King Hussein of Jordan and his successors were pioneers in promoting motor sports in Jordan. He was an avid car and motorcycle enthusiast and participated in various races that include rallies, carting, hill climbs and speed trials. The Royal Automobile Museum was built by King Abdullah II as a tribute to his father and to commemorate his love for cars. Here is a list of some of the classic cars displayed at the museum.

Cadillac Type 53

The Cadillac Type 53, launched in 1916 is the oldest car in the collection. It was the most modern car in its time and was the first car that defined the modern car control layout. The 1916 started the tradition of placing the gear level and handbrake in between the front seats, three pedals for clutch, brake and accelerator in the present layout, key initiated ignition and electric starter motor, all of which are still in practice.

Model: Type 53 (1916)
Cylinder: V8
Capacity: 5140 cc
Horsepower: 77
Transmission: 4 Speed Manual
Top Speed: 105 km/h
Country of Origin: U.S.A.

Cord 810 Westchester

The Cord 810 got launched in 1936 at the New York Motor Show. It was a modern and innovative car at its time packing in features like retractable headlamps for the first time on a car. The 810 gets powered by a V8 engine displacing 4720cc and producing 125 horsepower to give the car a top speed of 100 mph. The other modern features in the car include concealed fuel filler cap, wrap around grille. The car had four speed electrical gear box with gear pre-selector for quick shifts. It was also the last car to be launched by the company.

Model: 810 Westchester (1936)
Cylinder: V8
Capacity: 4720 cc
Horsepower: 125
Transmission: 4 Speed Electrical
Top Speed: 160 km/h
Country of Origin: U.S.A.

Buick Super 56 Convertible

The first generation Super 56 was manufactured between 1940 and 1942. In 1946, the second generation got launched with features a long wheelbase that it shared with the Roadmater. The Super 56 is one of the most successful Buicks ever made. The car featured a 4026 cc engine with eight cylinders that generated 107 hp. The car had a top speed of 100 mph, which was highly respectable at its time. The car was used by King Hussein for his personal use.

Model: Super 56 Convertible (1940)
Cylinder: V8
Capacity: 4068 cc
Horsepower: 107
Transmission: 3 Speed Manual
Top Speed: 160 km/h
Country of Origin: U.S.A.

Packard Super Eight Convertible

Packard was one of the most popular makes of luxury limousines in the early decades of the 20th century. Super Eight was the name given to the largest eight cylinder car manufactured by Packard. It was introduced after the discontinuation of the Super Twelve, which had twelve-cylinder engines, after the First World War. It had a 5833 cc engine that produced 160 horsepower. The car was popular among most of the rulers at the time, and King Hussein used it for festive occasions alone. The museum has restored a 1940 Super Eight Convertible and a 1948 Super Eight Convertible Victoria. It also has a fully restored 1949 Custom Eight, which is a more expensive version of the Super Eight.

Model: Super 8 Convertible (1940)
Cylinder: V8
Capacity: 5833 cc
Horsepower: 160
Transmission: 3 Speed Manual
Top Speed: 160 km/h
Country of Origin: U.S.A.

Humber Super Snipe Mark I

Humber was a British car manufacturer that flourished between 1938 and 1968. The Super Snipe was essentially an enlarged version of the 1945 Humber Hawk. It had two engine options, a 2731 cc engine introduced in 1936 and a 4086 cc Straight-6 engine. The car owned by King Abdullah I just a few years before his assassination, had the six-cylinder engine that produced 121 horsepower.

Model: Super Snipe (1946)
Cylinder: V6
Capacity: 4086 cc
Horsepower: 121
Transmission: 4 Speed Manual
Top Speed: 130 km/h
Country of Origin: U.K.

Lincoln Continental Convertible

The museum preserves a classic 1947 Lincoln Continental convertible that was used by King Hussein. It is one of the 738 convertible Continentals ever made by the company. It was among the last post-Second World War Continental to come with a 4785 cc V12 engine before being replaced with a cheaper V8 engine. The car had many distinctive features like an externally mounted spare wheel that made the design exclusive. Production of the first generation Continental ceased in 1948.

Model: Continental Convertible (1947)
Cylinder: V12
Capacity: 4785 cc
Horsepower: 125
Transmission: 3 Speed Manual, free wheeling
Top Speed: 160 km/h
Country of Origin: U.S.A

Buick Roadmaster

The Buick Sedanettes, which stands for the fastback body style, was hugely popular in the 1940s. The company sold as much as 20000 cars in a single year at that time, making them the most popular car of its time. The Roadmaster name originated in 1936 when Buick renamed their existing car. The series 80 was called as the Roadmater under the new naming scheme. The Roadmaster was the company’s Premium model at the time spotting the longest wheel base among the cars it made. It was available in various body styles. The museum has a 1948 Roadmaster Sedanette and a 1949 Roadmaster Convertible.

Model: 70 Roadmaster Sedanet (1948)
Cylinder: V8
Capacity: 4253 cc
Horsepower: 150
Transmission: Dynaflow Variable Ratio
Top Speed: 160 km/h
Country of Origin: U.S.A

Chrysler Town and Country

The Town and Country got introduced in 1941 and was the first Woodie Wagon on market. Woodie wagons are station wagons that use wooden frames to make the body panels for the rear end of the car. The Town and Country used steel roof on top of a wooden frame and body. The production of the Woodie Town and Country ended in 1950 following the reduction in demand for steel and high maintenance needed for the wood. King Hussein had a 1949 Town and Country which he drove occasionally.

Model: Town & Country (1949)
Cylinder: V8
Capacity: 5293 cc
Horsepower: 135
Transmission: 2+ Overdrive Manual
Top Speed: 150 km/h
Country of Origin: U.S.A

Lincoln Capri Convertible

The Lincoln Capri got launched in 1952 to compete with the premium cars made by its competitors, mainly Packard Series 400 and Cadillac Series 62. It used a 5198 cc V8 engine that produced around 160 horsepower. In 1956, a new engine was introduced that had a 6.0 liter engine that produced a power output of 300 horsepower. The car was the epitome of luxury, packing features like air conditioning, heater, defroster and radio. The one preserved in the museum is a 1952 Lincoln Capri convertible that was used by King Hussein for official functions.

Model: Capri Convertible (1952)
Cylinder: V8
Capacity: 5195 cc
Horsepower: 160
Transmission: 3 Speed Manual
Top Speed: 160 km/h
Country of Origin: U.S.A

Aston Martin DB2

The Aston Martin DB2 was a sport’s car that was in production between 1950 and 1952. It replaced the 2-Liter Sports and came with a technologically advanced, 2.6 liter straight six engine. The engine used advanced Double Overhead Camshaft instead of the push rod system. The engine produced 125 horsepower, enough to take the car to a top speed of 116 mph. King Hussein bought one out of the total 411 cars that were made between 1950 and 1953 in 1953. He later gifted the car to King Faisal II of Iraq.

Model: DB2 (1953)
Cylinder: V6
Capacity: 2580 cc
Horsepower: 125
Transmission: 4 Speed Manual
Top Speed: 177 km/h
Country of Origin: U.K.

Mercedes-Benz 300SL

The 300SL was a sport’s coupe launched by Daimler AG in 1954. At its time, it was the most technologically sophisticated, race-derived, road car. It had distinctive Gull-Wing doors and was the first car to feature a fuel-injected engine. The 3.0 liter engine with cylinders produced 215 horsepower, enough to propel the cat to a top sped of 150 mph. The car stored in the museum was made in 1955 and was used by King Hussein in various races, most of which he won.

Model: 300SL (1955)
Cylinder: V6
Capacity: 2996 cc
Horsepower: 215
Transmission: 4 Speed Manual
Top Speed: 240 km/h
Country of Origin: Germany

The other cars in the collection include a 1956 Ford Thunderbird, 1956 Cadillac Fleetwood Imperial, collection of ten Mercedes-Benz cars comprising of armored sedans and limousines manufactured between 1956 and 1988, four Rolls Royce limousines manufactured between 1968 and 1984. It also consists of sports cars like the Ferrari F40, Aston Martin AMV8, BMW M1, Lotus Espirit Turbo, AC Corba, BMW Z1, Ford Escort RS Crossworth Rally car and a Porsche 911 Turbo.

Check out the Royal Automobile Museum (Jordan) for more information.