Time was when you could walk into a
major auto show and order a car right from the manufacturer’s display. And for those with the wherewithal
of Scrooge McDuck, even prototypes were available if enough money was proffered. That may no longer be the case
at most auto shows, but that’s exactly how things still work in Dubai.
In fact, according to AME
Info, the 8th Annual Middle East International Auto Show announced Monday that it cleared the equivalent of $27
million in sales as the show drew to a close— this, on attendance of just 81,272 (an 8-percent increase). For the
arithmetically challenged, that works out to about $330 per visitor— not too shabby.
That includes as many
as six new Buggati Veyron 16.4s, a Pagani Zonda, a few Lamborghinis, a bulletproof Maybach, and… interestingly
enough, a shedload of Dodge Chargers.
With the immense concentration of wealth, the growing international
reputation of Dubai as a playground for the hyper-rich, and the increasing importance of international markets, it
would seem that the show is destined to grow in the future.