Car Guys having fun transcends
politics, ideology, and decades of conflict between the U.S. and Iran.
Diversity is the key to a successful Cafe Racers lunch group.
After more than five years, Sarasota Café Racers has developed into more than just a car guy lunch group. It has morphed into a destination, where people who savor life in the fast lane and worship at the temple of torque can come together and break bread with citizens of the right lane. And, they’ve starting to build a worldwide car guy community!
The first Café Racers satellite group is up and running not where you might expect. It’s in Tehran. That’s right, Tehran, Iran! Tehran Café Racers organizer, Ramin Salehkhou, drives a documented “export” ‘74 Baldwin-Motion Phase III Camaro powered by a 454-inch big-block. Joel ‘Mr. Motion’ Rosen had built and shipped this 500 horsepower Camaro to Tehran in 1974. It has already been featured in the Chronicles. It's seen below inhaling an Alfa on way to Cafe Racers lunch!
Car Guys (not gender specific) just want to have
fun!
Tehran’s first Café Racers lunch, which attracted 22 cars and more than 30 people, was covered by Babak Vafaie in Donyae Khodro (WORLD OF AUTOMOBILES), a weekly auto enthusiast newspaper in Iran. The mix of cars included vintage Mercedes-Benz SLs, Alfas, BMWs, Lancias, early-model Range Rovers, a Gen I Mustang convertible, Pontiac Formula Firebird, Ramin’s Baldwin-Motion Camaro and other European and American cars. The turnout was truly impressive since car enthusiasts in Iran have to deal with a multitude of problems, including difficulties importing parts.
Because of in-town traffic congestion, Ramin chose a destination/restaurant (Sarkhosheh) in Meigoon, a one-hour drive from Tehran. They turned their inaugural lunch into an all-day affair, with a road trip that took them to the top of Mount Dizen, home to world famous ski runs for a tea break.
Since the first lunch, Ramin Salehkhou, left, a lawyer educated in the U.S. and President of the Classic Car Committee of the Iranian Motorsport Federation, has been deluged with requests from enthusiasts who want to join. He is involved with fellow Committee members in the restoration, documentation and preservation of the multitude of classic cars that exist in Iran, including the late deposed Shah’s collection of coachbuilt luxury and exotic cars. They most recently unearthed and refurbished a Corvette-powered Bizzarrini 5300 GT! They are now preparing their entry for the 2010 Peking to Paris Rally, to be driven by two of their female members.
Not unlike SEMA, the Committee has lobbied successfully against mandatory “end-of life” legislation for cars 25 years and older that could have put an end to the classic car hobby in Iran. A Motion and American muscle car enthusiast since childhood, Ramin is also a member of the prestigious FIA Committee Historic International.
Iran has an interesting automotive history, dating back to 1958 when Jeep CJs were assembled for local markets. Small cars from Citroen, Hillman and Renault followed. In 1967 Jeep Wagoneers and in 1968 AMC Ramblers were assembled and sold in Iran. GM Iran dates back to 1973 when the Opel Rekord was assembled and badged Chevrolet Iran. It was followed in 1976 by Buick, Cadillac and Chevrolet models, also shipped CKD (Crated Knock Down). GM’s Iran operation continued until the Islamic Revolution in 1979. The last batch of deliveries took place in 1982 and the last GM vehicles to be assembled in Iran were in 1984.
Iran is the 11th largest auto manufacturing country in the world, fifth largest in Asia and the largest in the Middle East. Its two top carmakers, Iran Khodro and SAIPA, are ranked 18th and 19th globally and both produce vehicles of their own designs. Iran Khodro manufactures the world’s first CNG/Gas bi-fuel engines and has a joint venture with Mercedes-Benz for production of E-Class models.
A second Café Racers satellite has signed on in Carlisle, PA in the area of the Carlisle Fairgrounds. They expect to be up and running in the Fall. Inquiries have also come in from San Francisco, New York, New Jersey, Boston, and as far away as Australia and the UK.
Tehran Cafe Racers stop for a tea break on Mount Dizen.
The Café Racers concept brings together serious car enthusiasts and crosses generational, socio-economic and cultural lines. The common thread is passion and it really doesn’t matter if you’re a Master Mechanic with a musclecar or a Master Of The Universe with a collection of exotics, hot rods and racecars. What matters is that you are a real car guy and you play well with others.
Café Racers policy: No Dues. No Drama. No Poseurs!
American Muscle was well represented on Mount Dizen!
For complete photo coverage of the first Tehran Café Racers lunch and road trip, view our Picassa album of photos taken by Ali Reza Behpour and Babak Vafaie:
http://picasaweb.google.com/srq.caferacers/TEHRANCAFERACERS#
For more information about the Café Racers, visit www.SarasotaCafeRacers.com and if interested in starting a satellite Café Racers lunch group, please contact mls@SarasotaCafeRacers.com