The National Car Museum of Iran (Persian: موزه ملی خودردو ایرانMuze Melli Xodrodu Irân) is a museum in Karaj, Iran, opened in 2001.[1] Displayed at the museum are classic cars owned by the last Shah of the Pahlavi Dynasty, Mohammad Reza Shah. In addition to the large museum which is open to the public, there is a restoration center at the back closed to the public.[2]
Cars in the Museum
There are many vehicles in the museum, ranging from sports cars to limousines, carriages and bikes which carried the royal family. Some of the items include:
Chrysler 300 1956 Special K300 - a one-off example with a body designed by Ghia, said to have been a wedding present of the Shah to his second wife Soraya, equipped with fridge and record player
Mercedes-Benz 500K originally equipped with a 540K engine - one of six W29 "Autobahn-Kurier" ever built, one of three survivors. Currently a Cadillac in-line 8-cylinder engine of obscure provenience is installed in the car.
Mercedes-Benz 600 three LWB (2 Landaulets of 59 ever built) cars; one SWB car
MPV Tehran Type (with the incredible story that it has been specially designed together by Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen for the last crown prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi)
After the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the Mohammad Reza Shah and his family fled the country and left behind most of their possessions. Mohammad Reza Shah was famous for his love of sports cars. Prior to the inauguration of the museum in 2001, run mainly by private initiative of Iranian car enthusiasts, a small portion of the remaining 1200 cars were recovered and put into the museum to display to the public.
