CAIRO, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian Nader Gohar stood next to his 1960 Mercedes-Benz 180 during an annual vintage car show in Egypt's capital Cairo, proudly introducing the history of his old automobile.
"I have been in love with classic cars for tens of years," Gohar, a businessman in his 50s, told Xinhua during the Classic Mercedes-Benz Cars Show in Cairo.
The one-day event, which kicked off Friday, welcomed more than 70 vintage Mercedes-Benz cars and hundreds of old cars lovers and fans.
Dozens of well-preserved classic Mercedes that were made in the 20th century lined up, attracting the amazed visitors across the most populous Arab country to see the rare vehicles.
Gohar, who currently owns four different vintage cars, said the Mercedes-Bens is the loveliest one among them.
"Such cars can live for a century if you take good care of them," Gohar said as he observed visitors admiringly watching his car.
Gohar stressed that Mercedes-Benz is one of the most successful cars in the world, adding that the Egyptians highly appreciate this brand, especially old Mercedes vehicles.
"We still drive old Benz in Egypt ... 1960s and 1970s Mercedes cars are widely used here. You can effortlessly watch them running on the road," Gohar said while proudly smiling.
He explained that having classic Mercedes vehicles is costly, not only because their high prices, but also for the costs of maintaining them.
"These cars require periodic maintenance to keep them alive ... it is not easy to get all the spare parts as some are very rare and expensive," Gohar noted.
Sherif Abdel-Aziz, an owner of Mercedes 280CE W123 Coupe, was busy taking selfies with visitors who showed admiration of his unique red automobile.
"The overall condition of my car is good, because I care much about it," Abdel-Aziz said. "I use it on daily basis."
The middle-aged man said finding spare parts for his car is not easy. However, he said owners now started to order rare spare parts online from other countries.
Speaking about the show, Abdel-Aziz said such events are important as they help car owners meet and exchange experiences.
"We also receive visitors and gladly answer their questions about the history of our cars," he said.
Meanwhile, Ibrahim al-Gazzar, the event organizer, said Egypt is known as the foreign country with the most owners of Mercedes-Benz cars from the 1960s-1980s.
"The Egyptians still own them, drive them daily and even use them as Taxis," al-Gazzar told Xinhua.
He noted that vintage cars of respected brands are seen as a legacy everywhere, noting that these classic Mercedes models are much loved in Egypt.
Al-Gazzar said the event is meant to gather owners of classic Mercedes in Egypt together to benefit from the experiences of each other in keeping and preserving their cars as well as allowing vintage car lovers to see their beloved models.
The amazing collection of old models of Mercedes-Benz captivated the eyes of visitors who showed admiration of the beauty of the precious automobiles.
"I feel like I'm living in the 1960s or the 1950s ... watching these cars took me back to old time," Ismail Mahmoud, a government employee, told Xinhua.
The man said he is a fan of vintage cars, stressing that he cannot miss such a chance to see such a big number of old cars at the same place.
"I hope I could have enough money to buy a vintage car ... I hope this dream would come true one day," Mahmoud said. Enditem
