There’s always an air of anticipation around a new event in our collector car world, and so it was with MotorAvia, the Tuesday-evening event at the UK’s Oxford Airport that preceded Salon Privé’s four days at nearby Blenheim Palace.
There was no disguising the inspiration for MotorAvia: the party at Monterey Jet Center, previously called McCall’s Motorworks Revival and now Motorlux, is a staple of California’s Monterey Car Week, and provided the template for MotorAvia.
A party in an aircraft hangar surrounded by cars, planes and helicopters is a simple recipe for success
And why not? A party in an aircraft hangar surrounded by cars, planes and helicopters is a simple recipe for success, with the added benefit in the UK that there’s room to pull everything inside if the weather turns against you. As it was, MotorAvia was blessed with a beautiful evening, and as the sun went down the music and entertainment inside the hangar ramped up.
The cars on display were straight off the Cotswolds Tour, ahead of their appearance in the concours at Blenheim Palace the next day, so there were some true gems to see. Lord Bamford’s 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II and 1964 Ferrari 250 GTO/64 were among the highlights, as was Brian Ross’s 1957 Ferrari 335 S, the Harrods-liveried Rolls-Royce Phantom VI and the Audrain Collection’s 1927 Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8AS Fleetwood Roadster.
Aviation-wise, the private Boeing Jet was undoubtedly the star, with a queue throughout the evening to view its bespoke interior, while Bell helicopters and Cessna also displayed their wares. Rolls-Royce placed cars either side of a private jet inside the hangar, too.
Midway through the evening, visitors were asked to gather in the hangar for a short speech followed by an impressive few minutes of opera singing, and then a stunning display by female acrobats. Stilt walkers and a man covered head to toe in tiny mirrors added to the occasion – and after the displays, the DJ turned up the music and plenty of the guests hit the dance floor.
So, a success? It appears so. This inaugural MotorAvia could have done with a few more visitors, yet that’s usually the way with a first event, and parking and logistics will then need to ramp up accordingly – but we’d certainly go again.
Find out more about Salon Privé MotorAvia here.
