The 2020 Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance is on, running September 23 through 26. The event is held on the grounds of Blenheim Palace, a World Heritage Site about 65 miles northwest of London. Presented by AXA, the Salon Privé appeals to motoring enthusiasts of the two- and four-wheel persuasions, motorcycle take center stage on the first and second days.
Salon Privé is a competitive endeavor, with three classes—Exceptional Motorcycles, Exceptional Competition Motorcycles, and Ducati Icons. Let’s take a look at some of the tastiest morsels that will be on show at the 15th running of Salon Privé. The class winners and runners-up are decided by a jury (including motorcycle TV personality Henry Cole), with Most Spectacular Motorcycle award chosen by the Duke of Marlborough.
- Eisenberg Racing V8. For the motorcyclist who believes too much is never enough, the Eisenberg Racing V8 uses a purpose-built 3.0-liter motor that revs to 11,000 rpm and puts out 480 horsepower. Top speed is claimed to be 250 mph.
- 1974 Ducati 750 SS Green Frame. Only 401 examples of this hand-built Ducati were built, with Fabio Taglioni supervising the process, and it will appear at Salon Privé. It is supplemented by the ’75 900 SS and ’76 750 SS models. According to a Salon Privé spokesman, the three motorcycles are “a full set of iconic round- and square-case Ducati V-twin motorcycles. It will be the first time three examples of this kind have been exhibited together in the UK.”
- 1948 Norton 500 Jack Moore Prototype. Thought lost until 2014, one of the two Jack Moore prototype Norton motors was discovered an auctioned off. Subsequently, the other prototype powerplant was found and fell into the hands of the same owner. It took until 2018 for enough parts to be collected for the restoration to being. Now, after falling fallow for 72 years, the 1948 Norton 500 Jack Moore prototype is back in action and at the Salon Privé.
- 1971 Ducati 450 Desmo Desert Racer. Built by Jeff Cole in California, this C&J-framed Ducati 450 single was a street rod in the 1970s. Eventually wrecked, it was saved from the junkyard in 2017. Period accessories and cleaned up original parts were used in the rebuild.
- Langen Motorcycles Debut. Langen Motorcycle is offering something truly different—a café racer with a 90-degree V-twin displacing 250cc. Oh, and did we mention that it is a fuel-injected two-stroke with a counter-rotating crankshaft? Also, it puts out 80 horsepower at 11,800 rpm. That wild powerplant sits in a handmade aluminum frame, with carbon-fiber bodywork. The claimed weight of the motorcycle is 247 pounds. Langen says it will be making just 250 examples.
Additionally, MV Agusta will the at Salon Privé to celebrate the marque’s 75th anniversary, with loads of 2020 models on display. British boutique motorcycle manufacturers CCM Motorcycles will also be showing its highly unique machines.
As is the custom in 2020, Salon Privé will have a wide variety of safety protocols, so the event meets the government’s COVID-19 Secure guidelines.
