The way the wealthy transport high-end motor vehicles globally.
"There's a man named Naran who owns a valuable Porsche Carrera GT worth £1.5m ($1.9m), which he keeps at an airport in Dubai. His company, Vimana Private Jets, has offices in Los Angeles and New York as well. When he travels, Emirates helps them by putting his car on the earliest flight to his destination. He's not the only rich car owner who gives little thought to purchasing flight tickets for their vehicles. They make use of the specialized car transportation services offered by many airlines, especially those based in the Middle East. In fact, a community of transportation experts has emerged to collaborate with these airlines and manage the needs of the super-rich.
It's a busy time of the year for these services, as the affluent residents of the Gulf states prepare to fly to cooler places for the summer following Ramadan. One time, Naran took his Porsche from Dubai to London on Emirates, and it cost him £28,000 ($36,000). It's more than what he'd spend on a brand-new Golf, but he wouldn't want to be seen in a family hatchback.
Naran also mentions his jet clients who are wealthy and less price-sensitive who don't consider flying their cars on commercial airlines. Instead, they'll charter cargo planes from Vimana Private Jets, which costs millions.
The ultra-wealthy often take entire fleets of cars and other toys with them when they travel, flying them on chartered cargo planes that follow their private jets. They prefer covered trucks to deliver the cars to their clients' addresses or garages, and don't want random delivery drivers adding miles to their cherished vehicles.
Naran mentions that some of his clients are not bothered by such excesses; one recently chartered a cargo plane to be ready to fly as soon as his new Samsung TV wouldn't fit through the door of his private jet. While some rare cars can be worth millions, not all of them are. Naran recounts a client who transports a Nissan Patrol 4x4; he can't think of the value, but the owner enjoys it and bears the cost of millions to fly it around with his Bugatti.
Dan Hallworth began shipping cars about 15 years ago after working at his uncle's freight firm in Manchester, England, after completing school. He says most of the business was in the summer and involved cars coming from the Middle East to London. There used to be countless stories of hypercars cruising in posh parts of London with Qatari princes who ignored speed limits and parking fines outside luxury department stores.
Hallworth, who can send a car between Dubai and London for around £10,000 ($13,000) on cheaper airlines, reported that the market has evolved. The authorities in London started cracking down on display drivers, and viral videos of crimes have deterred his clientele. Now they're often traveling for skiing and other activities, and the business is year-round.
Hallworth, whose company, Dan Car Logistics, now transports over 100 vehicles by air and thousands more by road, mentions that his customers are mainly from the Middle East, including royal families. He once transported a "huge" Mercedes to Los Angeles for £20,000 ($25,000), and a £12m ($15.3m) customized Bugatti Chiron Hermes edition to Marbella, Spain, for a Qatari prince.
The airlines have taken note of this trend and Etihad Cargo informs that the biggest demand for its FlightValet car shipping service is in the UK. From 2023, more than half of the 139 shipments of 151 cars they flew originated from Heathrow, mostly bound for Abu Dhabi and Dubai. December was the busiest month, and the major destinations for cars leaving the UAE were Frankfurt, Zurich, and Chicago.
However, Etihad Cargo deals with registered freight agents instead of individuals; cars are considered 'dangerous goods' and the paperwork required for them to clear customs is complex. Hallworth, who's 33, says he has a yearly insurance policy covering all his work and includes it in his prices. He also chooses not to take on clients that seem suspicious for security reasons."
Similar to Naran, who is currently creating his own hypercar (and it'll set you back more than £1 million or $1.3 million), Hallworth has expanded his company through mouth-to-mouth marketing at the elite level. Sometimes, this can lead to challenging demands. "I've been asked to move horses and camels," he states. "It's not quite my thing, and I'd never agree to a task if I'm not certain the freight will be alive upon arrival."
