Gaurav Dhar is the business development manager at Marshal Equipment and Trading, a company specialising in card-based payment technology headquartered in Dubai. Here he talks about his passion for car collecting and how he's getting others involved in his pastime.
Where does your passion for classic cars stem from?
I always loved cars. I was born here in the UAE, so you always saw the latest cars on the road and it was always fascinating. Travelling to London and India to study, you constantly had kids growing up talking about cars. You could tell them about these cars in Dubai that no one saw on the streets of India or London. Then it got a bit boring.
How so?
It became too flashy. There was no value attached to it. That boyhood passion of seeing jagged lines of Jaguars and Lamborghinis faded into insignificance as you realised what people had them out here for: they were flashy gimmicks.
So what reignited your interest in cars?
I started reading up on the history of classic cars. I was fresh out of university and had no money to spend, but then I started studying the markets. I got in touch with auction houses worldwide and collectors and museums.
Then you created an online database known as the Rolling Art Emporium, which you're currently overhauling. Who exactly is the site going to target?
It's for existing collectors who want to enjoy and keep their passion going. It's enthusiasts who want to become owners. I decided to start [the site] to be the one-stop shop where everyone can learn about classic cars... whether it's helping people buy cars or giving people advice.
How much time have you invested in creating your site?
Sometimes I'm up until one in the morning on the phone to the US market, calling friends in museums out there.
You've said you've earned a commission by helping to sell certain models in the past. But you also collect as many cars as you can. What do you own?
I have a 1960 [Triumph] TR3A with modified steering. The Triumph was the first car with disc brakes for standard protection. Then I have a 1927 Ford Hot Rod with a 1967 Corvette engine in it. I just bought another car: a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado. It's not only the first [US] front-wheel-drive car after the [now defunct car maker] Cord [in 1929], but the first car that took seven years to make and went through 1.5 million km of testing before they introduced it into the market.
How much have you invested in your cars?
I have no savings, and my parents are going to kill me … It's just fascinating, and should be respected. It can be an investment. Some people collect art. I like to collect cars.
* Neil Parmar
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A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Teenage%20Mutant%20Ninja%20Turtles%3A%20Shredder's%20Revenge
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ETribute%20Games%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dotemu%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsoles%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENintendo%20Switch%2C%20PlayStation%204%26amp%3B5%2C%20PC%20and%20Xbox%20One%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Champions League Last 16
Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) v Bayern Munich (GER)
Sporting Lisbon (POR) v Manchester City (ENG)
Benfica (POR) v Ajax (NED)
Chelsea (ENG) v Lille (FRA)
Atletico Madrid (ESP) v Manchester United (ENG)
Villarreal (ESP) v Juventus (ITA)
Inter Milan (ITA) v Liverpool (ENG)
Paris Saint-Germain v Real Madrid (ESP)
FINAL SCORES
Fujairah 130 for 8 in 20 overs
(Sandy Sandeep 29, Hamdan Tahir 26 no, Umair Ali 2-15)
Sharjah 131 for 8 in 19.3 overs
(Kashif Daud 51, Umair Ali 20, Rohan Mustafa 2-17, Sabir Rao 2-26)
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Company profile
Name: Infinite8
Based: Dubai
Launch year: 2017
Number of employees: 90
Sector: Online gaming industry
Funding: $1.2m from a UAE angel investor
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