Salon Privé’s Champagne Supercar Show Highlights

 

Mercedes, Jaguar, Maserati, Aston Martin... the biggest names in luxury cars have all been strutting at what is billed as Britain’s premier supercar gathering.

From September 3-5, the ever-popular Salon Privé garden party - resplendent with diamonds, champagne and other opulent trappings - once again proved itself a magnet for classic car connoisseurs.

We take a look at the highlights...

Going, going, gone...

A total of £5 million’s worth of business went under the hammer at Friday’s Silverstone Auction event. These included a:

• £900,000 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage Volante (1968): this sage green goddess exceeded expectations by £75,000, following a full Aston inspection and service
• £315,000 Porsche 911 997 GT2 RS (2010): precious few other production Porsches have ever exceeded this baby’s top speed
• £185,000 Lamborghini Diablo SV (1998): this Italian stallion wowed bidders with its 5.7-litre V12 motor and sports exhaust
• £137,250 Ferrari 328 GTS (1989): with only 1,600 miles under its bonnet, this treasure was once part of Mohammed Al-Fayed’s vehicle collection

Jabbeke’s just the job

An X120 “Jabbeke” won the Concours D’Elegance best-of-show award.

Just two years after a complete JD Classics-restoration job, this joyous Jag was back to its best 62 years after its finest hour.

Norman Dewis rode it to a world record in the Flying Mile with a then unprecedented 140.789mph. It later re-claimed the mark with an average 172.412mph. 

Shooting star

Arguably the biggest attraction at Salon Privé’s 10th edition was a Ferrari.

Hexagon’s one-of-a-kind 365 GTB/4 “Daytona” Shooting Brake dropped jaws and raised spirits among those flocking to the 3-day event at Woodstock’s Blenheim Palace.

A stylish leather interior from Nero completed the job at Italy’s end. It was when it was transported to the US and Chinetti Motors that things got really interesting.

Real estate magnate Bob Gittleman asked showroom staff if they had something totally out of the ordinary. Chinetti officials decided the car was already under their roof - but wanted it to be even more special.

The standard Berlinetta was sent to Britain where it was transformed into a shooting brake with a difference. This one employed gullwing-style back side windows, making it accessible to cargo. Gittleman got his car in 1975.

The 1972 model is estimated to have cost the equivalent of four conventional Daytonas to make. Today it has clocked just 4,000 miles. Hexagon Classics bought it last year and gave it a total restoration job.

Hexagon also arrived with other heavyweight supercars, including a Maserati Mistral 4000 (1966) and Aston Martin AM Vantage (1972).

Best of the rest

• the Pagani Zonda Roadster scooped the Prestige & Performance Concours honours, beating-off the challenge of the EB110 Super Sport, Lancia Aurelia B24 Spyder (1955) and other hypercars
• manufacturers such as Ferrari, Aston Martin and Bentley had their own displays
• Finnish start-up firm Toridian and Volvo exhibited new concept designs
• Ford’s new GT also appeared during the first two days