Vintage to Vroom

My visit to the Heydar Aliyev Classic Car Museum was accidental. The Heydar Aliyev Centre was on our itinerary and when we were purchasing the tickets, our Azeri guide, Baynur, mentioned that there was another “classical art museum” located within the centre. I was all for “classical art” and we bought tickets to visit both museums. As we approached the second museum, it turned out that I had misunderstood what the guide had said. He had said “classic car museum” and I had heard “classic art museum.” It was, however, not a disappointing experience at all. The vast and diverse collection of automobiles displayed at the Heydar Aliyev Centre indeed evokes awe and curiosity among visitors. For some, it raises questions about the personal tastes and wealth of Heydar Aliyev, (Former President of Azerbaijan) given the sheer number of rare and luxurious cars amassed in one collection. This reaction is natural when encountering such an extraordinary exhibit that spans decades of automotive history and showcases vehicles from around the globe. This potential scepticism about the scale of the collection was offset by the broader context of Heydar Aliyev’s legacy and contributions to Azerbaijan. As the leader who steered the nation