Car fanatic Abu Dhabi prince once ordered so many cars that Mercedes had to suspend factory production
Published on Jan 21, 2026 at 3:59 PM (UTC+4)
by Ben Thompson
Last updated on Jan 21, 2026 at 3:59 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
This Abu Dhabi prince was such a car fanatic that his order caused Mercedes to suspend factory production.
Around the world, royalty has a reputation for enjoying the finer things in life – cars included.
But Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan al Nahyan, part of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family, may be in a league of his own.
His enthusiasm for cars was enough to temporarily grind Mercedes production to a halt.
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This Abu Dhabi prince was such a car fan that Mercedes had to halt production to accommodate him
Back in the early 1990s, Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan al Nahyan placed an extraordinary order with Mercedes-Benz.
The German automotive brand has no doubt received some challenging orders in its time.
But this was a whole different ballgame.
Instead of requesting a single bespoke car, the prince placed an order for an entire fleet of Mercedes-Benz S-Class cars, each one in a unique color of the rainbow, with matching interiors.
It’s no wonder that this commission earned this Abu Dhabi prince the nickname ‘the Rainbow Sheikh’.
Not only did he want a car in each color, but one car would come painted in oscillating colors of the rainbow.
Pulling together resources to complete this order was no small feat, as Mercedes had to temporarily shut down a portion of its factory to accommodate his wishes.
Thirty years on, the cars are a treasured part of the Emirates National Auto Museum, owned by the Sheikh himself.
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Royals have a taste for the finer things in life – and that includes cars
It’s just in terms of color range that the prince’s collection impresses – he also owns the world’s biggest Hummer.
But he’s not alone in having expensive taste, as many royal families around the world share his passion for cars.
Take a look at the British Royal Family, for a start.
King Charles III has a £15 million car collection that perfectly reflects his personality, including a $460k Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II gifted to him by the King of Bahrain back in 2023.
Arguably, the most memorable vehicle in his possession is the Aston Martin DB6, which runs on surplus wine and cheese whey.
And it evidently runs in the family, as his late mother loved driving too – so much so that she was off-roading even when in her 90s.
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Following stints at LadBible, The Sun, The New York Post, and the Daily Mail, Ben joined the team full-time in February 2025. In his role as Senior Content Writer, his sparkling copy, the ability to sniff out a good story at 100 paces, and a GSOH quickly led to him becoming an integral and invaluable member of the writing staff.
