My Day at Salon Privé 2026: Cars, Style and a Very British Sense of Occasion

Salon Privé is one of those events that feels special before you have even looked at a single car.

I was invited to attend the opening press day of Salon Privé 2026 at Blenheim Palace, and the setting is quite extraordinary. The palace, the lawns, the cars and the general atmosphere all work beautifully together. Even with the weather doing its best to interfere — it rained heavily for much of the day — there was still a real sense of occasion.

This was the 21st edition of Salon Privé, and there was plenty to see. Polestar was there with the new Polestar 4 SUV, Giamaro Automobili from Modena unveiled the spectacular Krafla hypercar in a striking bright blue, and Bristol Cars presented its new Fighter.

The Bristol Fighter was probably one of my favourite cars of the entire event. There is something wonderfully unusual about it. At a show filled with polished, highly advanced cars, the Fighter has real character.

The Giamaro Krafla was at the opposite end of the spectrum. Dramatic, and very Italian, it looked incredible in that vivid blue. It is the sort of car that immediately pulls people towards it.

Giamaro Krafla

The new Polestar 4 SUV was another highlight. I have always liked Polestar's clean and restrained approach to design, and the 4 SUV looks even better in person.

I also had the opportunity to speak briefly with Kim Palmer, Head of PR and Communications at Polestar, about the company's future in the United States.

Polestar 4 SUV

For now, Polestar has effectively had to step away from the US market, and there is no clear indication of when a return might be possible. What was clear from our conversation, though, was how much the company would like to be back.

Kim also told me what a shame it is that the Polestar 4 SUV cannot be launched there because it is such an important car for the brand. Having seen it in person, I completely understand why.

Another conversation I really enjoyed was with Adam from Theon Design.

Theon takes the classic Porsche 911 and rebuilds it into something completely bespoke, while keeping the character that makes a 911 so special.

Adam told me about one of their latest commissions for a newly retired French client living on the French Riviera near Saint-Tropez. I loved hearing the story because it showed how personal these cars can become. It is not simply about choosing a colour and a few options. The finished car is created around its owner.

But Salon Privé is about much more than cars.

One of the things that struck me most during the day was how well dressed everyone was.

I am French, so perhaps I am not supposed to admit this too readily, but the British are exceptionally good at organising this type of event. There is a particular sense of occasion that is difficult to replicate elsewhere.

It is also one of the reasons I love England so much. I have lived here since 2010 and it has very much become my home. Events like Salon Privé capture something I particularly enjoy about British life: tradition without being too serious about it, beautiful surroundings and people who still understand that sometimes it is nice to make an effort.

And people really had made an effort.

Beautiful blazers, tailored trousers, polished shoes, smart dresses and hats were everywhere. There is a particular British knack for dressing properly for an occasion while still looking comfortable.

Salon Privé felt less like a conventional motor show and more like a very elegant garden party where some of the world's most interesting cars just happened to be sitting on the lawn.

I also met the team behind Damat Tween, a luxury Turkish menswear brand. Their blazers and shirts immediately caught my attention and fitted perfectly with the atmosphere of the event. It is always good to discover something unexpected during a day like this.

And despite all the rain, I even managed to eat outside.

There was a small food area with a handful of different food retailers, and I ended up having an excellent burger while sitting outside in the rain, looking across the grounds of Blenheim Palace.

Eating a burger outdoors while it rains and simply carrying on as if nothing unusual is happening — I’m not sure the day could have become any more British.

And strangely, I loved it.

Bristol Fighter

By the end of the day, the cars were obviously a huge part of what I remembered — the Polestar 4 SUV, the outrageous blue Giamaro Krafla and that wonderful Bristol Fighter — but they were not the whole experience.

It was the setting, the conversations, the clothes, the people and those small moments in between that made Salon Privé such an enjoyable day.

And perhaps that is what Salon Privé gets so right. It is not simply about displaying beautiful cars. It turns them into part of a much wider celebration of design, style and a very British sense of occasion.

I left wet, slightly tired and very glad I had gone.

Salon Privé 2026 continues at Blenheim Palace until Sunday, 6 September, so if you are reading this over the weekend, there is still time to experience it for yourself.

Jerome