Classic Cars in the UAE

Dubai's classic car scene, venue by venue

Alserkal Avenue in Al Quoz began as an arts district and has grown into a hub for classic car showrooms and restoration workshops, Nostalgia Classic Cars among them. Tomini Classics, grown out of a 2010 private collection, lists over 100 post-war sportscars and also trades on the Classic Trader marketplace. Neither is a partner of ours; both show what the local trade looks like.

One entry needs a caveat: the Gulf Concours, held on the Burj Al Arab's private lawns, has documented editions only from around 2016 and 2017. We could not confirm it still runs annually: check current status before planning around it.

RTA classic registration and the 30-year rule

The Roads and Transport Authority handles vehicle classification and registration in Dubai; Federal Customs Authority policy plus emirate-level customs such as Dubai Customs handle clearance. Our importing a classic car to the UAE guide walks through the paperwork in order:

• Classic status: car over 30 years old, plus a pass on RTA technical testing (brakes, lights, tyres, structural integrity)
• Ordinary used-vehicle imports are capped around 10 years old, the 30-year classic route is an exemption from that ban, not a tax discount
• RTA issues a distinct yellow and white Classic plate, rolled out from November 2020
• LHD is required for standard registration, RHD is barred except classic-status cars. The RHD threshold may be 30 years or a case-by-case 25, confirm with RTA
• A Vehicle Classification Certificate and an around-AED-350 fee are industry-cited, not confirmed on an official RTA schedule

Duty, VAT and what an import actually costs

Budget 5% of the CIF value under the GCC Common External Tariff. No classic-car-specific duty exemption was found, so classics pay the standard rate. One single-sourced claim of a duty exemption for electric vehicles is unverified, and irrelevant to a petrol or diesel classic anyway.

VAT has run at 5% since January 2018, applied on the duty-inclusive value, for a combined effective burden commonly described around 10.25%. Confirm your HS code and final landed cost with Dubai Customs or a licensed clearing agent before committing; our import services for the UAE page covers how we handle the process end to end.

What Dubai and Abu Dhabi collectors are chasing

The Ferrari Testarossa has real, named local supply: Tomini Classics and Nostalgia Classic Cars both carry Testarossa and 512TR stock, part of a wider Gulf taste for 80s and 90s nostalgia.

The Nissan Skyline GT-R R34 has a genuine, documented UAE presence: unmodified cars retrofitted with catalytic converters can go street legal, and RTA generally handles JDM RHD imports under classic permits benchmarked around 30 years. Many owners convert to LHD instead; costs are cited around 12% duty plus 10% agency fees plus shipping.

Air-cooled Porsche 911s, the 964 and later 993, are a described Gulf favorite for long-term value, cited at 5 to 8% a year. The Toyota FJ40 Land Cruiser rounds this out on culture rather than pricing: real desert and off-road cachet regionally, even without FJ40-specific UAE demand figures.