Classic cars find life after rust in Ramallah
A Palestinian mechanic in Ramallah collects and restores classic cars, bringing relics of the past back to life.
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Omar al-Saadi has turned his Ramallah backyard into a garage for repairing classic cars. He currently has 26 vehicles, many of them decayed by the years of disuse and abandonment.
Saadi’s family is originally from the city of Lod, southeast of Tel Aviv. They were displaced to Ramallah in 1948.
The cars are mostly British and German-made. The oldest date back to 1945, and all await their turn to be brought back to life.
Saadi’s passion for vintage cars was awaked in the mid-1970s, when at five years old he received his first matchbox Mercedes. His interest in old classic cars would soon become his profession as he learned to repair and sell them.
