Wong (left) looking at the Medium Victoria Open Wedding Carriage on display at the newly completed Galeri Automotif in George Town. With him is Haryany. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
PENANG has officially unveiled the northern region’s first antique automotive gallery, a RM6.1mil project located at the historical 57 Macalister Road building.
It spans nearly 0.2ha on the site of the former King Edward Memorial Hospital, which served as the state’s first maternity hospital from 1915 to 1955.
The new Galeri Automotif is poised to become a cultural landmark under the Penang Museum Board.
It will showcase a unique collection of state-owned vehicles and horse carriages, highlighting over a century of Malayan history.
The gallery’s most anticipated exhibit is a 1951 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith, a vehicle deeply entwined with the nation’s path to independence.
The car was known for its involvement in a pivotal moment of the Malayan Emergency on Oct 6, 1951.
While travelling to Fraser’s Hill, British High Commissioner Sir Henry Gurney, his wife and secretary were ambushed by communist insurgents.
In an act of bravery to draw fire away from his wife, Gurney stepped out of the vehicle and was fatally shot. The car was riddled with 35 bullet holes.
Following the nation’s independence in 1957, the vehicle was repurposed as the official state car for Penang’s first governor Raja Tun Uda Raja Muhammad.
According to state museum director Haryany Mohamad, the Rolls Royce will soon be transported to Kuala Lumpur for a comprehensive restoration to return it to its former glory before its public debut.
Joining the Rolls Royce is a 1967 Cadillac Fleetwood 75, a 2.4-tonne luxury limousine purchased by the state government to replace the ageing Rolls Royce during the final months of Raja Tun Uda’s service.
It subsequently served as the official transport for the second governor of Penang, Tun Syed Sheh Shahabudin.
The Fleetwood 75 represents the pinnacle of late-1960s automotive luxury and its inclusion in the gallery highlights the transition of the governor’s office into the modern era.
In addition to showcasing vintage motorised vehicles, the gallery will honour Penang’s equestrian past with a collection of six horse carriages donated by the Penang Turf Club.
These carriages represent a legacy dating back to 1864.
Macalister Road itself was the site of the original racecourse before it moved to Batu Gantong in 1934.
Although the Penang Turf Club hosted its final race last May after over 160 years of operation, these carriages represent a bygone era of colonial recreation and sport.
State Public Works Department director Datuk Ahmad Nadzri Abdul Majid handed over the completed facility to the state in a ceremony attended by Penang tourism and creative economy committee chairman Wong Hon Wai.
Wong announced that the gallery is expected to open in a few months’ time, once entrance fee rates and other exhibits are finalised.
“Beyond its role as a museum, the Macalister Road building will serve as a strategic hub for the state’s cultural institutions.
“Next year, the Penang State Art Gallery will temporarily relocate to this site while upgrades are made to Dewan Sri Pinang.
“The automotive gallery is a key pillar of the Penang2030 vision, designed to complement the main state museum in Farquhar Street.
“Although the Farquhar Street facility restoration has faced setbacks including the termination of a contractor for failing to meet deadlines, the state remains committed to revitalising its heritage assets.
“Residents and tourists are encouraged to visit Galeri Automotif to experience these unique artifacts, once it officially opens its doors,” said Wong.
Ahmad Nadzri, in his speech, said the gallery was completed 38 days earlier than scheduled and within the allocated budget, adding that work started in March last year and finished on Dec 17.
