Toyota Cressida (in orange and white colours), which was used as a taxi in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, roaming the streets in Doha until 2004. A water truck, a GMC 1977 model, was one of the vehicles mostly owned by Qatari families transporting potable water from the desalination plants in Msheireb and Ras Abu Abboud to residents.
NMoQ official Bouthayna Baltaji at the event
“We start outside with the public transport cars, which is quite nice, because public transportation actually drops our current visitors there. So you have the school bus (1980 model and used by the Ministry of Education from the 70s to 2004),” Baltaji said.
“We have the taxi and the water truck on show. Since most houses in the past did not have their own water source, the water truck was used to distribute water to every household,” she recounted. “So again it is very familiar to most of the people who were here in the 70s, 80s and 90s.”
Baltaji said the exhibition also showcases government and ministerial cars such as the special forces car (today's Internal Security Forces -- Lekhwiya), as well as the ambulance service, fire truck and police car (1972 Mercedes-Benz 280E model).
A 1975 Suzuki Titan motorbike, she noted, was used to deliver official documents and letters between the Ministry of Finance and Petroleum and other government institutions in the 70s and 80s.
“The final section of the exhibition features personal cars. So we have the GMC, which was actually a family car, used not only around Doha and Qatar but also when families would go on pilgrimage abroad,” Baltaji said.
She added that the 1989 Nissan Skyline GT was one of the most popular sports cars roaming the streets of Doha until the late 1980s.
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