Salon Privé London took place once again from 16 to 18 April. A motoring event in the heart of London – yes, it really is possible. The event is held on the lawns of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, where, just like in previous years, you can admire the finest classic cars.
David Bagley gave us a brief tour of the premieres and highlights of the event. According to him, the Concours de Vente is one of the event’s main attractions. Every car you see here is actually for sale. That gives the event that little bit of extra appeal.
And we could see that too, because it was already quite busy on the opening day of the event. In fact, it felt to us like it was a lot busier than in previous years. There was quite a lot of press in attendance, all of whom were revelling in the premieres.
Premières
Encor Design
One of those premieres was this remake of the Lotus Esprit by Encor Design. It is, without a doubt, a remarkable car with quite a story behind it. To begin with, you hand over a donor car (an original Lotus Esprit fitted with a V8).
It is stripped down to the bare chassis and completely rebuilt from scratch. Only the finest materials are used. The car is built with the latest standards in mind, but also with the utmost respect for the history of the Lotus Esprit. For instance, the bodywork is made entirely from carbon fibre. And inside, you’ll find the very latest gadgets, including Apple CarPlay.
The engine block has also been completely rebuilt using almost exclusively newly developed components; even the cylinders are new. This engine is the Lotus Type 918 3.5L Twin Turbo V8, which, thanks to this overhaul, delivers 400 bhp – 50 bhp more than the original version. Thanks to its extremely low weight of just 1,200 kg, this Encor sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds.
The model shown here was the prototype. Apart from the kill switch, you wouldn’t have known it. The car looked ready to be delivered to its first customer. Only 50 will be built in total, with a starting price of £430,000; excluding taxes and the donor car.
Analogue Automotive
Slightly less exclusive, but no less impressive, is the Lotus Elise ‘restomod’ by Analogue Automotive. Here too, the project starts with a donor car and, just like with Encor, the car is stripped down to the bare bones. If desired, they can also convert it into a single-seater, which further enhances the driving experience; what’s more, there won’t be anyone sitting next to you screaming if you take a corner a bit too fast.
Just like with Encor, everything can be customised at Analogue Automotive. Or, as the British are so fond of saying, ‘bespoke’. Their SuperSport comes with a kerb weight of just 699 kg and 200 hp. A real thrill guaranteed!
65th anniversary of the British Porsche Club
To mark the 65th anniversary of the British Porsche Club, there were a great many Porsches on display on the opening day. At the end of the day, they set off back in convoy. I’m not sure whether all these Porsches were actually for sale. We did see ‘For Sale’ signs on a few of them, though.
Koenigsegg
One of the highlights of Thursday was the largest group of Koenigseggs we’ve ever seen together (not all of them are in the photo). These are cars you rarely see anyway, so seeing around fifteen of them together is quite exceptional.
One of the presenters had done a quick calculation and announced that the total output was over 12,500 bhp. As for the total cost, we’d better not even mention it.
To see and be seen
At Salon Privé London, you see plenty of stylish people walking around. For the ladies, there are competitions for things like the most beautiful hat. Some of the ladies were clearly already practising. We also bumped into top model Hernâni, an extremely friendly man.
Concours de Vente
The ‘Concours de Vente’ is one of the highlights of Salon Privé London. As mentioned earlier, the motto is that every car on the site is for sale. At regular intervals, the cars are presented, accompanied by a brief introduction from the host and the owner themselves.
And there’s something for everyone: we see a Ferrari Enzo, but also this extremely rare Pegaso Z-102. At the time, this Spanish sports car was a formidable rival to the Ferraris of the era. If you’d like to read more about Pegaso, be sure to check out the article we wrote about it earlier.
The Bugatti shown above is a 2013 Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse. Only one example of this model was ever built. The asking price was between £3.5 million and £4.0 million…
But this Range Rover L322, with an asking price of £24,000, proved that it’s not just very expensive and exclusive cars that are on offer; it was the cheapest one we could find.
Luxury
At Salon Privé London, it’s all about luxury, and alongside visitors who come specifically to make a purchase, you’ll also see plenty of people attending the event simply to let their imaginations run wild. Pictured above is the mobile phone brand Vertu. The brand has been around for over ten years now, and you’re not just buying any old mobile phone. You’re buying a device that comes with a butler service and additional security features. Standard models start at 4,000 euros, but with personalisation using gold, diamonds and so on, it’s perfectly possible to spend well over 100,000 pounds on your new mobile. It certainly is exclusive.
If you don’t need a new mobile phone straight away but you do feel at home in the kitchen, then Vlaze offers you the ultimate outdoor kitchen. Everything is made in-house in the UK. Their main markets are, of course, the UK itself, but also France, Belgium and California. As far as we could tell, the quality is truly impeccable and, in many cases, the price was lower than that of the mobile phones mentioned above.
Food & Drinks
Sometimes you need to refuel, and the food court is the place to go. There are also two spacious marquees on site where you can enjoy a glass of champagne or something else. If you’re on a slightly bigger budget, you can head to ‘The Sloane’ for lunch or dinner. You can arrange this when you buy your ticket. Just so you know, in case you’re booking tickets for next year’s event.
Fewer electric vehicles
We noticed that there were far fewer electric vehicles on display. During the first few editions, we always saw a wide range of converted classics. For instance, we previously saw an electric Jaguar E-type or an electric Defender, as well as a number of others. Of course, everyone is free to do as they please, but our gut feeling is that anyone buying a Jaguar E-type also wants the engine sound to go with it. Apart from the Austin Seven and the Austin Arrow shown above, there was little else on offer in the electric sector.
The Royal Hospital Chelsea and its residents
Salon Privé London takes place on the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea. But what is there actually to see here? Well, the Chelsea Pensioners are retired veterans of the British Army who live at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London. They come from all corners of the United Kingdom and their home here is a historic institution dedicated to the care, camaraderie and support of those who have served the nation. They must not be married or in need of care, and there is a rigorous selection process before admission. Currently, there are over 280 veterans living there, around 30 of whom are women. You can book a guided tour of the buildings in advance. From what we’ve heard, it’s said to be very interesting.
Conclusion
Salon Privé London isn’t your run-of-the-mill classic car event. This is an event you don’t just attend for the cars. It’s the perfect way to combine a trip to London with a few days’ break. On the venue itself, you’re immersed in luxury of the highest order, and this is evident from the visitors too. The rather steep admission fee is likely to act as an initial filter. We’re always amazed by the range of ‘special’ cars they manage to bring together here at every edition. Be sure to keep an eye on the Salon Privé website and add it to your diary. Incidentally, you can still buy tickets for Salon Privé Blenheim this year. We visited it last year, so be sure to check out our report.
