The vintage beige Mercedes would be eye-catching anywhere in the world, but it is especially so on the streets of impoverished Gaza City. Munir al-Shandi, 42, is among a handful of vintage car enthusiasts in the Gaza Strip, defying a punishing Israeli siege imposed on the Palestinian coastal enclave to pursue a passionate hobby. As he drives a 1929 Mercedes-Benz Gazelle, which he restored, through Gaza's cratered roads, young children run after him in excitement, reaching out to touch the car's pristine bodywork.