Held in the stunning grounds of Blenheim Palace, the spectacular Baroque-style stately home that is perhaps most famously known as the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, Salon Privé is an all-out celebration of beauty, glamour, and luxury, automotive or otherwise. And the 14th edition, which is poised to take place on 5–8 September, promises to be the finest yet, with a raft of exciting attractions planned
“I have always had a thing for the Daytona,” remarks Rubens Barrichello, the Brazilian veteran of 322 Formula 1 Grands Prix and one of the most likeable personalities in the paddock. That’s probably why when he saw the bespoke Cosmograph Daytona the Swiss watch customisation boutique Artisans de Genève created for his old Formula 1 friend and rival Juan Pablo Montoya, he wanted a piece of the action.
Conveniently located in Heilbronn just a stone’s throw from Stuttgart, Koch Klassik has traded high-quality vintage and classic cars for almost two decades. But the roots of the family-run business, helmed by Horst Koch and soon to be taken over by fourth-generation Linda, stretch back far further than that.
For Lieven Gheysens, the Bavarian cars with which he was first taken as a child have turned from a passion into his livelihood. His dealership in Harelbeke, Belgium, aptly named Bavaria Motors, began dealing exclusively in these cars built in southern Germany, but before long, its horizons were broadened and it came to encompass high-end collector cars from other brands, in addition to a small but exquisite selection of classics.
It’s been three years almost to the day since former RM Sotheby’s frontman and one of the classic car world’s key faces Max Girardo set up shop in an intimate gallery-like showroom in Fulham, South West London.
“Twenty-nineteen is going to be a very good year for us,” remarks Patrick Peter as we sit down beside an outrageous McLaren F1 GTR ‘Longtail’ on Peter Auto’s Rétromobile 2019 stand. We’ve snatched some precious time with the boss in order to outline the coming historic motorsport season, which kicks off on 5 April with the Esprítu de Montjuic at the Circuit de Catalunya. “We’re heading back to both Monza and Paul Ricard and, of course, we have the Tour Auto in April and Chantilly Arts & Elegance in June, which returns after a year off in 2018.”
For the founders of Boxer Motor & Klassische Automobiles, Christoph Schlagenhauf and Detlef Förster, starting a business dedicated to the repair and restoration of special Porsches from all eras was simply a way to fully immerse themselves in the world of the Stuttgart brand.
