Salon Privé

What better way to sum up what Salon Privé is all about than this photo. A unique one-of-a-kind Bentley pick-up in front of a stand advertising private jets, all on the lawn of a splendid palace. 1/125s 24mm F8.0 ISO 200.

From one car event to another, though they couldn’t be more different. Whilst Silverstone Classic was all about motorsport for the masses, Salon Privé is a much more exclusive event where the wealthy show off some of their very finest garage ornaments whilst mingling on the lawn of the splendour that is Blenheim Palace. Even on the approach it’s quite clear what you are getting yourself into as the car park itself boasts a more impressive collection of cars than many of the various summer shows can muster.

Even the car park has a better showcase of cars that many car shows do outright. 1/80s 26mm F8.0 ISO 100.

A better look at Blenheim Palace over the Italian Garden. 1/100s 26mm F5.6 ISO 64.

The photographers were getting their detail shots in early before the crowds began to arrive. 1/200s 32mm F5.6 ISO 160.

Now I must hasten to add that I only attended the opening of the event on the media day, and unlike other car events it doesn’t have the same daily rotation of activities. In fact, every day is different so I can’t comment on the club trophy, hill climbs and (to no surprise) Ladies’ Day, though it would have been quite something to see all those fancy hats. What I got to witness was the judging for the Concours d’Elégance and the unveiling of exciting and intriguing new projects from boutique manufacturers.

The press gathering around the first unveiling of the day. 1/200s 40mm F4.0 ISO 200.

Which was the bonkers and clearly Audi R8 inspired Engler Desat, something along the lines of a super quad bike. I’m not quite sure who would buy this either…1/200s 32mm F4.0 ISO 200.

The most interesting new car for me was the Viritech Apricale, the world’s first hydrogen powered hypercar and that comes in at less than 1000kg. 1/125s 26mm F5.6 ISO 200.

A closer look at the side details. 1/125s 70mm F5.6 ISO 400.

And finally from the rear. 1/100s 26mm F8.0 ISO 200.

Introduction to the Hennessey Venom F5 Roadster, the fastest and most powerful convertible with a whopping 1,817 bhp and capable of going beyond 300mph. 1/200s 24mm F5.6 ISO 250.

And that was how the day started, once we’d had time for a quick run around and a pastry, we were lead from one to another to have an introductory talk from a company representative before the silky sheets came off. From the world’s first hydrogen powered hypercar, to the world’s first super quad bike, to the fastest convertible capable of doing more than 300mph, there was plenty to talk about. A few had already made their debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier in the year, but Salon Privé was definitely the right place to have them on display as there would be an audience over the weekend with pockets deep enough to afford them. Afterall it isn’t an average person who can not only afford a £350 ticket day ticket, but also the helicopter to bring you there.

The Prodrive Hunter, the world’s first hypercar offroader. As the license plate it carries suggests, the idea is that you drive off the highways of the Middle East and straight into the dunes without changing your vehicle. 1/200s 45mm F5.6 ISO 250.

The Diamond Collection, a superb selection of some of the finest cars money can buy. 1/200s 48mm F8.0 ISO 100 two photo panoramic.

Which had not one, but two of my favourite supercar, the McLaren F1. 1/320s 42mm F5.6 ISO 64.

Nigel Boothman, editor of Rolls-Royce & Bentley Driver, inspects the spitfire engined-equipped 27L Rolls-Royce. Unfortunately not equipped with an airplane sized fuel tank. 1/125s 24mm F8.0 ISO 100.

After that we were left to our own devices to wander around, looking over the concours cars in more detail or perhaps entertain the pipe dream of owning our very own Boeing private jet. There were many other stands selling luxury goods that would appeal to the paying attendees, but with the limited time I had I didn’t get a chance to stop by.

The Engler Desat makes its move onto the main stage. 1/160s 60mm F8.0 ISO 320.

Nardone shows off its Porsche 928 restomod concept on main stage. 1/125s 24mm F8.0 ISO 160.

The owner of Blenheim Palace, The Duke of Marlborough, was in attendance in flashy red trousers. 1/80s 56mm F8.0 ISO 160.

Of course where would an event like this be if you couldn’t buy a classic of your own? 1/125s 24mm F8.0 ISO 100.

You really would be hard pressed to find a more perfect collection of cars in an event in this country, some of which were very rare and unique, and it was intriguing to watch the judging being carried out, knowing that many of them had been at the equally prestigious Pebble Beach in California the week before. Every tiny detail poured over by a team of four clipboard carrying well-dressed men. It made for great subjects for my Bronica SQ-A, but I will talk more about that in a future blog.

Ferrari was well represented whilst celebrating its 75th anniversary. 1/200s 35mm F5.6 ISO 100.

The remarkable line-up of classic Ferraris certainly drew my attention. 1/200s 45mm F5.6 ISO 160.

I couldn’t help but stop to admire this Ferrari 250 GTO either. 1/200s 29mm F5.6 ISO 160.

As the Enzo is my favourite Ferrari supercar I was wowed to see it sat side-by-side with its sister car the Maserati MC12. 1/200s 48mm F5.6 ISO 100.

While all this was going on, some of the cars unveiled earlier, as well as a few others, were driven up to the main stage where further information was relayed, allowing for a more in depth look and most importantly to hear the sounds of their engines. Though sadly there wasn’t enough space to really get these machines moving. The day for me finished with a rather nice lunch before I had to head onto another appointment, but I did thoroughly enjoy my morning and I hope I am able to attend again next year with a bit more time to chat to the owners. While the entry fee for regular punters is rather steep, the Sunday events are more geared up for the masses so that’s what I’d recommend everyone to attend. A proper visit to Blenheim Palace itself wouldn’t be amiss either.

The fine collection of Bentleys and Rolls-Royces was the principle reason I was there with Nigel. 1/125s 62mm F5.6 ISO 125.

It was a fascinating experience watching the judging take place. 1/200s 36mm F5.6 ISO 320.

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