The Salon Prive Concours d’Elegance 2016 was staged 1-3 September at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, England. Impressive castle, green lawn, blanch sunshine seeping through grey clouds — a genuine British landscape welcomed all those who visited Blenheim palace in Oxfordshire. The Salon Prive organized for the 11th time is one of the important social events of the British upper tens, where the ticket prices include unlimited consumption of lobster and champagne. But the event still focuses on cars — spectacular vehicles from the present and the past could be seen around the residence of the 12th Duke of Marlborough.
Next to the newest supercars the yard was occupied by the 55 cars and 20 motorcycles which entered the most important event of the show, Concours d’Elegance at Salon Prive, and were subsumed in 11 categories this year. The winner of the most important award, ‘Best in Show’ is chosen from the winners of the classes. Lamborghini Miura, which turned 50 this year, was given a special class within the eight categories created for cars, just like V-12 Ferraris and Porsche racing cars.
The Concours d’Elegance at Salon Prive is the only professionally-judged Concours in the United Kingdom, bringing together 18 automotive professionals, headed by Chief Judge and five-times Le Mans Winner Derek Bell. During the day, all cars and motorbikes have been paraded through the landscaped grounds of Blenheim Palace and presented to the judges. The afternoon saw the ‘Class Winners’ and ‘Special Winners’ called to the podium to collect their awards, before the day culminated in the presentation of the ultimate prizes of the Concours, the ‘Best in Show’ and the ’Public Choice’.
In 2016 the Best of Show overall trophy went to a 1956 Ferrari 500 Testa Rossa racing car — the chassis number #0614 MDTR played a pivotal role in the famous sports car races of Nassau and Cuba, winning in the 1956 and 1957 Nassau Speed Week, and finished 2nd in class in the Cuba Grand Prix of 1957. But the public favorite was the runner up in the Class E (Racing Improves the Breed), a stunning 1954 Maserati A6 GCS. The third of four examples of Berlinetta Pinin Farina closed coachwork is the only one remained in totally authentic and original condition. It was exhibited at the Paris Auto Salon in 1954 and competed in the 1955 Mille Miglia; earlier this year it won the Best of Show at Concorso Villa d’Este.
Andrew Bagley, Salon Prive Concours Chairman, said, “There are cars that just impress from the start, and this year the 1956 Ferrari 500 Testa Rossa wowed the judges. Never having been seen before at a worldwide Concours, it was a sight to behold for any Concours connoisseur. Owned by Bruce Lavachek and David Cottingham, the award was particularly moving as it has been a painstaking 40-year journey for Bruce to locate the car and bring it to its now former glory. The car had in fact languished in a barn in Iowa and had been forgotten about since its last race in 1960.”
Other highlights of the Concours entries included the only factory commissioned Lamborghini Miura Roadster (built for the Brussels Motor Show in 1968), the last of the 16 ever built Jaguar XKSS, a totally unique prototype racing Porsche (the lightest ever factory-built 911, which finished on 3rd at the 1970 Tour de France), the one of just seven examples produced road-legally Ford GT40 Mk3, and the only example in existence of a Voisin Type C6 Course Laboratoire.
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Similar to 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, Sports Car Digest also documented the 2016 Salon Prive Concours d’Elegance, with photographer Csaba Kiss providing the following stirring images from the lavish grounds of Blenheim Palace. We split up pictures into two galleries. The first gallery starting below features our favorites, while the second gallery and complete results can by found on the last page of the gallery and gives a comprehensive view of all 160 photographs.
Salon Prive Concours 2016 – Featured Photo Gallery
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Salon Prive Concours 2016 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Two
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Salon Prive Concours 2016 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Three
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Salon Prive Concours 2016 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Four
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Salon Prive Concours 2016 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Five
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Salon Prive Concours 2016 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Six
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Salon Prive Concours 2016 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Seven
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Salon Prive Concours 2016 – Featured Photo Gallery Page Eight
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Salon Prive Concours 2016 – Main Photo Gallery (click image for larger picture and description)
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Salon Prive Concours d’Elegance 2016 – Award Winners
Best in Show
1956 – Ferrari 500 Testa Rossa
People’s Choice
1954 – Maserati A6 GCS Berlinetta
Class A – Exceptional Motorcycles 1900-1939
Winner: 1938 – BSA Gold Star
Runner up: 1932 – Brough Superior SS100
Class B – Exceptional Motorcycles 1940-1975 – Competition
Winner: 1966 – BSA 500 MX GP Titanium
Runner up: 1953 – Matchless G45
Class C – Exceptional Motorcycles 1940-1975 – Highway
Winner: 1969 – Honda CB750
Runner up: 1958 – Velocette Venom
Class D – Pre-war Coachwork
Winner: 1934 – Rolls-Royce Phantom II Continental
Runner up: 1933 – Aston Martin Le Mans Short Chassis
Class E – Racing Improves the Breed
Winner: 1956 – Ferrari 500 Testa Rossa
Runner up: 1954 – Maserati A6 GCS Berlinetta
Class F – The Great V12 Ferraris
Winner: 1953 – Ferrari 250 Europa Short Chassis Prototype
Runner up: 1971 – Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona
Class G – Porsche Racing Pedigree
Winner: 1974 Porsche 911 3.0RS
Runner up: 1969 – Porsche 911
Class H – European Grand Tourers
Winner: 1972 – Dino 246 GT
Runner up: 1971 – Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona
Class I – Gone With The Wind
Winner: 1971 – Ferrari 365 GTS/4 Daytona Spider
Runner up: 1961 – Bentley S2 Drophead Coupe?
Class J – Dream Machines
Winner: 1992 – Ferrari F40
Runner up: 1987 – Lamborghini Countach 5000QV
Class K – 50 years of the Lamborghini Miura
Winner: Lamborghini Miura P400 SV (Adrian Labi A&A Premier Classic)
Runner up: Lamborghini Miura P400 SV (William Heinecke)
Special Awards
Most Original pre-war: 1933 Aston Martin Le Mans Short Chassis
Most Original Post-war: 1992 Ferrari F40
Most Sensitive Restoration: 1966 Iso Grifo
Most Elegant: 1956 Bentley S1 Continental Park Ward Drophead Coupé
Most Iconic: 1973 Lamborghini Countach LP 400 Periscopio
Most Exciting Design: 1957 Jaguar XKSS
Best Interior: 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona
Most Exciting Recreation: 1922 Voisin C3 Strasbourg
Motorcycles
Most Original Motorcycle: 1936 Norton Model 50
Most Superlative Motorcycle: 1936 Moto Guzzi 500S
Most Interesting Motorcycle: 1917 Matchless-Vickers 8B2/M Russian Military Motorcycle Combination
[Source: Csaba Kiss]
