Ferrari Fans Get Ready… Salon Privé Set to Deliver the World’s Most Amazing Machinery

• 75 years of Ferrari will be honoured with a unique parade on Classic & Supercar Day

• Group B rally titans will take centre stage on the Blenheim Palace Hill Sprint

• Classic racers and next-generation hypercars will be showcased at ‘Live on the Drive’ 

• The finale of Salon Privé Week will be marked by Classic & Supercar Day on Sunday 4th September

A thrilling parade of Ferraris will be one of many highlights at Blenheim Palace as live-action returns to Classic & Supercar Day. The event, happening on Sunday 4th September, marks the finale of Salon Privé Week and gives enthusiasts of all ages an opportunity to soak up the sights and sounds of all things from classic racing cars to the most modern hypercars.

It’s been organised as a celebration for the legendary Italian marque’s 75th anniversary. An array of Ferraris from throughout its 75 years will be presented in chronological order, starting with a 125 S (below), the very first model to bear the famous name –  which will be driven by an eager Andrew Bagley, the Salon Privé Chairman.

Joining soon behind it will be an ex-works 365 P – chassis number 0828 (below) – another classic motor set to play a starring role in the Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance earlier in the week. It was built in 1965 as a 275 P2 and came second place in that year’s Monza 1000km, driven by John Surtees and Ludovico Scarfiotti.

The Ferrari was victorious in the fabled Targa Florio road race only two weeks later, in the hands of Sicilian hero Nino Vaccarella and Lorenzo Bandini. It was then fitted with a 4-litre V12 to take it up to the 330 P2 specification.  Scarfiotti and Surtees were reunited with 0828 for the Nürburgring 1000km, which they won.

In the same year the car was upgraded again at the Ferrari factory into the 365 P2/3 specification, boosted up to 4.4-litre engine. It was then sold to the renowned Belgian privateer outfit Ecurie Francorchamps – run by Jacques Swaters – which campaigned it throughout 1966. Interestingly, having been converted into a road car once its racing career was over, the Ferrari was restored to its Ecurie Francorchamps specification and is now a rich yellow – the racing livery of Belgium.

But it won’t just be spectacular cars on show at Salon Privé. During the 1960s, Richard Attwood regularly raced Ferraris for renowned British privateer David Piper, and both men will be at Blenheim Palace to mark the occasion.

Bringing the fantastic fairytale of the Prancing Horse fully up to date will be Ferrari’s next-generation supercar – a 296 GTB – which hybrid technology combines a V6 engine with plug-in power. The sleek and ultra-sophisticated model produces 830bhp and delivers the 0-60mph sprint in only 2.9 seconds.

The 296 GTB will be shown at Salon Privé alongside one of its main rivals, the McLaren Artura. The British design and production also uses a V6 engine with a single electric motor, and marks the beginning of an all-new generation of McLaren supercars. Proclaimed as a distillation of everything the company has ever learned, the Artura is created on a completely new chassis and represents a compelling step forward for the marque.

Other supercar icons that will be at Blenheim Palace, partaking the Hill Sprint, include the Lamborghini Huracán STO (below) – a significant old-school feel supercar, that 5.2-litre V10 engine delivers the feel of a racing car in a road-legal model. This is the Huracán in its lightest, purest, and most powerful form, and all Lamborghini enthusiasts will be enthralled by the latest Tecnica on display. This superbly styled supercar has been created to complete the Huracán range by completing the gap between the standard model and the track-focused STO.

And talking of pure power, visitors to the Classic & Supercar Day will be able to witness the jaw dropping  spectacle of Group B machinery being put through its paces – including a 1986 Ford RS200 Evo, a 1985 Metro 6R4, and a 1983 Renault 5 Turbo Tour de Corse. They will be included as part of a 25-strong collection of cars from Ralli22, which will also include a Subaru Impreza, once driven by Colin McRae. It was back in 1997 that the great Scotsman drove ‘P12 WRC’ and took it to victory on that year’s RAC Rally to clinch the World Constructors’ Championship for Subaru.

Other daring rally cars set to take on the Hill Sprint include a unique ex-Francois Delecour Peugeot 208 R5 T16, as well as an ex-Roger Clark 1968 Ford Escort, which will be driven by its owner – confirmed petrolhead and top chef James Martin.

Visitors will soon get used to the thunderous sound of large-capacity V8 engines ringing around the idillic estate due to cars like the McLaren M10B that carried Peter Gethin to the 1970 British F5000 Championship, a Sunoco-liveried 1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28, and the tyre-burning Vauxhall Firenza Can-Am that’s had the pleasure of being driven by rally legends Stig Blomqvist, Jan Hettema, and Jimmy McRae.

To give everyone the chance to hear the other end of the volume scale, on show will be the remarkable all-electric McMurtry Spéirling fan car (below) – which recently set a new hill record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Derek Bell – McMurtry development driver, Salon Privé patron, and Le Mans legend – will be at Blenheim Palace, along with Max Chilton, the man behind the wheel for the record-breaking Goodwood run.

In our opinion, with its lightweight carbon monocoque, 1000bhp per tonne, and immense downforce from its onboard fans, the McMurtry Spéirling is guaranteed to be one of the highlights at the Salon Privé Hill Sprint.

Formula E television presenter Nicki Shields will be hosting ‘Live on the Drive’, which will feature full commentary and celebrity driver interviews. There will be a special Prodrive Legends feature that will run alongside the Ferrari parade, celebrating the British company with a line-up of rally cars, racing cars like the Aston Martin Vantage GT4, the Ferrari 550 GTS, and the new Prodrive Hunter – the planet’s first all-terrain hypercar.

Classic & Supercar Day is open to all; with delicious food, live entertainment, and more than 1000 cars on display across the North and South Lawns, there’s sure to be something on offer at the Salon Privé Week for everyone to enjoy.

About Salon Privé

For any car enthusiast or aficionado, Salon Privé is a must-attend event. Now in its 17th year, it hosts two events across the automotive calendar year – Salon Privé at Blenheim Palace and Salon Privé in London offer amazing line-ups that show classics to next-generation hypercars and EVs. The hospitality too is outstanding, as well as the luxury shopping villages that cater to all. It’s fair to say that the Salon Privé events are recognised now as one of the world’s most prestigious automotive gatherings, with Blenheim Palace established firmly as the UK’s most exclusive automotive Garden Party.

The 2022 Salon Privé event is on now and is taking place at Blenheim Palace between 31st August – 4 September 2022, with the prestigious Concours d’Elégance taking place on Wednesday 31st August and Thursday 1st September. Salon Privé London is due to return to Royal Hospital Chelsea in 2023, with its ‘Concours de Vente’ planned to take place from Thursday 20th April – Saturday 22nd April 2023.

Salon Privé Week 2022

31 August  – Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance

1 September – Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance

2 September – Salon Privé Ladies’ Day

3 September – Salon Privé Club Trophy

4 September – Salon Privé Classic & Supercar at Blenheim Palace