Page 160 - Paddock Life Issue 13 ADRENALINE

Brothers David and Andrew Bagley conceived their own event centred on elegance, exclusivity and ambiance in 2006. The
brothers had been fascinated by Concours d’Elegance a French term that dates back to the 17th Century, but is now recognised as a display or parade of prestigious cars. The Bagley brothers had been to the American Monterey and Amelia Island events as well as the world-renowned Villa d’Este Concorso d Eleganza on the shore of Lake Como and wanted to bring such an event to the UK. The home of the inaugural Salon Privé was
London’s Hurlingham Club, itself an icon of the up market establishment, I was at the first event as my brother and I brought some cars down for the front of house line up. We almost got the Mercielago jammed in the width restrictions on the road to the Hurlingham... Five years later the event had outgrown the Hurlingham and moved to Syon Park on the outskirts of London having flourished into an internationally renowned automotive occasion. More and more luxury brands participated, but the brothers stayed true to their original ethos and
remained firmly planted in the premium sector. A further four years at Syon Park and the now established event needed to find a new location, somewhere that the event could remain long term. Boldly they moved out of London to Oxfordshire’s Blenhiem Palace, regarded as Britain’s greatest palace and a world heritage site, the location, the access and amenities were all perfect for what has now become a diary date in the automotive social calendar. Salon Privé can lay down some roots and grow.
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