Sayed Sima says he was around 25 years old when he began collecting vintage cars, attracted by their beauty and rarity. They were also relatively cheap.

More than half a century later Sima, a nickname derived from the Egyptian slang for cinema, says he now owns hundreds of vintage cars, some of which he keeps in Egypt’s Media Production City where directors often rent the antiques for shows and films.

Sima’s oldest car is an Auburn which he acquired in the 1980s.

“This is of course a very rare car, a car that is entirely a piece of antique,” he said, while sitting in the Auburn showcasing its wooden frame and steel coating.

“Its original tank is still inside. It’s a beautiful car. Its structure is all wood.”

Sima remains fascinated by the way older cars operate.

His 38-year-old son, Ayman, shares this peculiar passion. He grew up seeing his father’s cars in movies.

“I also liked how I saw these cars on movie screens. I would see a movie and think, oh it is our car,” he said.

Among the famous figures who once rode one of Sima’s cars was former Egyptian president Anwar El Sadat, whose presidential car was a black 1975 Chevrolet Impala, said Sima.