One of the most prestigious automotive events in the world, Salon Privé bookends the British summer Season with a London event at Royal Hospital Chelsea attracting more than 18,000 attendees taking place in the spring and concluding with events at Blenheim Palace and Hampton Court Palace in late August and early September.
With a smart casual dress code, the atmosphere is that of a glamorous yet relaxed summer garden party, with the buzz you’d expect from an event featuring the most rare and desirable cars in the world. There is also a luxury retail village featuring brands such as Huntsman and Belle Brummell, along with a stand-alone Boodles fine jewellery Pavilion with Pommery and London Essence bars and a glass-partitioned dining area where guests are wined and dined ahead of presentations.
Salon Privé VIP ticket holders can enjoy full hospitality and private dining at the Spencer Pavilion with an al fresco buffet lunch (weather permitting) and complimentary bar, or a more formal dining experience at The Glass House overlooking Blenheim Palace’s exquisite Water Terraces, with a three-course lunch with fine wines, afternoon tea to follow and a complimentary bar throughout. Admission-only ticket holders can meanwhile enjoy a two or three-course locally-sourced lunch in the Palace’s recently refurbished Orangery overlooking the Italian Gardens.
As always, Salon Privé 2024 offered visitors the chance to see some of the most legendary classic cars, supercars and hypercars against the majestic backdrop of Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill and the home of his ancestor, John Churchill, the 1st Duke of Marlborough who was given both the title and property by Queen Anne following his Battle of Blenheim victory. Salon Privé was celebrating their 19th year at Blenheim Palace and, with preferential parking given to classic and supercar owners, it’s certainly a spectacle to see this dazzling array of machines parked along the grass banks leading up to the Salon Privé entrance and the Palace itself, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the charming English market town of Woodstock, just 8 miles north-west of Oxford.
Meaning “Private Lounge” in French, Salon Privé offers an atmosphere unlike any other car show. Inside the event, which takes place on the Palace’s South Lawn, you can stroll around at your leisure and admire the likes of an Aston Martin DB5, a model made all the more desirable when it was famously driven by Sean Connery as James Bond in Goldfinger (1964). It was also electrifying to see the one-of-a-kind Koenigsegg Agera hypercar with 1140 horsepower, wrapped in a floral design. But it was the classic red 1957 Ferrari 335 S by Scaglietti which scooped the Best of Show award at the Salon Prive Concours presented by Aviva Private Clients (28th & 29th August), entered by American collector and enthusiast Brian Ross, who had earlier thrilled onlookers in the Tour Privé, captivating judges with its timeless beauty.
We attended Style Friday (30th August) presented by Boodles, a day of ‘style, elegance and class’ which encourages guests to dress in their finest summer attire and don a hat or fascinator for the Best Hat competition, granting the winner a Boodles Love Letter Gold Pendant, a £1,000 LK Bennett London voucher, £1,000 GATINEAU skincare voucher and a case of Pommery Y by Yoshiki. The kaleidoscope of fashion on display was a James Bond-style addition to an impressive line-up of luxury cars. The Best Hat prize was awarded to fashion influencer Leonora Smee (a regular on the UK social circuit and a Boodles collaborator) who wore the fabulous monochrome Helter Skelter Hat by Vivien Sheriff and a striking white trouser suit by LK Bennett, Salon Privé’s Official Womenswear Partner who provided female staff members with their Tallis Placement Stripe Dress – I also have one!
Salon Privé at Blenheim Palace concludes with Supercar Saturday on 31st August with over 1500 cars in Club Paddocks, a morning parade and the Club Trophy award presented by Lockton to the best club cars of the day. The 1976 Aston Martin DB6 owned by Ed Law won the Classic category, with the 2013 Noble M600 Carbon Fibre taking the Best Club Car Modern Classic category. An event that offers guests the best of everything, Salon Privé will celebrate their 20th anniversary in 2025 so make sure you get your tickets well in advance.
For more information on future Salon Privé events and tickets to Salon Privé at Blenheim Palace 2025 please visit the website. Supercar Saturday Tickets 2025 now on sale with £5 OFF when you enter code: EARLYBIRD25 at checkout, offer valid until 30th September 2024. Photography by Harry Elliot.
