This year’s 21st edition of Salon Privé took place from Wednesday 2nd to Sunday 6th September in the picturesque grounds of Blenheim Palace, the ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill, and saw a record-breaking attendance with a sell-out Saturday and visitor figures across the week exceeding 30,000.
This memorable end-of-summer spectacle once again demonstrated its place as the UK’s premier luxury automotive and global Concours event with the return of the palatial Automotive Manufacturer’s Gallery, Ladies’ Day by Boodles, Richard Hammond’s popular attendance along with a host of UK debuts and unveils from some of the world’s most sought-after coachbuilders, restorers and car manufacturers including Lamborghini, BRABUS, Polestar, Electrogenic, Koenigsegg and Giamaro Automobili. There was also a first look at some of this year’s latest hypercars, restomods and EVs.
History was also made this year as the 2025 Rimac Nevera Time Attack became the first fully electric car ever to compete at Salon Privé and was joined by other modern brands such as the 2019 Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 Prototype 1, Lamborghini’s original development vehicle for its first hybrid flagship.
Andrew Bagley, Chairman and co-founder of Salon Privé, said:
“This year we wanted to deliver an event that not only matched our historic 20th anniversary show but moved the dial for what a Concours could be. With the introduction of two new supercar and hypercar Concours classes, and the addition of a second Best of Show award that recognises contemporary collectables, we certainly believe that we are now firmly leading the way in raising the bar for automotive eventing globally.”
Any event at Blenheim Palace calls for a dress code that feels elegant and considered as style has always been an integral part of the Salon Privé experience, Friday’s Ladies’ Day being one such example as visitors competed with classic cars as to who looked the best turned out.
70 cars competed across 12 curated classes in the Salon Privé Concours this year, from pre-war racing legends and one-off coach built masterpieces to prototype hypercars and modern icons, spanning almost a century of automotive history. And for the first time in its 21-year history, Salon Privé crowned two Best of Show winners as it recognised not only the great classics of the past but also the modern collector cars that are shaping the today’s market.
A beautiful 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S, owned by Amir Ravan and the RLC Collection, received the coveted Best of Show Concours d’Elégance award, shown as part of the Class aptly titled, The Italian Job – 60 Years of the Lamborghini Miura. While a 1995 McLaren F1 owned by Terry Bramall made history as the inaugural winner of the new Best of Show Concours d’Excellence which has been created to celebrate the finest limited production supercars and hypercars, titled Poster Cars – Icons from Our Youth. The F1 was selected as the finest modern collector car on Blenheim Palace’ lawns.
This new category recognises the growing importance of contemporary performance cars within today’s international collector market and following two days of judging, Andrew Bagley, said:
“The standard of cars on the competition field this year has been incredible, and I think our two winners demonstrate just how much the collector car world has evolved.
“Introducing the Concours d’Excellence Award was a big step for us this year. The great classics will always be at the heart of the Salon Privé Concours, but there’s no question that modern supercars and hypercars are now hugely important to collectors too, and they deserve to be recognised in their own right.”
Another highlight of Salon Privé’s weekend was the Concours de Vente, which featured classic cars entered by some of the UK’s most reputable restorers and specialists, all of which were for sale. Celebrity motoring presenter Richard Hammond together with the other judges chose a 1994 Bugatti EB110 SS Prototype from Furlonger Specialist Cars as the winner of the Prix d’Honneur, whilst the runner up prize went to Bruce Greatham Classic Benz’s 1968 Mercedes-Benz 280SL.
Saturday’s Salon Privé Club Trophy by Lockton was awarded to a 1958 Porsche 356 Speedster owned by Dr Kotecha and shown by Porsche Club Great Britain, being one of just 19 right-hand drive models produced, of which only 4,800 were ever produced in total.
Sunday’s Lifestyle Club Trophy award went to Mitchell Orchant of Drivers Union for his 2018 Aston Martin Vanquish S Volante. With a 5.9 litre V12 engine and extensive use of carbon fibre.
Sales Director, David Bagley, commented:
“With Salon Privé rounding out the British Summer social season, we’re delighted to confirm our 2027 dates. We will be back next year with even more historic motoring moments in both London and Oxfordshire.”
The organisers have now confirmed that Salon Privé Week will return to Blenheim Palace for its 22nd edition from Wednesday 1st to Sunday 5th September 2027, following on the heels of the Sloane Street Concours on 10th April and Salon Privé London which will take place between 15th to 17th April 2027.
For more information on Salon Privé and to purchase tickets for next year’s event, please visit: www.salonpriveconcours.com.
Author Bio:
Simon Burrell is a UK-based motoring and travel journalist and editor, a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers and former saloon car racing driver.
Photographs by Gary Harman
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