Salon Privé is renowned for appealing the world’s finest motor cars to its Concours d’Elégance by AXA, and this year more than a century of automotive history will be represented in Blenheim Palace – from pioneering veterans to modern-day hypercars.
Few marques capture the glamour of the inter-war years in quite similarly as Hispano-Suiza, and enthusiasts will be able to celebrate in the sight of one of its most coveted models.
Introduced in 1931, the J12 represented the height of luxury and the pinnacle of Hispano-Suiza’s automobile development, and the car that will be starring in the Concours d’Elégance by AXA is among the only eight open examples ever built. The Cabriolet coachwork was created by the famous Parisian carrosserie Vanvooren, which also made the flowing, elegant bodies for the likes of Rolls-Royce, Bugatti and Bentley. Owned by renowned collector Peter Mullin since 1992, this spectacular J12 is going to be entered into the Pre-War Open Tourers Class.
Meanwhile, Napier enjoyed a peerless reputation in the early times of the 20th century, and the British company pioneered the usage of six-cylinder engines in production cars. Its performance credentials were verified via a successful competition program and when combined with exquisite coachwork, helped to make Napiers the original ‘Best Car in the World’ – much before Rolls-Royce adopted that line.
Discovered in an Argentinian barn together with two Bugattis, the 1904 Napier L49 that will be showcasing at Salon Privé was ultimately imported back into the UK by the well-known racer, dealer and collector Colin Crabbe. After being sold to present owner Sirdool Singh, a painstaking ‘nut and bolt’ restoration was conducted in India at a facility owned by His Highness Rana Manvendra Singh of Barwani. Now finished in ‘Napier Green’ with maroon coachlines, the chain-driven semi-limousine is going to be entered in the Pre-War Closed Tourers Class.
Bringing the story right up to date is a 2019 McLaren Senna, which is going to be entered in the Classics of the Future Class. Inspired by Brazilian legend Ayrton Senna – who won all three of his Formula One World Championships with McLaren – the 789bhp hypercar is among the most track-focused road model ever made by McLaren, legalized for road use but not sanitized to suit it.
The McLaren that will grace the Salon Privé is finished in a unique color scheme. Having grown up observing Formula One racing during the 1980s, the owner decided to apply the iconic black-and-gold JPS livery worn by the Lotus in which Senna scored his first victory at the rain-sodden 1985 Portuguese Grand Prix.
For 2020’s Concours d’Elégance by AXA, virtual judging will be hired by the International Chief Judge Advisory Group (ICJAG). Blazing a trail for all international concours events, Salon Privé and the ICJAG will be the first to conduct serious objective judging in such a manner. Knowledgeable specialist ICJAG Field Managers will be on-site and will be available to coordinate and answer questions from entrants and judges.
The event will also be live-streamed for the first time ever, allowing enthusiasts from across the world to immerse themselves in its ambience.
Ed Gilbertson, President of the Jury for Salon Privé, stated: “We are pleased and excited that Salon Privé and the International Chief Judge Advisory Group will be carrying out the first virtual judging objectively based on originality and authenticity. Experienced judges will be using the same time-tested judging forms and judging guidelines used at dozens of physical shows across the world.”
Gilbertson further stated: “The car world is going through fundamental changes in terms of vehicles, technology, and demographics. ICJAG expects to employ more virtual judging in the future using AI and augmented reality coupled with 5G and ultimately neural networking. Salon Privé, as always, is crossing the portal into the future world and ICJAG stands ready to provide guidance on proper preservation and correct restoration.”
Andrew Bagley, Chairman of the Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance by AXA, said: “When faced with the problem of more than 30 international ICJAG judges being unable to fly into the UK for the annual judging at Salon Privé, we had to quickly adapt. Virtual, but live, judging was the obvious route and so it came to be. For the first time in concours history, the 70 entrants and their cars are going to be live-streamed to judges throughout the world on Wednesday 23 September, as once again we set about discovering which one of these will be crowned with the ultimate prize of Best of Show 2020.”
That award will be presented during Ladies’ Day by Boodles on Thursday, while on Friday the Concours d’Elégance makes way for the Salon Privé Masters by Pirelli and Lockton, which this year commemorates the supercar and its evolution from the Lamborghini Miura of the 1960s to the high-tech wonders of the 21st century. Closing the event on Saturday is the popular Classic & Supercar day featuring the Salon Privé Club Trophy.
The event will also host the UK debut for a number of major new models from the world’s top manufacturers, while award-winning chef Phil Howard will be hosting a fine-dining experience in the Glass House. There will also be the chance to indulge in some retail therapy courtesy of luxury brands offering it all from jewelry and perfume to travel, aviation, and interior design.
The show has been scheduled as follow:
23rd September – Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance by AXA
24th September – Salon Privé Ladies’ Day by Boodles
25th September – Salon Privé Masters by Pirelli and Lockton
26th September – Salon Privé Classic & Supercar featuring The Salon Privé Club Trophy
