As the long hot English summer of 2026 drew to a close and we turned to John Keats’ “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness” in his ode ‘To Autumn’ written 207 years to the month previously, the weather was unfortunately slightly malevolent rather than benevolent for the 21st running of Salon Privé. Once again, it was held at the magnificent Blenheim Palace in the English countryside at Woodstock just outside Oxford and once again I was lucky enough to be a member of the nearly 24 strong jury. Amongst those judges working alongside myself were such luminaries as Paris Brosnan, son of the erstwhile James Bond film actor.
But this Salon Privé was an even more extra special one for me since not only was I a judge of the 70 incredible cars competing across the selection of classes vying to catch our eyes to be chosen as Best of Show, I was also an entrant. In true poacher turned gamekeeper fashion, the shoe was on the other foot and for the first time I would experience what it was going to be like being judged. Of course, I could not judge my own motor car, so I too was subject to the ICJAG (International Chief Judge Advisory Group) system of serious class judging focused on originality and authenticity.
And so it was that my Bristol 408 took to the show field as part of Class B ‘A Very British Love Affair, 80 Years of Bristol Motor Cars’ celebrating the Bristol marque’s anniversary of its founding in 1946 after it was born out of the Bristol Aeroplane Company following the Second World War. Bristol certainly has been through some ups and downs over the course of the last 80 years. In that time just 3000 cars in total were built, many of them though very special indeed as was elicited by the superb selection on display – the very early 1946 Bristol 400 drophead; the exciting 1954 404 Prototype; sharp 1958 406SP1; svelte 1960 406 one of six bodied by Zagato; a 1968 410; and my car the 1963 Bristol 408 chassis number one.
Bristol cars were all hand built at around the rate of only one per week and my car is the first of just 84 built over a two-year period between 1963 and 1965. At the time it was more expensive to purchase than an Aston Martin DB5 (I checked with 007 progeny) and faster over a quarter of a mile than a Ferrari 250 GT. Bristols then are serious machines and needed a serious team of judges to appraise them. Led by native New Zealander, Chief Class Judge Alan Winn, VP of Brooklands Museum who has judged concours worldwide including 15 years at Pebble Beach, he was supported by market commentator and author John Mayhead, and Bugatti expert, historian and author Mark Morris.
My journey, or should I say my car’s journey to this point had started several months earlier with an invitation from the organisers to enter in the amazing Salon Privé event. This invitation was accepted with alacrity but then the process of organising the car and relevant ephemera (evidence of the history and provenance of a vehicle are almost as important as originality and condition when taking a car to a major concours – of which Salon Privé is certainly one as it is one of eight concours events that make up the Peninsular Best of the Best each year).
The 408 was booked for transport taking some two months at this time to arrive by ship from Sydney to England. I was of course concerned by all the troubles in the world – the Straits of Hormuz not excepted. I had shipped cars overseas before but never one of my own so I was slightly nervous and happy when it arrived ‘home’ 55 days later to be picked up by my nephew Sam safe and sound to be stored until I arrived a week or two later.
The battery was flat and the car needed cleaning, but these were the only small details necessary prior to the car being transported from East Anglia to Woodstock in time for its presentation on the show field. After giving it a quick spruce up I went to bed happy that night that the car would not let itself down amongst the strong competition provided by this class of Bristols. The next morning, I was busy judging ‘The Golden Age of Motoring’ class with my colleagues when I quickly nipped over to the Bristol area to extoll the 408’s virtues. I did not get much chance to look at the other cars in the class really but knew that I would not be a winner. Indeed, that honour went to the very impressive 1954 Arnolt-Bristol Deluxe with the 406SP1 runner up. No argument there they were indeed very, very good cars incredibly well presented.
But it was not about winning (though that of course is every entrant’s dream) but the taking part that counts: the experience of driving in parade onto the presentation stage in front of the appreciative audience; the hospitality; the conversation; the sheer fun of being a piece of the jig saw of this amazing event.
For the record the stunning 1969 Lamborghini P400 S finished in Argento Indianapolis Metalizzato fittingly in the model’s 60th anniversary was voted Concours of Elegance Best of Show, whilst another iconic car, a1995 magnesium silver McLaren F1 took the prize for Best of Show in the Concours d’Excellence for modern vehicles. These were announced at the absolutely splendid Concours Celebration Dinner within the great hall of Blenheim Palace itself toasted with Champagne Pommery Brut Royal. For a day or two one understood how the other half lives!
