Motoring Middle East: Car news, Reviews and Buying guides

This car played a part in the birth of nation, and now Pakistan’s most significant car wins in Kuwait

By Shahzad Sheikh

This 1924 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost could be the most important car in the history of Pakistan. Not only did the Kuwait Concours d’Elegance provide an extraordinary opportunity to get up close and personal with this historically significant car, but it also fittingly won best in class in the Concours.

This is the very car that saw the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the last Viceroy of India, Lord Louis Mountbatten, ride to the Sindh Assembly Building on 14 August 1947, to formally announce the creation of Pakistan.

It was actually owned HH The Nawab of Bahawalpur and loaned to the fledgling government of Pakistan for the occasion and put in the service of Jinnah has his official car.

Karim Chhapra painstakingly restored the car in Pakistan

Amazingly the car remained the property of the family of the Nawab of Bahawalpur until 2003 and had only 7000miles on it (11,250km) from original. Sadly it had sat idle, gathering dust for 40 years.

The current owner, Karim Chhapra bought it in 2003 and has painstakingly restored the car in Pakistan over a period of around 18 months, with new interior upholstery and paint, though the car largely remains original.

It has a 7.4-litre 48.6hp six-cylinder engine and a four-speed gearbox. It even still wears the original number plate.

At the 2012 Concours it took first place in the 1910-1930 class ahead of a 1929 Cord in second with a 1929 Hupmobile taking third – astonishingly this car also belongs to vintage car collector Karim Chhapra!

For a full set of images from the 2012 Kuwait show, click here

2012 Kuwait Concours d’Elegance – day 1 (part 1)

2012 Kuwait Concours d’Elegance – day 1 (part 2)

2012 Kuwait Concours d’Elegance – day 2 (part 1)

2012 Kuwait Concours d’Elegance – day 2 (part 2)

2012 Kuwait Concours d’Elegance – day 3

Jinnah’s Rolls-Royce 1924 Silver Ghost wins in Kuwait Concours d’Elegance

Kuwait Concours d’Elegance – Results and videos

Kuwait Historical, Vintage and Classic Cars Museum

King Hussein’s Porsche 959 at Kuwait Concours d’Elegance

2012 Aston V12 Zagato Unveiled (with video)

Win Ferrari F40 scale model signed by the guy who designed it!