Salon Prive at Blenheim Palace, 2019

Making its World debut at this year’s Salon Prive was Bentley Motors re-created Cornich from 1939, originally conceived to be a high-performance version of the new Mark V saloon.

This 1903 24hp Darracq Model JJ, one of only two known, was delivered new to Mr Albert Arvengas in 1903. Mr Arvengas used the car to follow the tragic Paris Madrid Race completing the full route even though the race was halted early due to the many fatalities. Still with the car today are a three page folding route card, Mr Arvengas’s driving license, a pair of leather helmets, two pairs of goggles and two collapsible leather buckets. Owned by the same family until very recently the Darracq still retains the oval wooden rally plaque confirming this as car a number 41 of ‘Les Touristes.’

Based on a F12 TDf this one-off Ferrari SP3JC was constructed by the Special Projects Ferrari team for the well-known Ferrari specialist John Collins of Talacrest. During the project, started in 2015, Mr Collins spent many hours with the team alongside the chief designer Flavio Manzoni refining the design. A pure roadster powered by a 700 bhp 6.3 Litre V12, you will not be surprised that it is very, very fast.

This 1923 Alfa Romeo RL Sports chassis 7668 was restored with the help of marque specialist Neil Twyman from a run down chassis, sections of bodywork, various boxes of parts and a 3.0 71 bhp engine.

1931 Alfa Romeo 1750 GS with coachwork by Zagato was exported to the USA where having changed hands three times was retained by an American family for five decades. Now fully restored over a three year period in Kentucky.

Corrado Lopresto’s superb class winning 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 GS Spider was rebodied in 1938 for Giuseppe Aprile, to the design of Mario Revelli di Beaumont.

Gabriel Voisin’s ‘car of the future’, the 1935 C25 Aerodyne.

The original Bentley Cornich was destroyed in France having been involved in a traffic accident whilst being tested. The chassis was returned to the factory but the coachwork was destroyed during a bombing raid whilst still in France at the start of the war.

in 1931 the then 22 year old Lord Brougham de Vaux ordered an 8 Litre Bentley to be built to the same specification as WO’s personal example. Originally fitted with a unique, extravagant, but somewhat ungainly Vanden Plas drophead body with a disappearing roof, racing speedo and a boot mounted spare wheel mounted on a sliding sledge. This coachwork was soon removed to be replaced by an open four seater body that was originally fitted to Bentley 8 Litre chassis YF5023, one of three such bodies built by Vanden Plas.

1932 Bentley 8 Litre chassis YM5039 carries coachwork by HJ Mulliner and was originally supplied to a Rugby based owner. In 1948 the car was exported to Canada and then driven across the Country from Halifax to Soda Creek, 400 miles north of Vancouver to her new owner, who subsequently died in a blizzard in 1949. The Bentley was then rescued from the Canadian wilderness by Captain L Goudy who found her to be in a very poor state having had a collision with a moose. The Captain took the Bentley back to Vancouver and restored her keeping her until at least 1971.

This fully documented and highly original 1925 Bentley 3.0 Litre chassis 1197 fitted with coachwork by Vanden Plas is one of only three production models original equipped with blade wings as fitted to the Le Mans race cars and built specially to be exhibited by Bentley Motors on their stand at the Olympia motor show. Finished in scratched aluminium with dutch green wings and chassis, the car was sold after the show to an Asian gentlemen, whereupon Vanden Plas removed the blade wings and fitted long wings modified with deep side flanges designed to cope with tropical rain storms.

Of the approximately 55 4.5 Litre supercharged Bentleys constructed, around 40 original examples remain. This example, chassis SM3909, dates from 1930 and is fitted with coachwork by Gurney Nutting.

Originally commissioned by ex-head of Bentley Motors and famous ‘Bentley Boy’ Captain Woolf (Babe) Barnato, this Bentley and built by Wally Hassan in 1934.

It was originally fitted with the engine from Bentley ‘old number one’. It was raced extensively at Brooklands taking the outer circuit record in the hands of Oliver Bertram at a speed of 143.11 mph.

This 1956 Bentley SI Continental was originally supplied to the owner of The Blue Bus Service. The coachwork is by Park Ward to design number 70 and is one of only 45 Park Ward built RHD two door Continental Coupes.

A familiar sight this season, the Mullin collection 1937 Delahaye Type 145.

One of only three semi lightweight Fiat 8V Rapis built to complete in the Mille Miglia of 1953. Finishing sixth in the hands of Franco Mosterts and G Vitalli, the 8V was entered again in 1954, and in 1955 finished 13th overall in the Targa Florio. In 1956 this 8V became the personal competition car of Lorenzo Bandini before he became a works driver for Ferrari. Never crashed, this 8V retains all of its original bodywork and mechanicals.

Originally delivered to a Nice based couple in May 1936 this Hispano Suiza K6 was dispatched to Carrosserie Etienne Brandone in Cannes where after completion went on to win several local concours events. Later acquired by the Blackhawk collection and thereafter by the Mullin collection.

Virtually one family owner from new this Jaguar XK120 dates from 1950. The family first spied an XK120 at the London Motor show of 1948 and over the past 70 or so years have enjoyed many an adventure in their beloved Jaguar.

Sir William Lyons is probably still turning somersaults in his grave but senior Jaguar designer Ian Callum has endorsed the redesign of this 1953 Jaguar XK120 Fixed Head Coupe by Justin Hills of Hills and Co customs and auto restorations.

Supplied new to Colonel Porter Adams by English Motor cars Ltd of 57th Street New York, this Lagonda LG45 Rapide is the thirteenth example built. It was recently subject to an extensive nut and bolt restoration having returned to the UK in 1982.

It says ‘Taj Mahal’ on the name plate fitted by Rolls Royce as a gesture to indicate that this Barker Bodied 1912 Silver Ghost is a distinctive Indian icon. Supplied by the Bombay Rolls Royce agent to the Maharajah of Nabha and specified with larger than standard wheels for improved ground clearance, a tropical carburation system and a unique pair of chain mail mud flaps to prevent oxen shoes from damaging the rear tyres. The Maharajah’s family retained the car for nearly 80 years and this Silver Ghost has only ever had one other owner. A unique example being the only pre 1914 Indian Trials car to still retain its original engine and bodywork.

One the 18th April 1956 the owner of this 1953 Hooper bodied Rolls Royce Silver Wraith Drophead Coupe loaned the car to a happy couple for their wedding. The location of the wedding, Monaco, The happy couple, Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly.

Regarded by many as the last true coachbuilt Rolls Royce, this 1965 Silver Cloud S111 carries coachwork by Mulliner Park Ward, it is often described as the Chinese Eye. The current owner was timed in this car at 138 mph in Belgium during an RAC performance trial.

Commissioned by the Zipper King Mr Fayolle, this 1948 Figoni bodied Talbot T26GS Fastback Coupe was first shown to the public at the 1949 Paris Salon. By the 1950s the car had surfaced in the Los Angeles area.

Acquired by Mr Lindley Locke in 1960, the car was put into storage in 1964 and there it remained for the next 47 years. Mr Locke’s widow Betty started the restoration in 2011 but being unable to complete it she parted with the car in 2015. Now fully restored back to the specification as supplied to Mr Fayolle winning best of show at this years Chantilly Arts and Elegance.