THE annual Asia Klasika Motor Festival for classic and vintage cars ran its course last weekend. Held in the picturesque Pullman lakeside resort in Putrajaya, the three-day concourse gathered some of the finest vintage and classic cars from around the nation and region. Widely regarded as South East Asia’s premier classic cars festival, the annual event’s fifth instalment successfully attracted a total of 10,000 visitors last weekend.
One of the biggest highlights of this year’s show was the exclusive Asia Klasika ‘Pullman Sale’ private treaty salesshow presented by specialist classic car dealers Kuala Lumpur & Temasek Classic Automobiles Sdn Bhd. Amongst the cars on the sale here included rarities such as a 1983 Ferrari BB 512i, a 1974 Alfa Romeo Montreal, the iconic 1969 Jaguar E-Type Series 2 Roadster, as well as several pristine and un-modified modern Japanese classics such as a 1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R 32, and a 1985 Toyota Celica Supra. All in all, the Pullman Sale collection boasted an accumulated total value surpassing RM8 million.
Next came the ‘Rally Klasika’ mini event that made its debut at the annual concourse last weekend. A specially organised drive, the ‘Tour d’Elegance’ saw up to 25 cars participating in a scenic pre-concourse tour drive around Putrajaya. Given the huge grins and smiles donning the faces of the owners who participated, it was easy to see that this was an enjoyable experience for many.
With ‘A Gathering of Thoroughbreds’ being this year’s themed motto, more than 50 owners participated in the concourse, displaying a wide range and variety of cars from various eras and vintages. Following tradition, the largest collection put on display belonged to the show’s Royal Patron, His Royal Highness, The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Ismail. Vehicles from the royal Johore Automobiles collection that were displayed proudly bore the royal Johore crest on their number plates, easily distinguishing themselves from other cars on display.
Besides that, several milestones were also celebrated such as the Ford Mustang’s 50th anniversary, the Porsche 911 Turbo’s 40th anniversary, as well as the centennial or 100year anniversary of the Maserati marque.
Sweetening the affair further for some of the owners was the annual concourse’s competitions held, awarding the best cars on display across various categories. Present to give out the awards alongside the concourse’s panel of judges was His Highness Tunku Temenggong Johor, Tunku Idris Iskandar. Winning the coveted ‘Sultan Ibrahim Cup’ was Singaporean Larry TS Lim, and his pristine 1953 Bentley R-Type Continental. Next came one of the weekend’s biggest winners Seow Wee Liam and his brilliant white 1969 Alfa Romeo 1750 GTV Series 1. Seow and his Alfa bagged both the ‘Best of Show’ and ‘Best Classic (1961-75)’ awards for the weekend.
Other award winners included Al Dakhsi who bagged the ‘Best Preserved Automobile’ award with his 1929 Rolls Royce Open Tourer, Arnout Everts and his meticulously restored 1952 Citroën 2CV AU ‘Camionette’ winning the title in the ‘Best Vintage (Pre1960’’ category, whilst Ong Kheng Liat bagged the ‘Modern Classic (1976-89)’ title with his 1984 Mercedes-Benz 380SL.
Though deemed as a festival dedicated to classic cars, fans were also treated by the presence of several notable names in the Malaysian auto industry during Asia Klasika 2014, the first of which being Ford distributors Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC). The blue oval’s Malaysian arm seized the opportunity to celebrate the Mustang’s half-century over the weekend with a special pavilion featuring several examples of the late 1960s era Mustang Mach 1 courtesy of the Royal Johore Automotive collection, plus a rare righthand-drive ‘Eleanor’ Shelby Mustang. SDAC also previewed its all-new Ford Fiesta ST hot hatch, conducting test-drives and receiving bookings for the hot hatch ahead of its market arrival.
However, it was the Naza Group that made the biggest buzz with its Ducati, Victory, Indian, and Maserati brands. Visitors were treated with a special Maserati display pavilion celebrating the trident brand’s centennial, featuring a three-car display comprised of a classic 1968 Ghibli SS alongside the current GranTurismo Sport and Quattroporte models. Next came the group’s Ducati, Indian, and Victory motorcycle brands that had their respective models placed on display strategically in and around the concourse.
As the weekend came to a close, it was plain to see that the love and passion for classic and vintage cars amongst Malaysians has not disappeared, but has instead grown in size over the years. What was also praiseworthy was the camaraderie displayed by these owners, showing how a single passion can unite various individuals, regardless of status and titles. Suffice to say, there are already those anxiously awaiting for the next edition of the Asia Klasika festival next year.
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