Simply Abu Dhabi XXIV

2 6 9 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I enthusiasts, and it’s going to be something special for classic car enthusiasts for years to come,” he added. For the motor racing enthusiast, McLaren air freighted in possibly its most prized possession: the Can-Am race car built by company founder Bruce McLaren. Quite rightly, this McLarenM1Bwon the race car trophy despite strong competition including Gilles Villeneuve’s 1982 Ferrari Formula One car and a modern Ferrari 488 GT3 car owned by local Dubai operation, Dragon Racing. This year marks the 50th anniversary of arguably the wildest motor racing series ever run, the legendary no rules racing Can-Am championship, and McLaren was one of the most successful constructors of the time. The 1966 Mars Red, M1B open cockpit which was designed and built by Bruce McLaren and Robin Herd, is powered by a 340bhp Oldsmobile-badged Chevrolet V8. It is the first McLaren Can-Am car built and it holds the honour of leading the opening lap of the first ever Can-Am race which was run at the Circuit Mont- Tremblant in Quebec on 11 September 1966. Set in the lush grounds of the new Burj Al Arab Terrace and around the gardens, the invitation-only event remained an intimate and luxurious environment for exotic car lovers to mingle with like-minded enthusiasts of luxury brands. “The inaugural Gulf Concours was an extraordinary event. We were very proud to see the rarest classic and modern cars displayed in our gardens and to welcome thousands of collectors and connoisseurs from the GCC and beyond,” said Scott Murray, Hotel Manager of Burj Al Arab Jumeirah. Most recently, the team from Thorough Events ran the successful Concours of Elegance in the private quadrangle of England’s Windsor Castle with the kind permission of Her Majesty the Queen. The Gulf Concours is set to become one of the world’s most noted Concours d’elegance events and will be a part of Dubai 2020 by attracting the wealthiest collectors and connoisseurs from within the region and around the globe.