Shah's Cars

It is no secret that the last Shah of Iran loved cars and after his departure from Iran hundreds of cars in his private collection were auctioned off by the Islamic government of Iran or used personally by those who had taken over the government. The following are but a few of these wonderful cars.

Whilst he meticulously attended to the engine we started work on the body. The main body section was quite good requiring only some timber replacement to the rear of the body and the front door pillars. The rear panel had to be re-made and welded into the tail but apart from that all the original body panels were repaired and saved. The original wings were also largely saved but required new sides as these had been crudely cut off, together with the wheel spats and all the chrome, at some time in the past.

The new sides were formed and welded in (steel front and aluminum rears) together with new running boards. We remember hammering and re-shaping for four solid weeks on the front wings alone!

Then the wheel spats were formed and all the fittings made to attach them to the wings.

The fully disappearing windscreen which wound down into the bulkhead area was also butchered as was all the mechanism and housing. This all had to be repaired/remanufactured and special windscreen wiper mechanism designed and built.

The final job was to make all the chrome mouldings and finishers from brass, polish and fit them to the body. The car was returned to Sterns Motor Museum near Pittsburgh where the painting and trimming was carried out.

1939 Bugatti Type 57C Roadster

Originally owned by the Prince of Persia Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, the Prince of Persia and future Shah of Iran, received this striking supercharged Bugatti as a gift from the French government on the occasion of his first wedding. The dramatic body was constructed by Vanvooren of Paris in the style of Figoni et Falaschi, one of the most progressive coachbuilders of the day. Advanced features include fully skirted fenders, a top that conceals beneath a metal panel when down, and a windshield that can be lowered into the cowl by means of a hand crank mounted under the dashboard. In 1959 the Bugatti was sold out of the Shah’s Imperial Garage for a sum equivalent to approximately 275 US dollars. It was subsequently owned by a succession of Bugatti enthusiasts, but never publicly shown until after receiving a complete restoration in 1983. Collection of Margie and Robert E. Petersen

Custom armored car for Shah of Iran. He was deposed before he could take delivery