Salon Privé will introduce a second Best of Show trophy for the first time in the event’s 21-year history when the internationally renowned concours returns to Blenheim Palace this September, marking one of the biggest changes in the competition’s evolution.
The organisers have announced that the 2026 event will now present separate top honours for the traditional Concours d’Élégance and a newly created Concours d’Excellence, recognising the growing significance of modern supercars and hypercars within today’s collector car market.
Rather than selecting a single overall winner, the revised format will celebrate excellence across two distinct eras of automotive design. The Concours d’Élégance will continue to recognise the finest classic motor cars built up to 2000, while the new Concours d’Excellence will focus on exceptional collector cars produced between 2001 and 2026.
The change follows the recent introduction of two new competition classes — Limited Production Supercars and Hypercar Heaven — which will showcase some of the world’s most exclusive and technologically advanced performance cars.
Read more: Salon Privé expands Concours line-up with new supercars and hypercars classes for 2026
Andrew Bagley, Chairman and co-founder of the Salon Privé Concours, said the changes reflect the way automotive collecting has evolved.
He said today’s enthusiasts are passionate about a much broader range of vehicles than ever before, adding that while the world’s greatest coach-built classics remain central to Salon Privé, modern supercars and hypercars have firmly established themselves as important collector cars deserving recognition alongside traditional concours icons.
Among the standout entrants this year will be the 2025 Rimac Nevera Time Attack, which becomes the first fully electric vehicle ever to compete in Salon Privé’s Concours. One of just 12 examples produced worldwide, the car is also the only model finished in a distinctive red and black colour scheme.
The Nevera has already earned a place in Rimac history after completing a 2,700-kilometre journey from Yorkshire to Croatia’s Dalmatian coast—the longest road trip ever undertaken in the model.
Joining the competition will also be one of only two 2026 BMW Skytops destined for the UK. Limited to just 50 cars globally, the V8-powered grand tourer will compete in the new Limited Production Supercars class.
Meanwhile, the 2019 Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 Prototype 1 will appear in the Hypercar Heaven category. The factory development prototype completed more than 47,000 kilometres of testing before being restored by Lamborghini and released into private ownership, making it one of the marque’s most historically significant modern cars.
To reflect the arrival of contemporary collector vehicles, Salon Privé is also introducing the internationally recognised M100 judging system for the new Concours d’Excellence. Unlike traditional concours judging, which places significant emphasis on originality, the 100-point framework has been developed specifically for modern collector cars and assesses engineering, design and overall presentation.
Judging will take place across Wednesday 02 and Thursday 03 September, with both Best of Show awards presented during the Salon Privé Gala Dinner on the Thursday evening.
The long-established Concours d’Élégance winner will continue to qualify for The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award, although organisers say either of the two Best of Show winners could be nominated in future years as the collector car landscape continues to evolve.
As Salon Privé continues to expand its appeal, this year’s competition demonstrates how one of the world’s leading concours events is balancing automotive heritage with the innovations shaping the next generation of collectible cars.
