Prestigious event announces Chubb Insurance Concours d’Elégance classes for 2015 extravaganza at Blenheim Palace

• One of the top three global Concours events
• World-leading line-up of prestigious judges, led by 5 times Le Mans winner Derek Bell MBE
• Last year’s winner was the 1954 Jaguar D-Type OKV 1

Photo: Bentley Speed Six (Old Number Three)

Salon Privé is proud to announce this year’s Chubb Insurance Concours d’Elégance classes, which promises to attract rare and priceless entries from around the world.

Held on Thursday 3rd September, the Concours is a sociable, glamour-packed occasion where collectors, enthusiasts and friends meet to indulge their automotive passion.

The ten classes, signifying the 10th anniversary of Salon Privé, incorporate the best of the classic car – and motorcycle – world, and range from ‘Pre-war Luxury & Touring’ to ‘Pininfarina & The Prancing Horse’.

Chaired by Derek Bell, MBE and 5 times Le Mans winner and British GP racing driver, the line-up of experienced renowned judges includes Fabio Filippini, Vice President Design at Pininfarina, Giles Taylor, Rolls-Royce Director of Design and for the first time, Bill Warner, Founder and Chairman of the renowned Amelia Island Concours d’Elégance.

The 2014 Best of Show was awarded to the 1954 D-Type OKV 1, owned by Peter Neumark. Hugely significant in Jaguar circles, this iconic vehicle was raced at Le Mans in 1954 by Duncan Hamilton and Tony Rolt. Meanwhile, The People’s Choice Award was won by the 1953 Delahaye 235 MS Coupé by Chapron.

“The Chubb Insurance Concours d’Elégance is renowned around the world for its impressive line-up of classics each year,” commented Salon Privé Concours Chairman, Andrew Bagley.

“Last year’s winners continue to set a high standard and I’m confident that our far-reaching range of classes will entice many enthusiasts. We’re also very proud of our panel of judges who are some of the most knowledgeable and experienced automotive professionals out there.”

Already enlisted to participate in this year’s prestigious event is the Bentley Speed Six (Old Number Three) which will partake in the ‘Competition Cars’ class. Built in 1930, it was one of the last two cars produced on the Speed Six production line and commissioned for the Bentley Racing Team, and was raced by Sammy Davies and Clive Dunfee at both the Double Twelve at Brooklands and the 24-hour race at Le Mans.

In the ‘Gentlemen GT Drivers - To the Track & Back’ class, an exquisite Ferrari 250 Tour De France, produced in 1958, is entered, delivered new and raced by Garage Francorchamps. The seventh of 18 ‘3’ Louvre Tour De Frances, it features the most desirable Covered Headlight style. Among its notable successes, the 250 TDF finished second in the GT class at the Nurburgring 1000km in 1983.

A beautiful Jaguar E-Type, famously owned from new by Diana Ross is one of the stunning entries in ‘Wind in your Hair’. The Opalescent Golden Sand-coloured model from 1967 has been carefully restored over the last two years, and retains its original colour and trim combination, having been found in the USA complete with the original invoice to Diana Ross.

Meanwhile, the ‘Pre-War Luxury & Touring’ class features a 1938 Lagonda Rapide Drophead Coupé presented by Lord Bamford. One of only a dozen produced, Lagonda delivered chassis 14068 V12 Rapide in October 1938 to Alfred J McAlpine who owned it until 1955. While being repaired after an accident in 1941, it was fitted with the four carburettor set as used by the V12 Team cars at Le Mans in 1939. Today the car is beautifully presented having benefitted from restoration to both mechanicals and coachwork.

The full list of classes is as follows:

Celebrating 90 Years of the Alfa Romeo 6C
Pre-war Luxury & Touring
Gentlemen GT Drivers - To the Track & Back
Competition Cars
Post-war Rare Coachwork
Wind in your Hair
Pininfarina & The Prancing Horse
Fixed Head Coupés from the 50s and 60s
Exceptional Motorcycles:
Class 1: 1900 - 1939 | Class 2: 1940 – 1974

The 2015 jury thus far comprises of:

Derek Bell MBE (Chief Judge: Non-Voting) – 5 Times Le Mans Winner & British GP Racing Driver
Keith Bluemel – Ferrari Historian
Henry Cole – Motorbike Presenter & CEO Gladstone Motorcycles
Fabio Filippini – Vice President Design Pininfarina
Philip Kantor – International Director of Business Development and Head of European Motorcars, Bonhams
Joanne Marshall – Head of EMEA Communications and PR – Ferrari SpA
Adolfo Orsi – President of Historica Selecta
Steve Parrish – Motorsport TV Commentator
Christian Philippsen – Automobile Consultant and organiser of the Louis Vuitton Classic Car Awards
Tom Purves – Chairman, Royal Automobile Club
Patrick Rollet – President of FIVA
Jeff Smith MBE – Former World Champion Motocross Racer
Giles Taylor – Rolls-Royce Director of Design
Mick Walsh – Editor in Chief, Classic and Sports Car Magazine
Bill Warner – Founder & Chairman, Amelia Island Concours d’Elégance

Tickets are now on sale at www. salonpriveconcours.com

ENDS

Media contacts

Matt Sanger: 0207 952 1079 or msanger@torqueagencygroup.com

Rachel Burgess: 0207 952 1076 or rburgess@torqueagencygroup.com

Editors’ notes

About Salon Privé:

Now in its 10th year, Salon Privé takes place from Thursday 3rd to Saturday 5th September at the stunning Blenheim Palace and is firmly established as the UK’s most prestigious Luxury Supercar Show & Concours d’Elégance. The three-day event incorporates the Chubb Insurance Concours d’Elégance, Boodles Ladies’ Day and The British Supercar Show, along with the EFG Art and Memorabilia Fair and The Salon Privé Sale in association with Silverstone Auctions.  The Tour d’Elégance takes place for Concours owners only on Wednesday 2ndSeptember.  Salon Privé takes pride and place amongst the leading automotive shows of the world including the U.S.’s Pebble Beach and Italy’s Villa d’Este.  www.salonpriveconcours.com

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