Salon Privé 2026
Salon Prive 2026
Other commitments kept me away from Salon Privé this year, so here's a full roundup of everything that happened, from the historic double Best of Show to every major debut on the lawn.
Salon Privé marked its twenty-first edition in 2026, cementing its reputation as the United Kingdom's most prestigious luxury automotive event and one of the world's premier gatherings for classic car collectors, supercar enthusiasts, and connoisseurs of automotive craftsmanship. The year brought two major events under the Salon Privé banner: the flagship show at Blenheim Palace in September, and the reimagined Salon Privé London, which returned to the Royal Hospital Chelsea in April with an entirely new companion event called the Sloane Street Concours. Together, these two shows offered one of the most complete pictures yet of where the collector car world is heading.
Salon Privé London and the Sloane Street debut.
The year began in April, when Salon Privé London returned to Royal Hospital Chelsea for its main three-day showcase, running from the sixteenth to the eighteenth. What set this year apart was the introduction of the Sloane Street Concours, a brand new one-day curtain-raiser held on Saturday the eleventh of April. This event took the show out of the palace grounds entirely and placed twenty-five hypercars, classic cars, and restomods directly on Sloane Street, set against the backdrop of luxury retailers including Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Berluti, Dior, and Bottega Veneta.
The Sloane Street display drew significant attention for its eclectic mix. Highlights included the new Aston Martin Valhalla and the Ferrari SF90 XX shown alongside true classics such as a McLaren F1 GTR and a Ferrari 250 California. Joe Macari's collection featured prominently, with a Maserati M-C-12 GT1 racing car, an ex-Soper McLaren F1 GTR, and a striking Ferrari 250 duo comprising a short-wheelbase model and a 250 California. D-D Classics also brought a 1961 Jaguar E-Type in flat-floor specification. Notably, a panel of Royal College of Art automotive design students chose the winners of the Sloane Street Concours, giving the event a fresh, design-forward judging perspective rarely seen at traditional concours.
The main Salon Privé London event carried a strong McLaren theme throughout, celebrating the marque's Formula One World Championship victories with Lando Norris and McLaren's constructor's title. The London event has built its identity around the phrase "the concours in which every car is for sale," distinguishing it from the more traditional judged concours format at Blenheim.
Salon Privé Blenheim Palace: the 21st edition.
The flagship event returned to Blenheim Palace from Wednesday the second of September through Sunday the sixth of September, marking the show's 21st year. This followed what organisers called the largest attendance in the event's 20-year history the previous year, with over twenty-eight thousand visitors attending the twentieth anniversary edition. Building on that momentum, the 2026 edition welcomed more than thirty thousand guests across the five days, making it a sell-out event once again.
Founded in two thousand six by brothers Andrew and David Bagley, who launched the show at London's Hurlingham Club after touring global events including Amelia Island, Monterey, and Villa d'Este, Salon Privé has grown considerably over two decades. It moved briefly to Syon Park before settling permanently at Blenheim Palace, drawn by the venue's scale and heritage. The show remains the United Kingdom's only professionally judged multi-marque concours, and it holds the distinction of being the first automotive event worldwide to achieve B Corp status, reflecting an ongoing commitment to sustainability.
New categories and major debuts.
2026 introduced two landmark new concours classes: Limited Production Supercars covering the years 1996 through 2026, and a Hypercar Heaven category. The concours field featured 70 cars competing across 13 classes in total, ranging from the Golden Age of Motoring to a class marking eighty years of Bristol Cars, a tribute called Passione Ferrari, and a class celebrating sixty years of the Lamborghini Miura called The Italian Job.
Opening day brought a wave of UK debuts to the Automotive Gallery. Among the standout unveils were the Lamborghini Revuelto S-V, the Brabus Bodo, a carbon fibre-bodied supercar powered by a 5.2-litre biturbo V12 and limited to just 77 examples worldwide, along with the Brabus 800 Cabrio, the Polestar four S-U-V, and the Giamaro Krafla hypercar, which made its first UK appearance. Organisers described this as the largest number of supercar and hypercar unveils in the event's 21-year history.
Beyond the concours lawn, the show featured an extraordinary five-day Koenigsegg showcase presented by Super Vettura, described as the largest Koenigsegg display ever assembled in the UK. This was complemented by the Battle of the Hypercars, an exclusive weekend display bringing together Bugatti and Pagani hypercars spanning models from the Zonda and Huayra through to the Veyron, Chiron, and Bolide. Ferrari Challenge driver and collector Paul Hogarth commented on a broader shift in collector sentiment, noting that cars such as the Pagani Utopia and Ferrari Daytona S-P-3 have become milestones in automotive history rather than simply high-performance machines.
The White Collection, Salon Privé's curated annual colour-themed display, put the spotlight on white for 2026. Up to twenty rare and outstanding automobiles gathered on the South Lawn, including a beautifully restored 1968 Lamborghini Miura finished in Bianco, often credited as the world's first true supercar. Also featured was a 1955 Porsche 356 Pre-A Speedster finished in Speedster White, a 2023 Aston Martin Valiant prototype showcasing the marque's latest track-focused engineering, and a 1963 Auto Union one-thousand S-P Roadster nicknamed the Baby Thunderbird.
Richard Hammond returned to Salon Privé across Supercar Saturday and Supercar Sunday, judging the Concours de Vente, hosting question-and-answer sessions, and meeting visitors throughout the weekend before taking the stage for the Grand Finale on Sunday.
A historic double Best of Show.
The most significant story to emerge from the 2026 concours judging was a first in the event's history:
Two Best of Show winners were crowned on the same weekend. This marked the first time Salon Privé introduced two distinct Best of Show awards, one recognising the great classics of the past and a new one recognising modern collector cars increasingly shaping today's market.
The Concours d'Élégance award, honouring the classic winner, went to a 1969 Lamborghini Miura P-four-hundred S, owned by Amir Ravan and the R-L-C Collection. The car was shown as part of The Italian Job class celebrating sixty years of the Miura.
The second award, a brand new prize called the Best of Show Concours d'Excellence, was awarded to Terry Bramall's 1995 McLaren F1. This car competed in a dedicated class called Poster Cars, Icons of Our Youth, celebrating early supercars, and was selected as the finest modern collector car on the show lawn. This marked the first time in Salon Privé's 21 year history that this particular honour had been presented.
In Class A competition, the winning car was a Mercedes-Benz 630 K Drophead Coupé Sport Touring by Thomas Harrington, owned by Nick Schorsch. The runner-up in that class was a Bentley 3.5 litre Airline Saloon by William Arnold.
Salon Privé's judging methodology remains one of its defining features. It is the only UK multi-marque event judged by single-marque specialists using what is known as the M-one-hundred system, under Chief Judge Nigel Matthews, who also judges at Pebble Beach, Villa d'Este, and the International Chief Judges Advisory Group. Best in Show winners at Salon Privé automatically qualify for consideration in the Peninsula Classics Best of the Best award, connecting the event to the highest tier of global concours recognition.
Looking ahead.
Following the record turnout and the historic double Best of Show moment, organisers have already confirmed that Salon Privé will return to Blenheim Palace in September 2027.
Co-founder David Bagley noted that after raising the bar with the twentieth anniversary edition, the team knew they needed to find new ways to build on that success, a challenge the 2026 show appears to have met. Between the expanded concours categories, the record hypercar showcases, the new Sloane Street Concours in London, and the historic dual Best of Show crowning, 2026 stands as one of the most consequential years in the event's history, reinforcing Salon Privé's position at the intersection of concours tradition and the modern collector car market.
See you next year…
Scott.
SALON PRIVE 2025
Salon Privé 2025 officially opens…
THE OPENING OF SALON PRIVE 2025
Salon Privé 2025 has officially opened its doors at Blenheim Palace, launching a spectacular five-day celebration in honor of its 20th Anniversary. The event kicked off in grand style, featuring the global premieres of RML’s GT Hypercar, Thornley Kelham’s Jaguar XK European GT Roadster, and Electrogenic’s electrifying Aston Martin DB6, built for comedian Jimmy Carr. McLaren made a rare UK appearance with the W1, shown for only the second time, while Clive Sutton revealed a one-of-a-kind 1967 Mustang. Highlights also include the prestigious Concours, presented by Aviva Private Clients, and the debut of the Emerald Anniversary Green Collection — a stunning tribute to two decades of Salon Privé’s legacy in luxury, performance, and design.
Day 1 at Salon Privé 2025
Lockton Performance welcoming guests as they enter the show ground
Day 2 at Salon Privé 2025
Day 3 at Salon Privé 2025
Ferrari GTO
A Photographer’s Blog: Rain, Rivets, and Ruby Lenses
Ah, Salon Privé 2025—a dream playground for any shutter‑happy petrolhead. Picture me, camera in hand, stalking prime angles around the lush lawns of Blenheim Palace, eyes darting from chrome curves to sartorial elegance. It was the 20th anniversary, so they went all out—with glass palaces, glittering hypercars, and the ladies and gentry from near and far.
Morning Magic (and Perfect Light)
I arrived bright and early, before the masses. Sunlight tip‑toed across hoods and lens glass, creating drama in every reflection. The Mercedes‑Benz 500 K Spezial Roadster—Best of Show, no less—looked sculpted by rays of gold. My fingers twitched with glee. And just across the lawn, the Ferrari 410 Superamerica “Super Fast” Prototype gleamed like Italian promise —no struggle getting that People’s Choice
Then there were the wow‑factor rides: Jimmy Carr’s electric DB6 restomod, glistening like the future, and the fierce McLaren W1, making me reappraise everything I knew about aerodynamic aggression. Not to mention peculiar delights like the Bentley Batur Convertible, looking swashbucklingly mysterious under the palace eaves.
The Wonders of The Galleries—and the Rain
Salon Privé threw a clever curveball with The Galleries, a glass atrium bordering the lawns—think botanical conservatory meets art deco runway, but only for cars and car‑obsessed aristocrats. Heated, air‑conditioned, Wi‑Fi’d, and, crucially, rain‑proof, I sheltered inside, framing shoots through steamed‑up glass, capturing glints on glossy Viverrina motors (I mean, Bugatti Veyron, Jaguar C‑X75, Ferrari SP3 Daytona in the Emerald‑green Green Collection—you get the idea).
Afternoon Delays (Weather vs. Photographer)
The British weather, like a reluctant model, decided to turn moody. Rain fell in polite drizzle—then ramped up to melodramatic. I squinted from beneath any cover I could, lens fashioned into a makeshift periscope. I wouldn’t say I was drenching my socks, still dry but my shoes did take a battering. Making sad squelchy footprints on velvet lawns, but still managed to snag narrative‑rich frames: droplets on grilles, rain‑kissed bonnet curves, and soggy straw hats from those that dare be defiant of the “British summer”.
Fond Farewells
As the sky cleared for one last golden flicker, I took my final shots, and between the iconic cars, stunning new builds, bio-fuel-powered generators, and enthusiastic conversations with fellow gearheads, I left feeling like I’d gained more than just great images.
One of the best parts of Salon Privé—aside from the million-pound machinery and free-flowing fizz—is reconnecting with fellow photographers. There's nothing like nodding at someone across the bonnet of a classic Aston Martin, both of you silently battling for the best angle. I caught up with a few familiar faces from past events, swapped stories, and shared a few weather-related groans. Even better, I made some new friends, I’d gathered stories, laughter, and future pub anecdotes. Honestly, it’s the kind of day you’ll tell the grandkids about… assuming they sit still long enough to hear about the spender of the event.
Final Frames
By closing time—I mean, once the sun peeked back, shaking out its jolly cheers —I was tired, a little damp, but deliriously happy. My SD cards groaned with a multitude of images: pre‑war icons, engineering reboots, and modern marvels—each with a drop of drizzle‑tinted charm. The legendary concours winners, electric restomods, glass atrium glamour, VIP arrivals through the palace, and that cheeky emerald evening light—together, they made Salon Privé 2025 not just a show, but a photographer’s playground.
Next year though, I’ll remember to pack some wellies.
Take care all…
Scott.
Richard Hammond
Izzy Hammond
images above are of my new friend Joel. Find him on instagram here: @officialjoelmutton
Day 4 at Salon Privé 2025
Porsche 911 Turbo
Mercedes‑Benz 500 K Spezial Roadster
Ferrari GTO’s
A Finale to Remember
Celebrating the Highlights of Salon Privé Sunday on the North & South Lawns
On Sunday, 31st August, Salon Privé 2025 wrapped up in style with a spectacular Grand Finale that celebrated the best of automotive culture, passion, and performance.
The North Lawns played host to a vibrant takeover by 18 multi-marque supercar lifestyle clubs and 4 single-marque clubs, transforming the space into a jaw-dropping celebration of design and horsepower. The coveted Supercar & Lifestyle Club Trophies were awarded to a head-turning TVR Sagaris from Drivers Union and a beautifully kept Jaguar XJS from the XJS Club—both fan favourites and deserved winners.
Meanwhile, the South Lawn offered a vivid spectacle with an explosion of colour from the SCC supercar parade, featuring 78 stunning supercars, including an unforgettable Volcano Orange Mercedes-McLaren SLR HDK that practically glowed against the palace backdrop.
The day also saw the conclusion of the Concours de Vente, judged by a panel led by none other than Richard Hammond. The prestigious Prix d’Honneur went to Eric Broutin’s De Tomaso Pantera Group 4—a true showstopper with motorsport pedigree.
With nearly 8,000 guests joining us for the final day, it was a celebration of cars, camaraderie, and unforgettable moments. Don’t miss the highlights video below!
Day 5 at Salon Privé 2025
Best of show at Salon Privé 2025
Salon Privé 2022 - Blenheim Palace
My favorite large-scale, high-end show of the year and they planned not to disappoint. This year Salon Prive they were hosting the Ferrari 75th Anniversary Class, a star attraction at its Concours d’Elégance presented by Aviva.
‘There have been many concours events in the past where rare Ferraris have been on display,’ said Salon Privé’s chairman, Andrew Bagley. ‘Blenheim Palace’s South Lawn, Salon Privé audiences will see a truly extraordinary collection of unique and ground-breaking Maranello cars – more than half of which with the prized Classiche certification - that defies comparison.’
WEDNESDAY - PRESS DAY:
This year would be different for me, on Wednesday the 31st was “press day” and I attended with all the other Media and Togs and we would get to see the reveal of so many special machines and have the chance to get up and close with the cars and the designers and production teams. On “press day” there are no visitors just us…
Wednesday was rather hot, so I decided to chance wearing shorts and a t-shirt. I packed trousers and a shirt in the car just in case but the staff at the event were nonjudgmental and didn’t seem to mind as I was working.
Sitting down in the marquee where the staff would welcome us for the day, we were offered coffee and Croissants. After the briefing, the PR Director and her staff would set out the day for us and what could be expected.
Wednesday Highlights:
An opportunity to witness manufacturers World, European and UK debuts
Plus, see the Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance featuring more than 100 cars
The Platinum Collection – a specially curated display of cars from the past 70 years, brought together for the first time in honour of The Queen’s Jubilee (RIP your Majesty )
Prodrive Legends feature that will celebrate the British company with a line-up of rally cars, racing cars such as the Ferrari 550 GTS and Aston Martin Vantage GT4, and the new Prodrive Hunter – the world’s first all-terrain hypercar.
The Apricale represents a revolution. It is the only hypercar to provide a zero-emissions powertrain in a car whose weight is the same as a petrol-powered equivalent – and half that of some battery-electric equivalents
After seeing the unveiling of the Viritech Apricale, we wandered over to the New Hennessey Venom F5 Roadster The Texas-built Venom F5 Roadster is a new rival to the Koenigsegg Regera and the Bugatti Chiron SuperSport. The guys on the stand confirmed that cowboy boots and hats were not part of the upgrade package.
2022 CLASS WINNERS:
BEST OF SHOW WINNER
Ferrari 250 GT TdF Berlinetta by Zagato
Year: 1956
Coachbuilder: Zagato
BEST OF SHOW RUNNER-UP
Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B Mille Miglia Cabriolet by Graber
Year: 1938
Coachbuilder: Graber
BEST OF SHOW THIRD PLACE
Bentley 8 Litre Saloon by Freestone & Webb
Year: 1931
Coachbuilder: Freestone & Webb
PEOPLE'S CHOICE
Lorraine Dietrich 130HP ‘Course’
Year: 1907
Coachbuilder: Lorraine Dietrich
CHURCHILL CUP FOR MOST EXCEPTIONAL DESIGN
Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental Sports Coupé by Freestone & Webb
Year: 1933
Coachbuilder: Freestone & Webb
Full listings can be found here:
https://www.salonpriveconcours.com/about-concours-delegance/past-winners/
Sunday 4th September 2022 - Drivers Union
Another early start but this time with The Drivers Union.
Quote “A supercar club Founded in 2012 and with over 1,000 supercar-owning members, the Drivers Union is the largest and most exclusive multi-marque supercar club in the UK. Membership is open to owners of Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren, Pagani, and selected models from other supercar marques. We organise coffee mornings and group drive-outs, supercar lunches, dealer visits, discounts on services, and much more”.
I was invited along as one of their club photographers by Syeed Ali its founder and overall lovely gentleman. The day is well organised with members displaying their cars in the grounds of Blenheim palace, food was on offer for members and guests, and for those participating in the day, there were trophies on offer for the members.
The weather held out with blue skies and warm weather. The general public took great delight in viewing the cars on display and I got to meet up with other photographers and was invited onto the roof of the palace for a very special vantage point.
