Salon Privé Concours by Aviva Private Clients will return to the lawns of Blenheim Palace on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 September 2026.
The two-day programme places some of the world’s most desirable motor cars against one of Britain’s most recognisable historic backdrops, balancing formal concours judging with the theatre of a moving awards parade.
For collectors, entrants and enthusiasts, it’s a polished way to see everything from pre-war machinery to modern performance cars in a setting that gives each entry room to breathe.
At a glance
- Salon Privé Concours by Aviva Private Clients takes place at Blenheim Palace on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 September 2026.
- The event will feature pre-war classics, rare grand tourers, supercars, racing legends, era-defining icons and modern automotive innovations.
- The Concours Awards Parade follows on the Thursday, with applications to enter awards now open through the Salon Privé website.
A concours staged on palace lawns
Blenheim Palace gives Salon Privé its distinctive atmosphere, with the formality of a concours softened by the scale and openness of the estate lawns.
Rather than presenting cars as static museum pieces, the setting allows their proportions, finishes and presence to be appreciated in natural light and generous space.
That matters at an event where the field is expected to span several eras of automotive design, from early coachbuilt cars to contemporary machines shaped by performance technology.
Opening day brings breadth across the lawn
Wednesday 2 September marks the opening day of the 2026 event, with an introduction to Salon Privé built around variety rather than a single marque or period.
The confirmed mix includes pre-war classics, rare grand tourers, breathtaking supercars, era-defining icons and racing legends.
That breadth is part of the appeal, because it lets visitors trace the language of luxury motoring across decades in one place.
A grand tourer asks for a different kind of attention than a racing car, while a pre-war classic carries a very different presence from a modern supercar.
Placed together, they turn the event into a study of taste, engineering and changing ideas of desirability.
The Concours Awards Parade takes centre stage
Thursday 3 September shifts focus to the Concours Awards Parade, when winning cars are presented in turn.
It’s the moment when the lawns become more than a display field, with award-winning entries moving through the setting rather than remaining purely static.
For owners, that parade gives the cars a ceremonial spotlight.
For visitors, it offers a clearer sense of which entries have been recognised and why they’ve stood out within the concours field.
Applications to enter the awards are now open through the Salon Privé website, giving owners of eligible cars the opportunity to put forward vehicles for consideration.
Who Salon Privé 2026 will appeal to
Salon Privé sits naturally with collectors who care about provenance, presentation and the social side of the concours calendar.
It will also appeal to enthusiasts who want to see rare cars without the compressed pace of a race weekend or the distance of a conventional museum display.
The 2026 edition’s appeal is its range, bringing together historic elegance, performance culture and modern innovation within a two-day format.
For a concours event, that mix is the point.
Salon Privé 2026 is shaping up as a carefully staged meeting of design history and contemporary automotive theatre, with Blenheim Palace once again providing the kind of backdrop few motoring events can match.
