Anticipation is building for the 19th edition of the Salon Privé concours, which returns to the opulent grounds of Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire from August 28-31, 2024.
Touted as the “UK’s most exclusive automotive garden party”, Salon Privé will see a varied selection of 75 collector cars compete across 13 classes in a bid to secure the coveted Best of Show crown. Last year’s Best of Show title was awarded to a 1937 Bugatti Type 57 by Corsica, which was fielded by JCB founder Lord Bamford.
A gamut of very special cars are confirmed to be in attendance this year, including a pair of classic Ferraris that are rarely seen on UK soil
The concours entries will be evaluated by an expert jury led by chairman Nigel Matthews to International Chief Judge Advisory Group (ICJAG) standards, before the winning car is announced on August 29 at 3:00pm.
Complementing the concours machinery are special displays dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Bugatti Type 35, 120th anniversary of Rolls-Royce, 50 years of the Porsche 930 Turbo and 25 years of the Porsche 911 GT3. British manufacturer Naran will also debut its new £2m four-seater hyper coupé at the event, while Zenvo will publicly display its new Tur and Agil hypercars for only the second time.
A gamut of very special cars are confirmed to be in attendance this year, including a pair of classic Ferraris that are rarely seen on UK soil. The first is a 1957 Ferrari 335 S that was acquired by its current US owner in a 2005 Rétromobile auction for £25m.
This particular example, identified as chassis 0674, was driven in period by the likes of Sir Stirling Moss, Peter Collins, Mike Hawthorn and Wolfgang von Trips, at events such as the Mille Miglia, Sebring 12 Hours, Le Mans 24 Hours and Swedish Grand Prix. It was later used by Hollywood director Michael Mann as a reference for the recent Ferrari film.
Equally special is a one-of-a-kind 1950 Ferrari 166MM/212 Export Uovo. Boasting distinctive aerodynamic bodywork penned by coachbuilder Paolo Fontana, this elegant machine took a starring role in the marque’s 50th anniversary celebrations at the Museo Enzo Ferrari in 1997 and is rarely seen at concours events.
At the other end of the automotive spectrum is a DeLorean DMC-12 that has been subjected to an electric conversion by UK-based EV technology company Electrogenic. The conversion has been developed as a plug-and-play kit, which provides the car with the futuristic drivetrain that the Back to the Future-starring machine always deserved. The electric powertrain develops almost 220bhp – enough to cut the car’s 0-60mph time from 8.8 seconds to under five.
Motor sport aficionados will undoubtedly be delighted by this year’s Legendary Liveries class, which brings together icons of Group C endurance racing and the World Rally Championship. Highlights include a Rothmans-liveried Porsche 962, a 1996 Subaru Impreza WRC97 and a Lancia Stratos HF rally car wearing its iconic Alitalia livery.
Last year, Salon Privé introduced a new four-day format, and the organisers have introduced a new innovation for 2024, which sees MotorAvia make its debut at London Oxford Airport on August 27.
MotorAvia functions as Salon Privé’s launch party, by pairing the latest aircraft from Citation, Bell, King Air, Cessna and Boeing with the very latest supercars in a party atmosphere. The aircraft and cars are complemented by gourmet live food stations, cocktails and live music. Tickets for MotorAvia can be found here.
In addition to admiring the incredible array of cars on display, visitors can also peruse items ranging from helicopters to watches in the Luxury Village, and enjoy gourmet food, cocktails and Champagne courtesy of Louis Pommery.
For tickets and more information, click here.
