TEHRAN CAFÉ RACERS: ANNIVERSARY RALLY!

The Car Guys Who Lunch in Iran celebrated their second anniversary with a 53-car rally from Tehran to Anzali on the Caspian Sea.

Proactive car guys on both sides of the globe have done more to normalize relations between the U.S and Iran than planeloads of politicians and diplomats! The Sarasota Café Racers have sanctioned two lunch group satellites in Iran: Tehran and Isfahan. As far as serious car guys are concerned, relations between Sarasota, FL and Tehran and Isfahan, Iran are already pretty normal!

Ramin Salehkhou, our man in Tehran, President of the Classic Car Committee of the Federation and owner of a rare Baldwin-Motion Phase III 454 Camaro and a hot Mustang, worked with his team to produce a rally on May 24-25. Since the date virtually coincided with the second anniversary of the Tehran Café Racers, members were invited and the logo was printed along with FIA livery on the cars’ Monte Carlo rally-style plates. The event: TEHRAN to CASPIAN.

In order to put an event this size together, Ramin worked with a variety of specialty auto groups in other cities. A total of 53 cars registered for the event, with the oldest being a ’52 Chevy Suburban, above and the youngest, a ’91 Pontiac Firebird. There were representatives of three generations of F-Body Camaros and Firebirds, top, along with two Mustang convertibles, Chevys, Chryslers, Oldsmobiles including a 4-4-2, and even an AMC Ambassador and a 450-horsepower Trans-Am that runs in the high-12s, below!

Iran’s Isfahan Café Racers had five cars, led by the father & son Samadarian team in their immaculate ’64 Chevy Bel Air, below. They also own a beautifully restored ’55 Chevy. Ali Samadarian heads the Isfahan Classic Car Committee. The Fars Province Classic Car Committee, headed by Farshad Daneshfar, was represented by four cars from the Province’s capital, Shiraz.

The rally route was from Tehran to Kelardasht to Ramsar and then on to Anzali, on the Caspian Sea, above, below. When they stopped at Kelardasht on last year’s rally, they were overcome by the generosity and hospitality of the local residents. In reciprocation for their kind support, Ramin routed the rally through their town again. When they arrived, the Mayor and complete City Council welcomed the car guys, below, during a half-hour social event.

While there’s always a selection of interesting cars at events in Iran, the programs also attract an eclectic group of participants and journalists, below: Babak Vafaie, classic car editor, Donayae Khodro magazine, Mr. Nasaj, head of Khorasan Province Classic Car Committee and Dr. Emad Radmanesh, who was in charge of the organization of the event. He has been invited by the Central New Jersey VW Society to be an “honored guest” at their annual meet. The president of the VW group saw photos of the Dr.’s recent “Bug” restoration, prompting the invitation.

There’s always a strong VW presence at rally events in Iran. Local rally champ Vachik Haghverdian, above, who won last year’s rally, drove a ragtop Bug this year. The Oftadeh family, below, including a three-year-old girl and ten-month old boy, competed in the event. Mrs. Oftadeh navigated and took care of the children, while her husband drove the 600-plus-mile round trip.  She was presented the Iron (Wo)man Award!

 Laleh Seddigh, above, Iran’s first female driving champion and internationally known for her sedan racing and professional rally driving, started the cars off on the return leg of the event. Ms. Seddigh has made it possible for woman to compete in professional and amateur racing in Iran.

The rally’s destination hotel, Sefid Kenar, above, is well know in the enthusiast auto community and in 2010 hosted Peking to Paris Rally participants. It sits right on the shore of the Caspian Sea, which in actuality is the world’s largest lake! This year they welcomed more than 200 drivers, navigators, rally control and organizational staff members, and with the help of Dr. Radmanesh, did an incredible job.

The Car Guys Who Lunch in Iran celebrated their second anniversary with a more than 600-mile rally, attracting an incredibly eclectic range of enthusiast cars including many with iconic American nameplates, above. Now our man in Tehran starts planning for the next celebration.

For more information about the Tehran and Isfahan Café Racers, please view the Community Page at the Café Racers website, http://www.sarasotacaferacers.com/community.html