Sheikh Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, also known as The Rainbow Sheikh, is one of the richest men in the world. He’s a member of the Abu Dhabi Royal Family in the United Arab Emirates. The Sheikh is well known for his passion for cars. He has a collection of over 200 exotic and rare cars. Most of his collection is displayed inside a pyramid shaped building located 45 minutes outside Abu Dhabi. This unique museum of cars is open to the public with no admission fee for visitors.
In the Sheikh’s collection there’s a vast array of cars and other vehicles. Some of them are bought from owners, others are received as gifts from all around the world. Some of the exhibited cars are painted in various colors of the rainbow. The most famous are the seven Mercedes Benz 500 SEL’s from 1983, each painted in one color of the rainbow, one for the each day of the week. Cars have matching leather interiors. The vehicles also have gun racks on the inside of the boot lid which hold three M16 rifles painted to match the car.
The jewel of the Sheikh’s collection is the world largest pick-up truck – a replica of 1950 Dodge Power Wagon. This faithful replica is about 64 times bigger than original and weights about fifty tons. This truck is not a static display piece, it actually drives. The gigantic Dodge Power Wagon is powered by an GM 300 HP engine from an earth mover. Drivers’ seat is hidden below the main cabin. Every part of the truck is a copy of the original as is the color. This replica was made to celebrate the 1950’s oil boom. Dodge Power Wagon was one of the first vehicles used by the oil pioneers in the 1950’s.
This impressive truck is actually a house on wheels. Inside it there are four large air conditioned bedrooms with bathrooms, living room and a kitchen. A big terrace is revealed when tail gate at the back is opened.
Owning the world’s largest pick-up truck wasn’t enough for Rainbow Sheikh so he has made enlarged replica of the World War Two American Willys Jeep. This enlarged Willys jeep is four times the size of the original. It weighs 4.4 tons and it’s drivable. Driver’s cabin is located behind the 7-slat grille.
The largest motorized replica of Willys Jeep has been placed in the Guinness Book of World records.
