With Salon Privé just around the corner, we're delighted to offer a special insight into the judging criteria for Club Day, hosted and exclusively sponsored by Lockton.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Ian Barkaway, one of our lead judges, to hear firsthand about his experiences at Salon Privé and what he's excitedly looking for as he prepares to judge again this year.
Can you tell us about your experience of Salon Prive over the years? What makes it such a special occasion?
We have been attending Salon Privé for over 15 years, supporting our clients at the event with cars we have restored, and won over 30 different Salon Privé awards.
It's all about the experience. Salon Privé delivers a fantastic environment for clients to enjoy their cars. In addition to the concours lawn, the event also offers a tour through the Cotswolds countryside and banquet in the beautiful palace itself.
For me, it's the interaction with clients I enjoy the most: setting up the car on the concours lawn, providing breakdown support on the lawns for everyone and the tour, and just helping to keep everything moving smoothly.
The enthusiasm of the Duke and his family also makes Salon Privé stand out from other events. It's a real garden party atmosphere!
You're a senior judge at the Salon Privé Club Concours event, on the lookout for the best of the best. But with over 2000 cars in attendance, how do you narrow down the entrants?
I'm lucky enough to have won many concours awards over the years. As an entrant, you get an intense view of the specific car you are working with, but judging over 2000 cars is a totally different challenge. Obviously, you can't individually judge 2000 cars – so it's a matter of working with the car clubs so they can select the best two cars from their group. Those come forward to the final line up, from which we pick the winner.
What's qualities do you look for in a prize-winning car?
The final line up will be an array of different marks, varying in both age and condition, but all with a story to tell.
Ultimately this is a concours event, so originality and cleanliness are paramount.
History and owner involvement with the car is the part that brings out a complete car. Some may have just purchased the car, but for others their car has been a labour of love for many years. Those owners know all about the car, and why they have done what they have done with the car.
What was your winning pick for 2024? And why was it a worthy winner?
Being more of a classic car person, I went for the 1967 Aston Martin DB6 Coupe which had a fantastic story and a lovely restoration. Likewise, the 2013 Noble M600 Carbon Fibre was very rare, and the owner had spent a lot of time spec'ing the car – which really made it stand out!
Salon Prive returns to Blenheim Palace from 27th-31st August 2025. What are you most looking forward to?
The unknown! You never know what will stand out this year. It's always a surprise to see which car just stands out on the day!