The only difference is that the piece of art here is a real automobile. There are substantial financial costs involved in this hobby and a lot of time and effort is also required.

Many collectors of old cars have inherited this hobby from their fathers. Therefore, we find Saudis of various ages collecting and preserving vintage vehicles. However, there is no doubt that all have a significant amount of wealth.

Most collectors are not always willing to abandon or sell their vintage collection. Some even go further in keeping these cars locked away in garages, away from the prying eyes of those who do not value such beauty.

Abdullah Al-Anzi, 42, said he began collecting cars when he was only 17. “I was impressed by the designs of cars that I saw in old movies,” he said, adding that the hobby gripped him over time.

He said he was not only fond of collecting old cars but also reading extensively about their manufacture, history and spare parts. “I have two classic cars which still maintain their basic features. One of them is a 1937 Cadillac and the second a Civil model manufactured in 1951,” he said.

Al-Anzi said he was very proud of his Civil car, as only 4,000 of them were made at the time. “Now only 500 of them remain in the entire world,” he said.

Al-Anzi said he would never think of selling his old cars. He added that automobiles made in the 1950s were rare and expensive because of the high cost of steel at the time in the aftermath of World War II.

The United States is the largest market for vintage car collectors. It was a major car manufacturer in the 1950s. Nowadays, most competitions involving old cars are conducted in the US, which also has enough supply of spare parts.

Rashid Al-Alouni, a Saudi dealer of vintage cars, said the history of the car is the main factor in deciding its price, especially if the car was linked one way or another to movie scenes or historic events. He cited the example of the Lincoln Continental that President John F. Kennedy was sitting in when he was assassinated in 1963.

Al-Alouni added that other factors in deciding a car’s price included its age, paintwork and the condition of its interior. “The more the car preserves its original features, the more money it will sell for,” he said.

For Nasser Al-Salahi, the most difficult part of this hobby is not the vehicles’ high prices, but the rarity of their spare parts.

“It is very difficult to find spare parts for cars made in the 1950s,” he said.

Fellow Saudi collector Abdullah Al-Musa believes there are plenty of other difficulties facing collectors in the Kingdom.

“Most of them import these vehicles from outside as they have no market here. They will first be subject to custom procedures as there is no clear-cut policy regarding the import of vintage cars. There are not any fixed fees for importing them,” he said.

Al-Musa said the Saudi Arabian Standards Organization (SASO) does not take into account the fact that these cars are not likely to have required safety features such as windshields and safety belts.

Abdul Rahman Al-Murshidi is interested in old cars for a different reason — they are a good source of money.

“Young Saudis are very fond of obtaining vintage cars and are willing to pay large prices for them,” he said.

Aware that vintage cars can make him rich in no time, Al-Murshidi said he was planning to open his own showroom for them.