Mahmoud Yahya has owned a 1955 classic Chevrolet car for more than 25 years. He says he has worked on repairs for his car for more than 7 years before restoring it back to its classic form.
Yahya arrived in Duhok on Friday, the final destination of a road trip he took with his club, consisting of seven classic cars.
“We have been working on [these cars] for about seven years, restoring everything from the chassis. We have restored the ironwork, paint, cushions, engine, and everything back to its original shape,” Yahya told Rudaw.
The group members claim that each car costs between 30,000 to 250,000 US dollars.
The classic cars modelled between 1946 and 1960, attracted the attention of locals in Duhok, with many of them taking photos with the vehicles.
“We are an Iraqi classics group. We represent the history of Iraq, in every way, not just in terms of cars, each province has its own culture,” Ala Laibi, supervisor of the club, said.
Locals in Duhok’s Kani Masi were thrilled upon the arrival of the classic cars to their area.
“We are happy about it, and we always want such things to visit Kani Masi village,” Shwan Osman, a a local, said.
About two million tourists visited the Kurdistan Region in the first quarter of this year and over six million tourists visited the Region last year, according to data provided by the board.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) plans to attract 20 million tourists per year by 2030, Amal Jalal, the head of the board, told Rudaw on Thursday.
