Desert Buggies

Arabs hail London-style taxis

For years the taxicab service at the Jidda international airport belied the fact that the city is a booming Saudi Arabian business center. The taxis, often dirty, run down and operated by quarrelsome drivers, gave travelers a poor introduction to the country. Now they have a more genteel alternative, thanks to Jidda Businessman Ibrahim Khonkar. He decided that what Jidda needed was a fleet of London taxis, those boxy, roomy cabs that have become something of a movable landmark in Britain.

Khonkar, 41, a former government weatherman, imported 50 London cabs at about $14,000 apiece and set them loose on the route between Jidda and the airport. With a few modifications, Khon-kar's cars carry their passengers in as stately a manner in the desert as they did in the fog. To fend off the heat, their black bodies have been painted white, and air conditioners have been installed. The steering column has been shifted from right to left, and the chuggy diesel motors used in London have been replaced with smoother-running gasoline engines. Although the London cabs have an ungainly body style, passengers appreciate their contour seats, high roofs and wide doors. Says one American visitor to Jidda: "One sits high in the back, with handles to grasp as the driver works his way through the city's horn-honking, madcap traffic."

Khonkar is one of the thousands of Saudis who have gone into business to take part in the oil-sparked economic boom. He started in 1969 as an importer of building materials. Two years ago, he and some other investors formed their own cab company with several white Chevrolets. But the American cars, says Khonkar, broke down too often. The London cabs have also had problems. Example: the plastic tips of the speedometer cables melted in the heat. Nonetheless, the British imports stand up better than the American ones. Says Khonkar: "They make a very good impression with visitors to the kingdom."

The London taxis are also showing up in other Arab countries. Carbodies of Coventry, the British firm that produces about 2,500 of the cabs a month, has exported them to Kuwait and Lebanon. The classic vehicles also have admirers in the U.S., where some limousine companies operate them. Says one aficionado: "They're so ugly, it's almost romantic." This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.