Luxury cars and motorboats: the great life of AGA Khan

Mourning in the world of jet-set and high international finance with the disappearance of Karim al-Husayni, the fourth in Lisbon Aga Khan. Imam of the Ismailites Nizariti, Al-Husayni has distinguished himself To have been able to create a true economic power with many interests also in Italy.

A powerful family

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Son of Ali Aga Khan and Tajuddawlah Aga Khan, aka Joan Barbara Yarde-Buller, Karim al-Husayni assumed the title of Aga Khan in the summer of 1957 happening to grandfather Mohammed Shah, who disappeared at the age of eighty. Ali Aga Khan expressly wanted the title to pass to his nephew instead of him. This decision will make his family extremely powerful on an economic level, putting together an estimated stellar heritage in thirteen billion dollars. Educated in Switzerland, in the Ginevra Rosey Institute, He graduated in 1959 in Harvard in “Islamic history”. His family, in this regard, was the main current of Ismailitesone of the most powerful ethnic groups since the time of the ancient Arabic caliphate that from the 6th to the ninth century extended its influence on the Middle East, North Africa and Spain.

Benefactor for Sardinia

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Karim al-Husayni was a innovatorgiving up the ancient sumptuous traditions of his family and committing very much on an entrepreneurial level. He was one of the first to bet on the enormous potential of the coasts of Sardinia at a tourist levelcreating the tourist complex of the Costa Smeralda. The town of Porto Cervo he became a must for the characters of the jet-set international. Karim al-Husayni He also worked a lot to snatch Sardinia from isolation from the continentfounding Alisarda in 1963, building a large port with exclusive Yacht Club a Porto Cervo And therefore, in 1969, Olbia airport.

Luxury car lover

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Obviously the prince It was not “immune” from the desire to own luxury vehicles. In the garage of AGI Khan they remember in particular two cars of the highest level: A Maserati Quattroporte of 1967purchased at the French branch of the brand and headed to the prince’s mother, Aly Khan, and An Aston Martin DB5 from 1964Green Goodwood color with 4.0 liter six -cylinder engine, Purchased in 1986. The two cars have reached important prices. There Maserati was auctioned for 58,200 euros while Aston Martin, restored in 2016 by Hexagon Classics, has reached The “monstre” value of 800,000 pounds. A further Maserati Quattroporte was tailor -made for the prince by the frame Fruacharacterizing for the streamlined Motlo design.

Also luxury motorboats and planes They were in the availability of the prince for his continuous movements around the world. In particular, the recent ones are remembered among the yachts Alamsharfifty meters long and with an estimated value of fifty million dollars, and it Shergar46.6 meters long and built in 1983. The name of this panfilo derives from the famous thoroughbred of the prince’s stablesvictim of a kidnapping while it was engaged in Ireland and therefore killed after being crippled. Yacht Shergar has reached the value of forty millions of American dollars.

A great sporting career

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The fourth Aga Khan He was also super busy on the sports front. As an athlete He participated in the Chamonix Ski World Championships of 1962 under the colors of Great Britain, To then compete at the 1964 Innsbruck Olympics with the colors of Iran. In both cases the prince did not report significant results. He was the founder of the Costa Smeralda Yacht Clubwhich knew glorious pages on a sporting level. In 1983 and 1987 The Yacht Club took part in the America’s Cup with two versions of the boat Blue. The best result was in the first participation: thanks to the skipper experience Cino Ricci it was reached An unexpected third place at the Louis Vuitton Cup.

Later, in 1992, the Costa Smeralda Yacht Club was a motorboat partner Steed in conquering the speed record in the Atlantic crossing. The monoscofor traveled the route from New York to the Scilly Islands in just fifty -eight hours, thirty -four minutes and fifty secondspulverizing the previous record of the Hoverspeed Great Britain which took “only” twenty -one hours more. At the head of the crew was Cesare Fiorio, who thus found redemption after the inglorious end of his experience at the Ferrari team in Formula Uno. Steed It was equipped with three gas turbines capable of developing a power of 51,675 HP and connected to three Kamewa 125 hydrogen; It was 67.7 meters long and 13 meters wide. Unfortunately, the hull was soon abandoned and finally demolished last year.

Karim al-Husayni also he also committed himself to the front of car racing front. Together with the president of the Sassari Automobile Club Franco Di Suni The prince was one of the founders of Rally Costa Smeraldathe race that in the 1980s had become a prominent event thanks to the presence of the cars of the World rally, including the cars of the Lancia Martini team. Names such as those of Henri Toivonen, Juha Kankkunen And Miki Biasion. The race was the basis for originating since 2004 the Rally Italia Sardegna valid for the WRC; With the current denomination Rally Costa Smeralda, however, a race valid for the Italian Historical Rally remains active.