TEHRAN – A 1953 Citroen participating in various car rallies including one around the world in 80 days has ended up being kept at the Royal Cars Museum in northern Tehran.

The classic car was belonging to a Switzerland-based Iranian couple, who wanted to take part in a car exhibit in 2011. However, it became deserted for years at Bazargan border customs initially to get a license plate.

However, the owners could not clear the car through customs in the span of several years so it was to put on the auction according to the law.

In the long run, with the efforts of the office of the museums and historical properties at the tourism ministry in collaboration with the Touring and Automobile Club of Iran, the deserted car was handed over to the tourism ministry back in August.

The car has been registered as a historical and classic car in Switzerland and has been exhibited in several museums in this country. It has also participated in all major world classic rallies including ones being held in France and Germany.

On Sunday, it was eventually delivered to the Royal Cars Museum, which is located at the Sa’dabad Cultural-Historical Complex in northern Tehran. Sprawled on about 110 hectares of a mountainside parkland, the Sa’dabad complex was once a royal summer residence during the Qajar era (1789–1925) and its subsequent Pahlavi epoch (1925–1979).

AFM/MG