Street Parked Classics Of Saudi Arabia

Jalopy’s international nature and relocation has brought out opportunities to seek out more classic cars and bikes in different parts of the globe. Saudi Arabia is one of those great places where classic cars and bikes seem to survive well and there are plenty of great sights to see.

The climate helps with some of the rust preventions, but nothing is 100% safe from the elements. The harsh sunlight and the sand helps to erode paint surfaces, but the lack of rain helps to contain serious corrosion for some time.

Due to the Americans having spent a lot of time here setting up the massive oil industry, you’ll find plenty of old American cars. Though in mire recent times there have been big shifts towards the Japanese and now Chinese produced cars. Still plenty of big American SUVs to pick from and you’ll see familiar names like Impala and Malibu on modern cars.

But it’s the classics we really want, even though taxi rides in some of the newer stuff has been impressive, I can’t get interested in them.

Khobar & Dhahran

Chevrolet Caprice Classic

Khobar Chevrolet Caprice Classic - Saudi Arabia Street Parked Classics

This slightly down at heel Chevrolet Caprice Classic really stood out in the street. The boxy nature of the design contrasting nicely with the more modern offerings parked around it. Either that or it was the bright blue being different from the rather common desert white.

The half vinyl top always intrigued me, was it a cheaper option to have half the roof covered? Chevrolet introduced this third generation of Caprice in 1977 and ended it in 1990. They were still selling well then too.

Chevrolet Caprice Classic
Chevrolet Caprice Classic

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Ford Crown Victoria / Mercury Gand Marquis

Mercury Grand Marquis

I want one of these, a nice Grand Marquis, but cheap of course. They seem to be everywhere and these later cars with the revisions post 2006 might make sense as a Detroit dinosaur, but modern ish.

I had a couple of these as hire cars and thought they were fantastic. Another new old car, the Ford Panther platform first appearing in 1979 and not much happening to it ever since. I bet its roots could go even further back.

So, what we have is a separate chassis, or body on frame if you prefer, six seat full size sedan. Ok the Crown Vic has separate seats, the Marquis gets a split front bench and is sort of a six seater. Could come in handy. 

Ford Crown Victoria
Ford Crown Victoria

I see so many of them I wonder why, did they like to buy them here or did the Americans really import so many of them for themselves. They must have been a nice mainstay model for the Ford dealers for years.

Mercury Grand Marquis

Lincoln Town Car

Lincoln Town Car

The Town Car is a close relative of the Crown Vic as it is based on the very same Panther platform. The more luxurious version of the trio launching in 1980 and lasting in this first generation until 1989.

The black rather suited this example, which was in rather nice condition. The 4.9 litre Ford v8, badged on the Mustang as 5.0 would have only had between 130 and 160 hp, depending on the year. Not very much in one of those. It’s probably enough, though it can be a bit sluggish in a stretched version. I know, a rented one in Prague many years ago and being chased by hordes of screaming girls and not able to get away going uphill. But that’s another story…

Lincoln Town Car

If that is a little too boxy there are quite a few of the third generation cars around, this one having the extra six inches behind the front doors. Earlier versions of this small stretch had thicker B pillars to keep costs down as they use the standard length rear doors.

Lincoln Town Car Mk3

Cadillac Sedan de Ville

This fabulous full size car has a real elegance about it, these big old Cadillacs always did. The length of the rear overhang is a giveaway as to its age, but they look so good. This is one for the shopping list of cars to own.

This body lasted a while, each year seeing subtle head and taillight changes, and side marker location changes. That and the emissions nonsense which could rob the car of a significant amount of power.

1972 Cadillac Sedan de Ville

The hood ornament looks to be non-standard, would have to go, I think. Where it would have come from, I’m not sure. I’m equally not sure about those wheel trims, they appear to be a little bit later than the car. Still, the overall look is really good.

1972 Cadillac Sedan de Ville
1972 Cadillac Sedan de Ville

Chevrolet Caprice

The Caprice from 1991 could almost be considered to be the last of the proper full sized Chevrolet sedans produced. The seventh generation is really quite a large car, at over 5.5 meters long and just under 2 meters wide. The Crown Vic is similarly sized, width at least but is a little bit shorter.

With the exception of the Crown Vic, the tendency to go smaller and front wheel drive was affecting everything. But for a while, this big Chevy was a performance car, with the SS, and grandma’s car in what would have been this trim. Check out those steels with deep sectioned radials. Superb.

Chevrolet Impala / Caprice

The car is very much of its time. The cabin appearing to be quite small, compared to the rest of the car. But then it’s so big it doesn’t matter. Plenty of glass to see out of and being still fairly square it’s easy enough to see the ends of it.

Still with the 5.7 litre V8 that seems to have been around forever, the 5.0 litre being offered to the public first. The wagon’s got the 260 hp V8 as standard from 1994, this car was identical the Buick Roadmaster wagon. The sedan had a slightly different rear and, but the Roadmaster Wagon looked exactly the same and could be had with fake vinyl wood. Even up to 1996 when the model line was discontinued. The SUV was pretty much responsible for the death of the full size sedan. Which was a shame.

Chevrolet Impala / Caprice

Cadillac Fleetwood

Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham

I’ve always really liked the style of the big rear wheel drive Cadillacs, the Fleetwood Brougham still used the rear wheel drive platform, the D body. The Sedan de Ville was moved to the new front wheel drive C body to reduce weight and costs. But these large older cars have a style and elegance about them.

Well-equipped luxurious cars built in a way that’s totally different to what luxury cars started to become. Where cars became more driver focussed, with sportier handling and more driver engagement at the expense of the fabulous soft ride. Not only that the fantastic soft seats that could be found only in the big cars had started to disappear.

I’ve always wanted to have one of these to float around in, a cheap one when they were really cheap.

Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham

Dammam

Chevrolet C10 Pickup

Chevrolet C10

Proof that cars really do rust is this first generation Chevrolet C10 pickup. Made sometime between 1960 and 1966 this hasn’t quite survived all of those years in the sun, but then neither has it totally disintegrated. Definitely saveable, the back of the cab appearing to be the worst.

The most worrying thing is that sticker on the windscreen effectively saying the truck will get towed and the owner charged with its removal and storage. I’d hope with all the space here it won’t get destroyed and simply left to wait somewhere. Now to figure out how to acquire all these old classics and get working on them.

Chevrolet C10

Lincoln Continental

Lincoln Continental

Ignore the sand dust, this is a really nice condition car. It was parked on the same driveway as a 1970s /80s Mini. Must be an enthusiast that lives here. I hope one day to meet them and have a ride in the Lincoln.

The clap door body is one of the best looking of the big American sedans. They even did this as a convertible which is even better. But the style of this is superb. Seriously cool.

Lincoln Continental

There’s plenty more out there, this page will probably get update now and again with more of them,

Simon

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