Richard Hammond to return as guest of honour at Salon Privé 2026

Former host of Top Gear and The Grand Tour, Richard Hammond, will return to Blenheim Palace this summer for the 21st edition of Salon Privé.

Hammond was a guest for the first time at last year’s event, where he judged the inaugural Concours de Vente and Lifestyle Club Trophy, and is now back by popular demand.

This year, Hammond will be present during Supercar Saturday and Supercar Sunday at the event, before returning to Concours de Vente judging duties alongside Top Gear’s long-standing editor-at-large, Jason Barlow, and British racing driver and broadcaster, Amanda Stretton. The trio will be tasked with selecting the standout vehicle from those offered for sale by the UK’s leading dealers, restorers and specialists.

There will be the chance to sample some of Hammond’s spirit range and meet the man himself during bottle signing sessions, while he’ll also take part in an exclusive Q&A in the Boodles Club Lounge, answering questions about his career so far and future ventures.

Other changes at the 2026 Salon Privé event include two new Concours classes celebrating modern supercars and hypercars and a revised Best of Show format which spans three distinct categories of collector cars.