A 1936 Mercedes-Benz 500 K Spezial Roadster by Sindelfingen has driven off with Best of Show at this year’s Salon Privé Concours by Aviva Private Clients. This year, 60 cars, more than half of which were international entries from 13 countries, went on show in the grounds of Blenheim Palace to be professionally judged.
The sixty cars competing for the envied Best of Show Award spanned 12 classes including Pre-War American Classics, Ferrari Racers of the 1950s, European GTs, Coachbuilding by HJ Mulliner and Supercar Pin-ups of the 80s and 90s. Shown by The Auriga Collection from Germany, the Mercedes-Benz formed part of the Pre-war Open class and won after judges decided its Long Tail high door design with sweeping coachwork was too much to not be awarded the top honour. Introduced in 1934, the Mercedes-Benz 500 K stands as a masterpiece of pre-war automotive craftsmanship. With its sweeping curves, elongated proportions, and exquisite detailing, the 500 K epitomizes timeless elegance and the luxury of grand touring. With only 12 examples ever built, it remains one of the most desirable and valuable classic cars, embodying Mercedes-Benz’s legacy of innovation, craftsmanship, and timeless beauty. Chassis #123763 was originally ordered by Prince Pavel Alexandrovich Chavchavadze at the Paris Auto Salon in 1935 and it won the Grand Prix d’Honneur at the Concours d’Elegance at Cannes in 1936. Following a total Concours-level restoration by Lothar Motschenbacher in the late 90s, it was a Class Winner at the Pebble Beach Concours in 1997. It has had only three owners since new and has been with its current owners since 1993. Before Salon Privé 2025, the Mercedes-Benz had not been seen in public since 1997.
Andrew Bagley, co-founder and Chairman of Salon Privé, said: “This year’s Concours was particularly special as we celebrated two decades of Salon Privé against the stunning backdrop of Blenheim Palace. The quality and diversity of the entries was truly world-class, with cars arriving from across Europe, the United States and beyond. Every single vehicle on the lawn represented the pinnacle of its era, and the judges faced an incredibly difficult task in deciding the winners for each class. The Mercedes-Benz is simply unparalleled for its rarity, concours provenance and sheer beauty, which made it an absolute deserving winner for Best of Show. We’re enormously proud to have welcomed the Mercedes-Benz and so many remarkable automobiles and their owners, who together help to create the unique atmosphere that makes Salon Privé so exceptional.”
Vincent Kolb from The Auriga Collection, said: “This is the first year of entering Salon Privé with both the Mercedes 500 K and the Alfa 8C Monza, and certainly will not be our last. Of course, we have known of Salon Privé for many years now but still we could not believe the scale and diversity of the show. We couldn’t be more thrilled to drive away with Best in Show.”
The winner was crowned after two days of competition, which began on Wednesday 27th, with a team of international judges, led by Chief Judge Nigel Matthews, using the new M100 judging system. Notably, the Salon Privé Concours is the only multi-marque concours in the UK to be judged by single marque experts, ensuring the Best of Show truly is quite simply the most outstanding car on the lawns. Mercedes-Benz proved a popular choice with the judges this year, with Marc Walter’s 1971 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE 3.5 Cabriolet winning the Spirit Award – The Margaret Bagley Trophy, and the Preservation Award being presented to Dr Michael Grebe’s 1958 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster. Runner Up and The People’s Choice Award went to 1956 Ferrari 410 Superamerica Coupé “Super Fast” Prototype by Pinin Farina, shown by world-renowned collector, Anne Brockinton Lee. The first restoration by Anne since the passing of her husband, Robert M. Lee, this Ferrari is one of four special bodied prototypes for the Superamerica and the only 410 Superamerica Prototype by Pinin Farina. In 2023 “Super Fast” won Best of Show at both Cavallino and The Quail and was a contender at The Peninsula Classics 2023 Best of the Best Awards in London.
Other stand out cars from this year’s competition include Mitch McCullough’s 1964 Alpine M64 from the Sports Racer class and Bentley Motors’ Heritage Collection 1953 Bentley R Type Continental by H.J. Mulliner, both of which won top prizes in their respective classes. This year’s 20th anniversary Concours drew entries dating from 1928 to 1999. Dubbed the UK’s most prestigious luxury automotive event, Salon Privé returned to UNESCO site Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, for its 20th Anniversary event this week. The garden party was officially opened by co-founders Andrew and David Bagley on Wednesday in front of the stunning Qatar Executive Gallery, this year’s spectacular centrepiece of the show. Made of 1,206 panes of glass, the structure covers an area of 4,460 square metres within the South Lawn of Blenheim Palace and houses 44 of the world’s most magnificent cars. Among the motors on display in the gallery are UK debuts of the RML GT Hypercar (GTH) and Electrogenic’s Aston Martin DB6, electrified for comedian Jimmy Carr.
Another highlight of Salon Privé 2025 is the Green Collection, a fitting tribute to the Emerald Anniversary of the event, featuring a meticulously curated collection of rare cars in gorgeous green finishes. The private assembly of rare and distinctive green supercars and hypercars includes a Bentley 3L Vanden Plas Le Mans, Jaguar C-X75, Koenigsegg CCR, Lamborghini Miura P400S and 1 of 1 Ferrari SF90 Ispirazioni. Salon Privé 2025 continues at Blenheim Palace until Sunday 31st August, with an action-packed events programme and must-see displays across the weekend. And the competition continues with the Concours de Vente, which takes place during Supercar Sunday and Lifestyle Club Day – a first for Salon Privé at Blenheim Palace. The new Concours de Vente field will comprise a curated selection of cars for sale from the UK’s leading restorers and specialists, which will be judged by a panel of professional judges. The panel will select this year’s winner and award the Prix d’Honneur during the finale awards Parade on Sunday. For more information and to purchase tickets to Salon Privé visit, www.salonpriveconcours.com
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