Christmas is just around the corner, which means its the perfect time to escape the winter chill with a trip to desert wonderland that is Qatar. JP Rathgen was our man on the ground at the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani Museum, where we were given special access to one of world’s coolest collections of off-roaders and desert toys.
But first, coffee. As is the way in the desert, before engaging in vehicular desert fun, one needs to refuel with the finest coffee prepared with traditional methods, all in view of a true desert legend: a Mercedes 911 L truck. Once inside the museum, it takes time to soak in all the incredible cars, of which 400 are housed inside the collection.
JP immediately gravitated towards the original 6-wheeler SUV not the Mercedes-Benz G63 6X6, but a Range Rover customised by Wood & Pickett boasting a third axle. Other highlights include a Mercedes 600 with modified arches to house off-road tyres, and a pair of rally legends driven by Qatar’s own all-terrain driving master: Nasser Al-Attiyah.
Naturally, there is no shortage of Toyota Land Cruisers either, and the museum houses almost every generation you could think of, from the quirky but dependable 55 series to the bulletproof 80 series. Finally, without giving away too much from the video, we must mention one of the collection’s centre pieces, an incredible Bluebird Wonderlodge bus, turned into a jaw-dropping artwork by an Iraqi artist who used the bus as a canvas to depict the historical relationship between cars and hunting in the desert.
Photos by Seya Eggler
