The third annual Salon Privé London took place once again over three days at Royal Hospital Chelsea, opening its gates to the press and public on Thursday 18th April, and saw over 18,000 visitors, including a sprinkling of celebrity guests, blue-riband manufacturer displays, and of course a mouth-watering gathering of the world’s finest cars and luxury brands, a number of which were exhibiting cars for the first time at this exclusive season-opening motoring event in the capital.
Once again, the leading luxury car brands exhibited their latest models, with British marque Aston Martin returning to Royal Hospital Chelsea for the third consecutive year, with an impressive line-up of cars, including the Valkyrie and new Aston Martin Vantage with its brand-new interior and impressive power increase to 656bhp. The AMV Owners Club also put on an impressive Aston Martin Valkyrie parade with a unique gathering of 14 Valkyries along with two One-77s, a Vulcan and V12 Speedster.
Meanwhile luxury British manufacturer Rolls-Royce exhibited the new Rolls-Royce Spectre with an all-electric drivetrain that gives a range of almost 330 miles for comfortable long-distance grand touring in style.
Sticking with EVs, the new Polestar 4 electric SUV made its public event debut at Salon Privé London, with the first deliveries expected in the UK later this year. This new electric model combines sports car performance and dynamics with SUV practicality, along with a range of over 300 miles.
MG showcased its exciting new Cyberster electric two-seat roadster, which is perhaps an electric successor to the classic MGB Roadster. The new MG Cyberster has an impressive 536bhp and will do the 0-62mph sprint in just 3.2 seconds.
Meanwhile another British marque, Lotus, showcased their new Eletre hyper-SUV as well as the agile new Emira V6 sports car.
Porsche marked 50 years of the 911 Turbo by displaying their latest super powerful model alongside a modern evolution of the turbo brand in their new Porsche Taycan Turbo. Singer also had some of their impressive reimagined 911 models on display. And fittingly on the opening day of the show there was an impressive showcase of 50 Porsche 911 Turbos through the years, which was the first display of its kind in the UK this year. The line-up included some ultra-rare models, including a Porsche 911 964 Turbo S Leichtbau, the first-ever lightweight Turbo built by Porsche, and one of only 11 in right-hand drive form.
Maserati showed off their stunning new MC20 Cielo open-top supercar alongside a new Grecale SUV and GranTurismo GT.
The new Koenigsegg Jesko was seen for the first time here in the UK, described by the Swedish supercar maker as the ultimate track weapon, with its mighty 5.0-litre V8 twin-turbo engine that produces 1,280hp on regular fuel or 1,600hp on E85 biofuel. Also on display was the impressive Koenigsegg Regera and Agera.
McLaren showcased more than 30 models that included a lightweight McLaren Elva, the iconic McLaren 675LT, the McLaren 720S and its latest hybrid supercar, the McLaren Artura.
On Saturday, Salon Privé London welcomed the exclusive SCC Private Members Supercar Club, which brought along a display of 50 incredible cars, including a Porsche 918 Spyder, McLaren Senna, Ferrari F12 tdf, Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS and a Koenigsegg CCR.
This Concours de Vente is the world’s only concours event where every entry is for sale, and saw over 50 cars displayed on the beautiful lawns of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. The Prix d’Honneur winner was a 1930 Bentley Speed Six from Vintage Bentley, which is one of only two close couple coupés and the only surviving example, delivered new to Viscount Mandeville the 10th Duke of Manchester, and has been part of the Medcalf family for over 40 years.
The Bentley also scooped the Class 3 winner for cars costing over £1 million, with a 1960 Aston Martin DB4 GT taking the runners-up prize.
The Class 1 winner for cars up to £250,000, was a 1972 BWM E9 3.0 CSL from The Octane Collection, while a 1955 Jaguar XK140 Drophead from Joe Macari was runner-up.
The Class 2 winner for cars between £250,000 and £1 million, was a black 1983 Lamborghini Countach 5000S from Furlonger Specialist Cars with just 1,780 miles on the clock and formed part of the ‘Yin and Yang’ line up with a sister Countach in white. The runner-up was a 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Pagoda from Hemmels. And a 1990 Ferrari F40 GT from Joe Macari was the People’s Choice winner.
Director David Bagley summed up this year’s show by saying:
“With the spring sun shining and our guests out in force, this year’s Salon Privé London was another incredible success. We had three days packed full of amazing cars, once-in-a-lifetime attractions and even a world record Aston Martin Valkyrie gathering, all of course complemented by the finest in luxury and fine dining. Our season-opening event is one now firmly on the London events calendar, and we can’t wait to see what 2025 has in store for our landmark garden party at Royal Hospital Chelsea.”
Now in its 19th year, the Salon Privé Concours at Blenheim Palace will be held this year from 28th to 31st August, while it has also been confirmed that Salon Privé London will once again return to Royal Hospital Chelsea next year from 10th to 12th April 2025.
Author Bio:
Simon Burrell is Editor of Our Man Behind The Wheel, a professional photographer and former saloon car racing driver.
Photographs by Gary Harman
Be the first to comment