Racing Legends And Records. Meet Billy Karam

by Christelle Eldaher

Racing Legends And Records. Meet Billy Karam, Rally Champion & Model Car Collector

7 Feb 2025

Photo: Billy Karam's personal archive

I found out about Nabil “Billy” Karam through my motorsport-enthusiast brother. The more I researched, the more I believed that Billy’s life journey was worth to be retold. From starting a racing career at the age of 30 to breaking world records without knowing, Billy’s achievements are a byproduct of his passion.

If you ever end up visiting the Billy Karam Museum, you will need free hours of your day to marvel at a unique collection that can no longer be recreated. The model cars, track dioramas, memorabilia, prizes, medals, and trophies are many — more than 40,000 — covering from 1960 to 2019, and each piece comes with a backstory.

Grab your friends and buckle up for adrenaline-filled insider stories told by Nabil “Billy” Karam, an eight-time Lebanese rally and hill-climb champion and a multi-Guinness World record holder, who believes that a world champion should be disciplined yet fearless, and safety should always be a priority in motorsport.

— Billy, before we go in, can you tell us how did this museum start?

— Everything started 33 years ago, and I have to thank my wife for it! After growing tired of seeing my toys ruining the house’s décor, she suggested that I empty a room at the family-owned office building. Therefore, I moved my collection into an adjacent outhouse. With time, the museum grew into a 14-room, two-storied building. Words cannot do justice to how I feel about this museum. It is my legacy, my life story. Also, I take immense pride in having a free admission policy. My role is to spread the joy that comes from the motorsports culture. Cherry on the top, you get to see one of the most beautiful automobile-related collections in the world!

Photo: Billy Karam's personal archive

As we enter the museum and the lights turn on, the journey into the motorsport wonderland starts. One encounters endless rows of ceiling-to-floor display cabinets filled with model cars and center-room dioramas, retracing the illustrious history of motor racing and mechanical engineering. All sorts of race tracks and car liveries are on display. Legendary brands like Lamborghini, Peugeot, Renault, Citroën, BMW, Audi, and Jaguar are honoured. At first glance, one wonders how it is possible to build such an impressive collection. I had to ask:

— What triggered your collector obsession?

— I have always been an avid collector. When I was a kid, I owned around 200 to 300 model cars, which I loved to play with. However, I lost my precious possessions after our family home got robbed! I set myself an objective to recreate my collection, which I did. But once you catch the collector’s bug, you can never stop! My passion led me to unintentionally win several Guinness World Records. Circa 2010, a Guinness judge was in Lebanon for the biggest Hummus platter record. Following a discussion about the museum, we established that I owned the largest collection of model cars. Afterwards, I got my second world record for having the largest collection of dioramas. As of January 2025, I have six world records, with a seventh pending. I cannot share details, but the official announcement will happen soon!

Photo: Billy Karam's personal archive

The tour starts with the Porsche section, which holds a special place in Billy’s heart. It was with these model cars that he started his collection. More importantly, it was with a Porsche car that he secured his first race win.

— So, how did your racing career start?

— It all started with my older brother, Rony, who did a couple of races. I was fascinated and captivated by everything I saw, from the cars to the competitive spirit. Rony retired early, but I was hooked. I was 30 years old at the time. My mother was against it. Out of maternal fear, she tried to dissuade me from racing by limiting my financial abilities, but I was stubborn. I was going to race no matter what. I used to go to races behind her back. I found a way to fund myself and buy my first car, a regular BMW. It didn’t last two races, so I got a regular Porsche that wasn’t race-ready. Nearly escaping from an accident, I knew I had to properly equip the car. So, I contacted a French Rally winner and Porsche connoisseur, who set up the car with everything needed to ensure my security and one of the other drivers as well.

Billy's racing car. Photo: Billy Karam's personal archive

— And that was the beginning of your fascination with Porsche…

— Indeed! Then, my fascination with Porsche intensified when I saw the Rothmans Porsche driven by Saeed Al-Hajri, the Qatari King of Dunes, at the 1985 Rally Cyprus. I tried to buy his car, but he told me that it belonged to David Richards, the famed Prodrive Chairman. After reaching a deal, the car was shipped to Lebanon from Jordan. It was delivered a day before my next race, so I didn’t get the time to test it or do the recce. I just jumped in the car and hit the track. It was a fairytale win at the 1986 Lebanon Spring Rally. It marked the beginning of a fine career.

— Did you have any rivalries?

— Yes, but friendly ones! I had great battles with the likes of Michel Aramen, Naji Honeini, Tony Gorgio, Samir Ghanem, Mohamad Bin Suleiman, Abdallah Khachab, Roger Feghali, and Jean-Pierre Nasrallah. We were all solid drivers with an appetite for winning!

— Competing at the top level can be very expensive. Can the hustle of securing sponsorship be mentally exhausting and a source of anxiety for drivers?

— Yes. Motorsports is an expansive discipline. If you don’t have a war chest, you can’t race at the highest level. That’s why professional drivers and teams need sponsors. Historically, all Lebanese drivers have been passionate amateurs who enter races for the love of the sport. The only notable exception is Roger Feghali, 17-time Lebanese Rally Champion, who managed to turn his passion into a successful business. His garage, Motortune Racing, is among the best in the Middle East and has even supported the entries of regional Arab drivers in international rallies.

— What makes a driver a champion then? The talent or the car?

— It is 50/50. In F1, a bad car can sublime the talent of a driver, and a top driver can hide the flaws of a car. A winning package requires having the best car and driver. When it comes to rallying, consistency plays a bigger role due to a higher risk of mechanical failures and accidents. Although the last decades have witnessed technological advances across all boards, racing is still a demanding sport. Drivers still have to train and have sharp reflexes. Sometimes, a split of a second is enough to settle races.

— Did these technological advances help in improving safety standards?

— Absolutely. Based on my long experience, safety regulations are primordial when it comes to racing. Any mistake can result in fatalities. All safety features introduced in the racing world went on to save lives and have trickled down to commercial cars. Security and safety should always remain a priority for all age groups, on and off the tracks.

Recreation of Billy's team. Photo: Billy Karam's personal archive

As we direct our attention to the diorama, we can see that each one is a faithful reaction to the picture hanging by its side. Every detail is recreated in-house. Depending on the size, a diorama can take anywhere between one week and three months, sometimes even more, to complete. Every day after finishing up with office duties, Billy heads to the museum where he spends some time unwinding and building his models. Among the finished ones, we can spot car scenes from movies like Grease, Batman, Kill Bill, Back to The Future, Bullet, Starsky and Hutch, to the delight of cinephiles. But the main plat de resistance are the miniatures of Billy’s garage, The 24 hours of Le Mans, Goodwood Porsche festival, Rally de Nice, BMW and Porsche factories in Germany among others.

Photo: Billy Karam's personal archive

— Do you have any funny paddock anecdotes?

— Here are a couple of interesting stories. During a pre-race sighting at COTA, Texas, which can get very crowded and loud at times, I met good friends of mine. During our brief exchange, they introduced me to a man that accompanied them. As I was eager to catch up with them, I just said hello and resumed my conversation. Imagine my shock when I found out the following week that this stranger was the president of Mexico! I ghosted the president of Mexico! And this is not the end of it. At the same venue, I saw an older man sitting next to Romain Grosjean, a former F1 driver. I just assumed that it was his father, so I quickly greeted him and turned my attention to Romain. It transpired that this elderly man was Buzz Aldrin! The second man who walked on the moon! … Only I can do that!

— Well, it happens to the best of us! Is there anything else that makes a race a memorable one?

— Competition till the last minute. Now, don’t get me wrong, the Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton eras were great. They accomplished big things. However, there wasn’t any intrigue. Everybody knew who the winner would be, regardless of the starting order.

— Is the current points system helping to boost competitiveness?

— No, on the contrary. There are too many points on offer. Previously, a rally driver had to fight for every win to secure the title. Nowadays, they can limit the damage with Super Sunday and power stage points. Also, the system in F1 isn’t fair. The gap between the first three places and the rest is too big, thus setting other drivers on the backfoot. However, this doesn’t dilute the value of a championship win. A win is a win.

Photo: Billy Karam's personal archive

— Since you mentioned Lewis Hamilton, who will win the intra-team battle at Ferrari in 2025?

— Charles Leclerc. I believe he will be able to do better than Lewis Hamilton.

— The Gulf will host 4 F1 races in 2025. Do you think that the future of motorsports is in the Arab region?

— Yes. Saudi Arabia is the new Mecca of motorsport. They have Paris Dakar, Formula 1, 2, 3 and Formula E. They will also host the finale of the 2025 WRC season. Moreover, they are planning on getting NASCAR and Indycar. And, they are investing in top-tier drivers like Yazid Al-Rajihi, the 2025 Dakar Winner.

— Let’s jump back to the past. Red Bull came to Lebanon in 2018, and you hosted them! Tell us more about that.

— In 2018, Red Bull organised a demo run in Beirut, and they were looking for a safe place to store their car and equipment. It turned out that the museum and the surrounding area checked all the requirements. So, I offered them the space, trucks, guards and stay free of charge. There are opportunities that are too good to be passed on, and having the Red Bull F1 team in Lebanon was one of them. I was their de facto ambassador and took care of Carlos Sainz Jr. They stayed for six eventful yet successful days. I can’t divulge details, but the show was in danger. All I can say is that without the talent, knowledge and competence of Lebanese mechanics, the car wouldn’t have turned on, literally!

— Do you believe that Carlos Sainz Jr. was unfairly overlooked by Red Bull this year?

— Yes, he was unfairly snubbed. He is not the best on the grid, but he is a very good driver. I rank him fourth after Verstappen, Hamilton and Leclerc.

— Besides Sainz, what other experience of meeting an up-and-coming driver can you tell us?

— In the early 1990s, I had the chance to drive with a young Tommi Mäkinen, who came to Lebanon to hone his skills on asphalt. On D-day, he showed up in plain clothes, hardly the ideal start. After lending him my car, gloves and helmet, we tackled the 3km stage. From the get-go, he was fully committed. At times, I thought that we were going to crash or retire, but he perfectly placed the car on each corner. In the end, he was on par with the stage winner. Immediately, I knew that I was in the presence of a future world champion. He went on to win 4 WRC titles.

Photo: Billy Karam's personal archive

In the last room, one can find some of the finest motorsport memorabilia ever. The original helmets of Senna, Prost, and Loeb, as well as Schumacher’s personal helmet and scooter, are displayed. All of these pieces were gifted to Billy by these renowned names. And the wall of fame is full of pictures of Billy Karam with rallies and F1 champions like Ogier, McRae, Kankkunen, Sainz, Lauda, Vettel, Rossberg, and Alonzo.

— Clearly, Billy, you’ve met the greats of the game. Anyone you wanted to meet but couldn’t?

— Yes, Ayrton Senna, the 3 times F1 world Champion. He tragically died at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. I was scheduled to meet him one week later during the Monaco Grand Prix. But fate decided otherwise. Monaco 1994 was infamously remembered for being a race where everybody was in shock, sad and emotionally lost.

— Would you consider joining the line-up of a historic rally?

— You’ve got some insider information! Last year, I was invited to take part in a European historic rally. Unfortunately, we all know too well the circumstances of 2024 and how it affected Lebanon. There was no way I could have been fully prepared and ready to make a competitive comeback.

— Will you know retirement?

— Well, if there is a car in sight, I will leave everything and get behind the wheel! As long as I am breathing, I am always looking forward to driving!

by Christelle Eldaher