Concours Masters at Salon Privé celebrates 70 years of Porsche
Porsche 911 Sport Classic arrives at Salon Privé 2017 (Courtesy of Salon Privé)
The 2018 Concours Masters at Salon Privé on Saturday, 1 September will celebrate 70 years of Porsche with a spectacular timeline of models. The Stuttgart manufacturer has achieved much within the past seven decades, and as a relatively small player in its early years, the company’s race cars would frequently embarrass the big-budget teams by beating them. By focussing on engineering quality and performance, their models, both road and race, have captivated sports car enthusiasts around the world.
An early Porsche 356 Carrera with Blenheim Palace in the background (Courtesy of Salon Privé)
Running from Thursday, 30 August until Saturday, 1 September Blenheim Palace will once again host the much-anticipated Salon Privé. An ultra-rare Porsche 356 A Carrera GS is set to star in the Concours Masters ‘Celebration of 70 years of Porsche.’ This fabulous, competition-rooted coupé will take its place on the South Lawn of Blenheim Palace, as Salon Privé honours this legendary marque in its seventieth year. This event within an event will chart the evolution of the brand, from 356 Roadster to 911, via 550 Spyder and countless other sports car pin-ups from its bulging back catalogue. Expect there to be surprises as the world’s most distinguished collectors descend on the Palace to share their passion for all things Porsche before the Concours Masters’ Trophies are awarded during the afternoon session.
Produced between 1962-1963, the Porsche 356 B 2000 GS Carrera 2 featured a larger 2-litre engine. Just 310 of these cars were made (Courtesy of Salon Privé)
The Carrera GS is the third of only four cars imported to the UK in period, and one of only ten ever built in right-hand drive configuration. ‘752LMA’ was brought into the country via the official concessionaire, AFN, and registered in April 1956. The car’s first owner, Le Mans competitor Edgar Wadsworth, used the car extensively, going so far as to drive it to and from Stuttgart for its annual service. He later sold it to Cyril Corbishley, another well-known driver of the day, whose resume included outright honours on the Coupes des Alpes. The car has since been restored to impeccable standards, while retaining much of the original coachwork. It is also equipped with the same ‘Type 547’ engine (1.5-litre 4-cam racing engine) with which it left the factory more than 60 years ago.
This 1956 Porsche 356 A 1500 GS Carrera is fitted with the legendary 1498cc Fuhrmann 4-cam engine (Courtesy of Salon Privé)
Rather more recent, but also super-rare, is the 964 C4 Lightweight which is similarly sure to wow visitors and Concours judges alike. Built by the Porsche customer racing department in Weissach under former Le Mans winner, Jürgen Barth, just 22 of these race-bred machines were made between 1990-1991. Each car began life as a bare 964 bodyshell which was re-welded before being put on a dieting regime. Aluminium doors and boot lid were substituted, as were plastic side windows with sliding vents, while the cabin was denuded of luxuries and equipped with a roll-cage and other safety equipment. Packing a twin-plug 3.6-litre flat-six engine, this model borrowed its four-wheel drive system from the 953 Paris-Dakar Rally winner. Although this model was not intended for street use, it was – and remains – one of the most exotic 911 variants ever sold to the public. This example is the only one originally finished in yellow (most were white), and remarkably it has covered only 520 kilometres since new!
Just 22 of these rare Porsche 964 C4 Lightweight models were built (Courtesy of Salon Privé)
If you love Porsches or love great cars of all creeds, then Salon Privé really is a must-attend event; one that is staged against the most scenic backdrops Great Britain has to offer. Firmly established as the UK’s most exclusive automotive Garden Party and one of the longest-running and most successful motoring events in the UK, this year marks a particularly special milestone as the event relocates to the foot of the Palace becoming the first event ever to be located on the famous Blenheim Palace Cricket Pitch.
The 964 C4 Lightweight was built between 1990-1991 in Porsche’s racing department in response to numerous requests for a lightened, but close to a production-style racer (Courtesy of Salon Privé)
This year’s event showcases two Concours celebrations within the same event; firstly, the Chubb Insurance Concours d’Elégance on Thursday 30th August which is followed by Concours Masters ‘Celebrates 70 Years of Porsche’ on Saturday 1st September. Boodles Ladies’ Day sits in the middle on Friday 31st August which has fast become a social highlight of the Summer Season. Porsche Road & Race will be there, so watch the website for a report back and see our social media links for further updates.
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