There are car shows, and then there are gatherings where the car becomes something closer to an artefact: a record of ambition, craftsmanship and the particular obsessions of the people who built it.
This year’s Concours by Aviva Private Clients at Blenheim Palace brings together machinery from across the history of the automobile, from pre-war racers and hand-built grand tourers to prototypes and modern hypercars. Some are celebrated names; others are rarities whose stories are almost as compelling as their engineering.
Set against the architecture and parkland of Blenheim Palace on 2 and 3 September, the event offers a chance to see cars that rarely share the same piece of ground. Here are some of the entries worth seeking out.
What makes a concours compelling is not simply rarity. It is the opportunity to see, gathered in one place, the different ideas that have shaped the automobile: speed and elegance, experimentation and excess, engineering discipline and sheer imagination.
At Blenheim Palace, those ideas span almost a century, from the craftsmanship of pre-war luxury cars to the uncompromising technology of today’s hypercars. Together, they offer something more interesting than a parade of valuable machinery. They tell the story of what happens when designers, engineers and manufacturers decide that a car can be more than a means of getting from one place to another.
For anyone with even a passing interest in cars, it should make for quite a spectacle.
Armstrong-Siddeley Special Six
Class: The Golden Age of Motoring
Built during one of Britain’s great periods of automotive innovation, this elegant 1933 Armstrong-Siddeley Special Six captures the craftsmanship and engineering excellence that defined luxury motoring before the Second World War.
Maserati 8C 3000
Class: Sports Racers
One of the rarest Maseratis ever built, the 8C 3000 represented the marque’s ambition to dominate international motorsport. Combining formidable performance with unmistakable Italian styling, it remains one of the most coveted pre-war sports cars in existence.
Arnolt Bristol Deluxe
Class: Celebrating 80 Years of Bristol Motoring
Marking eight decades of Bristol, this beautifully proportioned Arnolt Bristol Deluxe is one of the Anglo-American collaboration’s most distinctive creations, combining British engineering with elegant Italian coachwork.
Alfa Romeo Sprint Berlinetta
Class: Celebrating 100 Years of Touring Design
Created by legendary coachbuilder Touring, this Alfa Romeo Sprint Berlinetta celebrates a century of one of Italy’s most influential design houses. Its lightweight construction and timeless styling helped shape sports-car design for generations.
Maserati 3500GT Spyder Prototipo by Vignale
Class: La Dolce Vita – Italian Glamour of the ’50s & ’60s
A one-off prototype, the Maserati 3500GT Spyder Prototipo embodies the glamour and sophistication of post-war Italy. Penned by Vignale, it represents the golden age of open-top grand touring and remains one of Maserati’s most striking creations.
Porsche 901
Class: Early Air-cooled Porsche Icons
Before it became the legendary 911, it was the Porsche 901. Produced before Porsche changed the name following a trademark dispute with Peugeot, surviving examples are exceptionally rare and hugely significant in the marque’s history.
Ferrari 166MM by Touring
Class: Sports Racers
One of Ferrari’s earliest competition cars, the 166MM helped establish the marque on the world stage, with victories in endurance racing including the Mille Miglia and Le Mans. Today, it remains one of the most historically significant Ferraris ever built.
Lamborghini Miura P400S
Class: 60 Years of the Lamborghini Miura
Widely regarded as the world’s first true supercar, the Miura changed automotive history with its mid-engined layout and dramatic Marcello Gandini styling. Sixty years after its debut, the P400S remains one of the most influential and captivating cars ever produced.
Ferrari 328 GTS
Class: Never Mind the Weather – Cabriolets & Convertibles
One of Ferrari’s most recognisable and usable classics, the 328 GTS captures the spirit of open-top motoring in the late 1980s. With its removable targa roof and timeless Pininfarina design, it remains a firm favourite among collectors.
Ferrari 250 GT Series 1 Cabriolet
Class: Passione Ferrari
Elegant, rare and effortlessly desirable, the Ferrari 250 GT Series 1 Cabriolet is regarded as one of Maranello’s finest grand tourers. Combining V12 performance with beautiful coachwork, it represents Ferrari at its most refined.
Bugatti EB110 Prototype
Class: Supercar Icons
A pioneering supercar ahead of its time, the Bugatti EB110 showcased advanced engineering, including four-wheel drive and a quad-turbocharged V12. As a prototype, this example offers a fascinating glimpse into Bugatti’s ambitious revival during the 1990s.
Aston Martin Valiant Prototype
Class: Limited Production Supercars
One of Aston Martin’s most extreme road cars, the Valiant was developed with an emphasis on driver engagement. This prototype offers a rare opportunity to see the engineering behind one of the world’s most exclusive modern supercars.
Bugatti Bolide
Class: Hypercar Heaven (2006–2026)
Designed with virtually no compromises, the Bugatti Bolide pushes automotive engineering to extraordinary limits. Built around uncompromising, track-focused performance, it represents the extreme end of modern hypercar design and is among the most anticipated cars at this year’s Concours.
The post 13 remarkable cars to look out for at this year’s Salon Privé Concours appeared first on The Oxford Magazine.
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