Salon Privé, 3-5 September, London UK
Now in its ninth year, Salon Privé – billed as London’s answer to The Quail – will stick to its familiar formula of modern supercars ‘out front’ of the house, with a concours d’elegance to the side. It’s the latter that’ll be distracting the classic driver from his lobster luncheon, with specific classes including those for Ferrari 275s, Jaguar D-types, cars from Zagato, and others with ‘Dramatic Coachwork’. Speaking of the latter, the Mini Superleggera Vision and Lamborghini 5-95 Zagato will showcase the modern interpretation of coachbuilding in the ‘Concepts & Prototypes’ class. Classic Driver dealers (including Tom Hartley Jnr., Simon Furlonger, Fiskens, DK Engineering, William Loughran and Simon Kidston) will also be present in one capacity or another.
Hampton Court Concours d'Elegance, 5-7 September, London UK
Held at its third different Royal venue in as many years, this time around sees the concours take place in the grounds of Hampton Court Palace. Again, 60 important cars from around the world – this year including the Jaguar XK120 Jabbeke, the Lancia Stratos Zero, and coachbuilt rarities such as Zagato’s Jaguar XK140 and Pininfarina’s Mercedes-Benz 300B – will gather for jury evaluation, with the ‘Club Trophy’ winner decided on the Saturday. New for 2014 is a ‘Talking Concours’ (where drivers can expand on the story of their car), a pre-74 car park and the attendance of several owners' clubs, including Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Jaguar, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce. Classic Driver readers can enjoy a 20% discount on tickets by using the promotional code ‘Driver’ during the online booking process.
Goodwood Revival, 12-14 September, Chichester UK
No one does historic motorsport like Goodwood, and the Revival is indisputably the finest event of its type in the world. The attractions extend well beyond the on-track action, with period dioramas, breathtaking air displays, the very real chance to brush shoulders with your heroes, not to mention almost every spectator dressed in their carefully thought-out 1940s, 50s or 60s outfits.
Things to look out for at this year’s event include a life-size replica of Stonehenge (complete with authentic ceremonial druids), a race featuring as many as 30 Jaguar D-types, and a very rare opportunity to see the only two airworthy Lancaster bombers in the world fly together. A special parade will mark the 50th anniversary of Sir Jackie Stewart’s ‘discovery’ while, in the Richmond Trophy, a jaw-dropping collection of more than 15 Maserati 250Fs will compete. You really don’t want to miss it!
Spa Six Hours, 18-21 September, Belgium
The Spa Six Hours takes place on 19-21 September, just as the Ardennes Forest begins to turn an autumnal orange. While the famous old circuit has arguably been somewhat sterilised in recent times, the event tries to recapture the spirit of bygone days. Of the 12 races – featuring over 650 classics from Historic Formula One to pre-66 Touring Cars – the jewel in the crown is the Six Hours endurance race, taking place on Saturday afternoon, when more than 100 GT cars will compete, headlights ablaze, well into the evening. The Ford Mustang’s 50th anniversary will be celebrated with a parade of the pony cars, and there’ll also be an opportunity to run your classic on the hallowed circuit.
Paris Motor Show, 4-19 October, Paris
The Mondial de l’Automobile was first held in 1898, making it the oldest motor show in the world. As a result, it’s now one of the biggest, too, held biannually in the gargantuan Paris Expo Porte de Versailles and attracting marques and visitors from across the globe. Cars tipped to debut at this year’s automotive extravaganza (running from 4-19 October) include Mercedes’ new flagship sports car, the AMG GT, Jaguar’s entry-level XE, Land Rover’s Freelander replacement – the Discovery Sport – and Audi’s second-generation R8, which is set to share many components with the Lamborghini Huracán. Expect a plethora of facelifts, an assortment of revolutionary concepts and, naturally, surprises aplenty.
