Siem Reap province: An old car, said to have belonged to Pol Pot’s right hand man Nuon Chea, is being given a $ 40,000 make over, according to a local news source.
The vehicle of former Former Khmer Rouge Prime Minister, the “FORD GRANADA” was manufactured in the United States in 1975. The car is claimed to have been originally been a dark red, but is currently black.
Before entering this small garage, the car had two to three owners already.
Venerable Sayad Thet, chief of Wat Preah said that the vehicle was originally owned by Nuon Chea, and was later used to transport
Great Supreme Patriarch Tep Vong on his visits to Siem Reap.
After the vehicle began to need repairs, it was kept in the pagoda. A major hotel boss in Siem Reap offered a new car in exchange, but was refused.
He then he gave the car to Kong Mongkol, who decided to fix it.
Mr. Kong Mongkol said that before he took the car to the garage, a foreigner offered to buy it for US $ 40,000, but he decided that it was impossible to sell because of it’s heritage value.
The owner of the garage, requesting not to be named, confirmed that he would be ready in about a month. A Tacoma engine will replace the old lump, and the interior and other parts will be refurbished. The colour will also return to the original paint scheme.
