Salon Privé announce senior appointments

The Salon Privé team has announced the appointment of Ed Gilbertson as President of the Jury for the forthcoming Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance.

Gilbertson will be assisted by Adolfo Orsi, who has accepted the position of Chief Judge, while Derek Bell MBE presides over the Honorary Awards as Chief Honorary Judge.

Now in its 14th year, Salon Privé founded and chaired by brothers Andrew and David Bagley, will move toward full implementation of the judging process established by the International Chief Judge Advisory Group (ICJAG).

ICJAG judging focuses on originality and authenticity while recognising the importance of elegance, presence and provenance. Such judging helps promote proper preservation and correct restoration for the benefit of generations to come.

Ed Gilbertson has extensive judging experience and is Chief Judge Emeritus for the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elégance, Palm Beach Cavallino Classic and the Ferrari Club of America. He is also the founder and Chairman of the International Chief Judge Advisory Group (ICJAG).

Ed Gilbertson commented: “I am greatly honoured and pleased to be President of the Jury for the Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance, working with Derek Bell as Chief Honorary Judge and Adolfo Orsi as Chief Judge.  My many years of experience, as both a Chief Honorary Judge and Chief Judge at major shows, will serve me well in further guiding the judging effort at Salon Privé.

“Blenheim Palace is a world-class venue and Salon Privé, of course a world-class event, and I am most impressed with founders Andrew and David Bagley and their carefully planned step-by-step approach to building a truly great Concours.  We look forward to providing fair and consistent ICJAG judging that is transparent for all.”

Adolfo Orsi also has extensive experience and has been Chief Judge for many major concours events including international factory celebrations for Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini. He is a charter member of ICJAG and serves on the ICJAG central council.

Derek Bell MBE is one of the most successful and well-respected racing drivers ever. Among his many victories, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans five times, 24 Hours of Daytona three times, and twice won the World Sportscar Championship. Not forgetting his time of course as Formula One driver for both Ferrari and Porsche.

Bell commented: “I am truly delighted that Salon Privé continues to evolve year in, year out. From humble beginnings at The Hurlingham Club in 2006, to now occupying the world’s best Concours venue of Blenheim Palace, a lot has been achieved in the last 13 years. Its recent inclusion as ‘Concours Partner’ of The Peninsula Classics Best of the Best Award is nothing less than the Bagley brothers deserve for their sheer devotion and determination to develop one of the world’s leading events. With Ed and Adolfo joining the judging team and with my new role of Chief Honorary Judge, I remain very excited for the future of Salon Privé.”

Meanwhile Andrew Bagley, Chairman of Salon Privé, commented: “The newly expanded team, to include Ed Gilbertson and Adolfo Orsi, will help further develop our global standing in the Concours world and the efforts invested by Derek Bell, the Steering Committee and the Salon Privé Team over the last 13 years. Members of the Jury will include many of the best senior Chief Class Judges and Team Judges in the world, ensuring fairness, transparency and standardised judging for all, with the ultimate prize going to the indisputable Best of Show”.

The next Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance will be held at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England on September 5^th-8^th, 2019.