Forged in Coachwork and Provenance
Simon Kidston grew up listening to the echo of V12 exhausts in the Swiss Alps, where his family’s own pre‑war Bentleys taught him that history can travel fast. After a decade running European motor‑car auctions for Bonhams, he launched Kidston SA in Geneva in 2006 as a boutique advisory house for blue‑chip collectors. The goal was simple yet rare: match cars of impeccable story with owners who would cherish them.
From Lake Geneva to the Gulf
In 2018 Kidston opened Kidston DMCC inside Dubai’s financial free zone, reading the region’s growing appetite for heritage metal long before most rivals. The office sits high above Sheikh Zayed Road, but the cars it sources—pre‑war Alfa Romeos, short‑wheelbase Ferraris, Zagato‑bodied Lamborghinis—often started life on Italian mountain passes or French concours lawns.
How the Hunt Works
Unlike volume dealers, Kidston trades in fewer than forty cars a year. Each candidate crosses an internal checklist that covers chassis stamps, race entries, period photographs, and restoration ethics. “A repaint can be reversed,” he likes to say, “but lost history never returns.” When a match is made, the car receives a full provenance book, often heavier than the steering wheel itself.
A Modern Salon in the Cloud
Kidston’s story-telling reaches beyond private binders. His Instagram feed, @simonkidston, mixes Monaco paddock shots with archive slides of Mille Miglia heroes for over 190,000 followers. The company channel, kidstonproductions offers studio reels that turn door handles into jewellery. Together, these platforms give Dubai’s new‑money collectors a crash course in old‑world nuance.
Clients Who Collect Emotions
Kidston’s roll‑call includes fashion titan Ralph Lauren, watch impresarios, and Gulf royals who prefer signatures in fountain‑pen ink. The common thread: buyers seek emotion before investment.
Why Dubai Fits the Brief
Why Dubai fits the brief
The Emirates already celebrates tomorrow with hypercars and autonomous taxis. Kidston supplies the counterbalance: craftsmanship from an analog age. Warm winter roads allow pre-war Bugattis to stretch their legs, and a year-round events calendar, from Gulf Concours to desert rallies, gives owners a stage beyond climate-controlled garages.
Next on the Grid
Electrification will not shrink the appetite for heritage, Kidston believes. It will sharpen it. As new cars grow silent, the bark of a 1960s V12 may feel like live theatre.
