Abandoned supercars of Dubai

Dozens of Jaguars, BMWs and Mercedes have been left with the keys in the ignitions by former owners who decided to cut their losses and run away rather than face potential jail sentences under Dubai’s strict debt laws. More than 3,000 cars are abandoned every year — to be sold off by Dubai police or scrapped.

High end sports cars gather dust at Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports after panicked expats flee the country to avoid prison. Under Sharia law which is observed across the Middle East, non-payment of debt is a criminal offence. As the UAE has no bankruptcy laws, there is no protection for those slipping into debt, even accidentally. There have been cases of foreigners being prevented from leaving the Emirates after being blacklisted.

Missing a credit card payment or bouncing a cheque in Dubai means jail.

Najeeb Khan's car collection - The Elkhart Collection

Najeeb Khan was sentenced to just over 8 years in prison in November 2023 for his $150m fraud scheme.

Wayne Gretzky's Ford GT Heritage brought $511k, above a $360k top estimate.

The final tally for RM Sotheby's Elkhart auction in 2022 was $44.4m. That was funneled directly to the U.S. federal team handling the repatriation of Kahn's fraud proceeds. Top lot was a 1952 Ferrari 225 S Berlinetta with coachwork by Vignale which hammered for $2.8m. A Ghia-bodied 8V Supersonic raked in just over $2m for second place. A restored Lamborghini Miura made $1.6m, and a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL $1.5m.

Najeeb Khan was the founder of Elkhart, Indiana-based payroll firm Interlogic Outsourcing Inc. He engineered a fraud exceeding $150m. Khan resigned from the company and filed for personal bankruptcy. Khan's huge former car collection went up for auction through RM Sotheby's.

Ford once owned by Wayne Gretzy.

The 281 vehicles were valued at $31m. 240 cars, 30 motorcycles, trucks, trailers, and a boat were sold. 1952 Ferrari 225 S Berlinetta 1964 Aston Martin DB5

1972 Lamborghini Miura P400 SV - $2.7m

One of 150 Lamborghini Miura SVs (Spinto Veloce) built from 1971-1973. One of 96 late-production “split-sump” Miura P400 SVs, and one of 76 examples of the final year of production. German delivery example originally equipped with factory air conditioning. Here.

In 1965, the supercar didn't really exist - until the Miura. It was the first supercar; a car on a different level from all those that preceded it. Gian Paolo Dallara and assistant Paolo Stanzani designed the steel tub chassis that placed Bizzarrini’s V12 engine directly behind the driver in a transverse position. The final design was first presented as a bare chassis at the 1965 Turin Motor Show.

The Miura SV was launched at the 1971 Geneva Salon. It was the refined swansong of the car that made its debut at the same event in 1966. In total 148 SV Miuras were produced before the last car rolled off the line early in 1973. Today, the Miura SV is widely recognized as the most collectible Lamborghini ever made.

1934 Ford V8 - Bonnie and Clyde Death Car

Ford launched a new model for 1932. The V-8 was marketed as the Model 18 in its initial year, and was commonly called the Ford V‑8. It had the new flathead 3.6-litre V8 engine. The Model 18 was the first mass marketed car with a V8 engine. It's output was 85 hp.

The 1934 Ford V-8 is infamous as being the vehicle in which Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were ambushed and killed. Bonnie and Clyde stole the car from Ruth Warren's garage in May 1934. On May 23, 1934, they were traveling in the sedan in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, when a posse opened fire and riddled their car with bullets.

There are many fakes. The real Bonnie and Clyde Death Car has long been parked at its home casino in Primm, Nevada. Accompanying the car is Clyde's shredded shirt of death, perforated with a number of ragged holes in both the front and back.

Austin Powers 'Shaguar' Jaguar E-type roadster - $880,000

The 'Shaguar' Jaguar E-type roadster from the Austin Powers movies. Debuting in the 1997 film "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery," this E-type appeared in all 3 Austin Powers films. The only car used in all three films driven by Mike Myers and the leading ladies. Here.