75 Iconic Classic Cars Up for Sale at 2023’s Salon Privé London Concours De Vente

Salon Privé London is soon upon us, and we cannot wait. 2022 was the inaugural year of Salon Privé London and one of the stand out features, the Concours de Vente returns.

Salon Privé London will again be held at the Royal Hospital Chelsea on 20-22 April 2023. It’s the place to be if you’re looking to peruse or buy one of the world’s finest collector cars as 75 will be on display and every one will be for sale, this is the Concours de Vente.

Highlights this year will include a 1970 Porsche 914/6 GT, a 1968 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Pagoda, 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Vignale, and a 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB/6C to name just a few.

Entries are building rapidly for the renowned Salon Privé London Concours de Vente collector car extravaganza. What sets this event apart from other concours events is that every iconic classic car on display will be up for sale.

This year, in a break from tradition, the Concours de Vente is aimed solely for dealers to showcase cars that can be sold, as opposed to the private and strictly not for sale cars that headline at Salon Privé Blenheim. These remarkable classic cars will be shown on the pristine lawns of Royal Hospital Chelsea, driven in a parade each day that will treat guests to fully appreciate them in all their marvelousness… and then consider purchasing them!  

Entries are limited to 75 cars and split into these ‘classes’, signifying their value: Class 1 cars are valued up to £250,000, Class 2 are valued between £250,000 and £1 million, and Class 3 cars are valued over £1 million. Salon Privé London awards at the end of the event these two prizes: the Best in Class and the much sort after prize of Prix d’Honneur for the best car at the show. There is also the Chelsea Pensioners’ Choice Award presented by Royal Hospital Chelsea.

Must-See Classic Cars

London’s Joe Macari will be at this year’s Concours de Vente, showing a stunning Ferrari 275 GTB/6C, which is an original 1966 UK long-nose car. What’s most fascinating about this car is that it was the final Pininfarina design to be supervised by Pinin himself, as well as being the first road car to include independent rear suspension containing double wishbones and coil springs. This setup was inspired by the 250 LM racer, winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This magnificent model has a huge history file and is highly collectable: it is one of only six right-hand drive six-carburettor alloy-bodied 275 GTBs, and one of only two delivered new to the UK. Joe Macari is spot on when he said it’s one of the best examples of the 275 GTB ever produced.

Aston Workshop will be showing a similarly rare, fully restored 1954 Aston Martin DB2/4 Vignale, originally commissioned by King Baudouin of Belgium. It features a bespoke body styling and an exceptional interior specification. David Brown, Aston Martin’s new owner at the time, had his initials placed on the cars, with DB2 being the first. As well as featuring David’s initials, this later DB2/4 had +2 seating and better performance. There were just 1,200 DB2s built, only 12 of which were left-hand drive DB2/4 rolling chassis, delivered exclusively to period Swiss and Italian coachbuilders. From these 12, Vignale of Turin received two, with this car being the only surviving example. Like all of the Concours de Vente cars, it will be up for purchase at Salon Privé London; its sale price is £3.65 million.  

Porsche admirers will be delighted to see a Porsche 914/6 GT competition car. Showcased by Export 56, it’s one of the earliest Porsche ‘Factory Werks’ test cars. The left-hand drive Signal Orange machine was built in 1970 and is a genuine matching numbers car, first owned by Porsche AG. As one would expect from its name, it features a flat-six engine, and is one of only 12 special 914/6 GTs built for inclusion in the factory racing department – which had three Rally Monte Carlo cars. This glorious car has had just three owners in total and was resorted back to factory GT specification in 2012. It comes with all the necessary FIA papers, is track-prepared, and is ready and eligible for the most prestigious events in the world. What a chance to realise your classic racing dreams at Salon Privé London!  

Howard Wise Cars has a beautiful and attainable 1968 Mercedes-Benz 280SL Pagoda ready to showcase at the 2023 Concours de Vente. It’s a right-hand drive car with low mileage, having had just one family owner since new. It’s unrestored, leaving it with the original seats and classic, interior wooden features. Driving it around the streets of London will be a cinch, thanks to power steering and an automatic transmission. With a full history file, it’s a delightful time-warp vehicle – and is available to buy for the first time. Will you be the one to pick it up for £199,995?

The unique appeal of Concours de Vente is attracting specialist dealers from the classic car industry. Aston Martin specialist RS Williams, Ferrari specialist Barkaways, classic and competition car experts Simon Drabble, and the passionate team at Car Iconics will all be there. You’ll get the chance to view characterful retro machines from Classic Motor Hub, dream cars from online platform Collecting Cars, and legendary brands from Furlonger Specialist Sports Cars. If it’s historic collector cars from Graeme Hunt you’re after, or luxury cars from Hilton & Moss, or even supercars from Hendon Way Motors, the Salon Privé London Concours de Vente has it all.  

Salon Privé London is unquestionably one of the world’s most prestigious automotive events, as well as being the sister event to the globally renowned Salon Privé at Blenheim Palace (now in its 18th year). 

This year’s event is set to be one of the capital’s most exclusive automotive party, offering plenty to do and see on top of the motoring attractions. This includes delicious food and hospitality, which is always first class, in the famed Salon Privé tradition. Prepare yourself for a three-course luncheon, fine wines from Chateau La Gordonne, divine  Pommery  Champagne, and cocktails from the London Essence Co.   

Other highlights include Friday’s Boodles Ladies’ Day, DJs keeping the party going all evening on Thursday and Friday, family fun during Saturday at Salon Privé, plus exclusive VIP hospitality at The Sloane.

If you are yet to buy yourself some tickets, you can do so here.