European Times: Who is Adnan Khan?
Mr. Adnan Khan: My name is Adnan Khan and my nickname is DANNY.
I am 48 years old and I come from Spijkenisse, a town near Rotterdam.
My father came from Pakistan to the Netherlands in the 1970’s. He was the first Pakistani who received a scholarship to study dentistry in the Netherlands.
My mother is of Surinamese Hindustani descent and she teaches in an elementary school.
I went to boarding school in England at 12. Then, to be able to pay for my training as a dental technician, I started working as a car salesman at 18. I found this very enjoyable to do. When I turned 21 I received my degree in dental technology. At that time, without experience, it was not easy to find a good job as a dental technician, therefore I quickly returned to selling cars in order to make a living.
I ended up in Naarden, the Netherlands, as a car salesman at a luxury car dealership, where I sold many cars and felt completely comfortable in the world of my dreams. My hobby became my work!
European Times: What was the name of that dealer?
Mr. Adnan Khan: Cool Cars Naarden BV and Autostad Amsterdam Noord, these were two very well-known dealers in the Netherlands, run by Charles Zwolsman, a very well-known name in the car world. He was good to his staff and even provided me with accommodation.
I lived in a nice apartment in Bussum in the Havenstraat, where I felt like a King.
In my spare time I also accompanied his two sons Charles junior and Ross to enage in their hobby go-karting. We were on the circuit in Lelystad almost every weekend. What a great time that was! I was also active with MIRACH Motors in Laren, where the family Albers specialised in Porches and whose son Christijaan Albers was a Formula 1 driver in the year 2000.
Eventually I started working as a dental technician and worked in various laboratories to gain work experience.
From 2007 to 2009 I moved to Kortrijk Belgium. There besides a practice in dental prosthetics, I also ran a car company called Mirage Prestige Cars. I had a great time in Kortrijk but due to circumstances I went back to England at the end of 2009.
In England I set up my own laboratory in dental technology and again a luxury car showroom, because selling cars is now in my blood.
In 2014 I opened a large showroom in Strattford, East London for Mercedes and Bentley and other exclusive brands. The business was hugely successful and everything was going smoothly until Brexit threw a monkey wrench in the works. Moreover, my marriage was on the rocks, and to make matters worse Covid-19 was lurking around the corner. I made the decision to close my garage in London and to return to Belgium with Mirage Automotive Selections.
European Times: What exactly are you going to do in Belgium?
Mr. Adnan Khan: In Belgium, I am going to start Mirage Automotive Selections, which includes three divisions namely:
- Mirage Rolls Royce & Bentley Club Europe,
- Mirage Prestige sports and classic cars
- Mirage Designed by Khan Tuning and Styling.
All under one roof!
This will be an exclusive showroom where the finest cars of Belgium will be on display and where visitors can enjoy a snack and a drink while admiring the most beautiful dream cars.
The opening is planned for July 2021 and the location is on the border of the Netherlands and Belgium, so that both Dutch and Belgian buyers can easily access the showrooms and everyone is very welcome.
European Times: What is the most difficult thing about this business?
Mr. Adnan Khan: I would certainly not call it difficult. Providing good service at all times and serving the customer optimally is crucial in any business. It is important to always be available for and to fully serve your customer. Listening to exactly what the customer means, in order to serve them in the best possible way, that’s what I stand for.
I lived in London for more than 23 years and made a good living there. Besides working very hard, I have also enjoyed a good life. Moreover, I have invested my money in the right places and that has paid off.
European Times: Why Belgium?
Mr. Adnan Khan: I chose Belgium because I feel at home here. The people are friendly and flexible and you can always come to an agreement. I want to expand my business here in the coming years and become the leading dealer for Rolls Royce and Bentley, but also for other exclusive brands.
Also worth mentioning is that I am the President of RRBCE (Rolls Royce Bentley Club Europe). This is a club of European Rolls Royce and Bentley owners, a club that, within a few months, will be active in Belgium.
This year we are also going to launch the first edition of our club magazine that will be distributed only to members and owners of exclusive cars; not only Rolls Royce and Bentley drivers, but also owners of a Mercedes , BMW or Audi for example.
All owners who want to be informed about car news, meetings, dinners and outings can become a member of the club.
I also have about 70 Rolls Royce and Bentley models from classic to the most modern high-tech versions in stock, for sale or rental. You can say that Mirage Automotive Selections is one of the biggest players in the Benelux in the Rolls Royce and Bentley world!
There is also a division called MIRAGE PRESTIGE , SPORTS AND CLASSIC CARS. Other slightly more affordable cars are offered such as Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Audi, VW. You can choose from about 70 stock cars of all brands here.
And then finally we have the division MIRAGE DESIGNED BY KHAN, this is where I re-design, redecorate luxury brands. One can choose any interior here, which we then custom make. The finish in fabric, leather, wood or aluminum all to your liking.
This is what Mirage Automotive Selections does. Our team can meet all personal wishes, nothing is impossible for us!
European Times: Are you going to open a showroom in the Netherlands in the near future?
Mr. Adnan Khan: No, definitely not. I love the Netherlands and I am proud to be Dutch, but I no longer want to start a business in the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, if you are making progress you attract a lot of unwanted attention.
To give an example:
A few months ago, I was driving towards Haarlem and was stopped by the Police for a check that lasted two and a half hours. My Mercedes S500 with an English license plate was put on the radar by automatic license plate recognition and was checked daily for nothing.
I was alone that day on my way to Hotel Van der Valk Haarlem to meet a Dutch lady of Iranian descent who regularly does translation work for me from Persian to Dutch. I chose to meet in Vander Valk because I enjoy the fried salmon and my favorite dessert Créme Brullee is the best there. In other words, all that fuss over nothing!
I think the Netherlands, because of its Calvinist background, still has difficulties with people who like to stand out in the crowd. The moment you drive a Rolls Royce or a Bentley in the Netherlands, the tax authorities will pay you a visit before you know it. In Belgium and England the culture is completely different.
But that doesn’t change the fact that the Dutch also love luxury cars and will take them out every now and then. This is precisely why we do not want to trivialize this market.
European Times: What do you expect from this year?
Mr. Adnan Khan: We hope of course that covid-19 will soon be a thing of the past and that we can open quickly in July 2021.
We are planning to choose Lommel as our location. We would like to invite all car enthusiasts to come and visit our showroom in Lommel. We will be located right in the center of Lommel, near the Vivaldi shopping center. We choose this visible and accessible location, where the atmosphere is quite cozy.
