In the polished world of high-end automotive events, where prestige is measured in horsepower, heritage and haute couture, environmental sustainability is often considered a footnote, if not a contradiction. But this year, Salon Privé, a name synonymous with Concours d’Elégance at Blenheim Palace and champagne-fuelled supercar showcases, has disrupted its own narrative. It has become the world’s first luxury automotive event to be awarded B Corp™ Certification.
This is not, one suspects, a marketing flourish. It marks a significant shift in the identity of an institution that has spent two decades cultivating an aura of exclusivity. And yet, as Salon Privé celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2025, this newfound environmental ethos feels less like a pivot and more like a recalibration.
“Becoming B Corp Certified is a huge milestone for us,” says Andrew Bagley, CEO and co-founder of Salon Privé. “The automotive sector tends to be viewed negatively when it comes to environmental impact, but we’ve worked incredibly hard to align our practices with a more conscientious future.”
It’s a compelling claim, and one backed by a rigorous 18-month certification process conducted by B Lab™, the non-profit body responsible for assessing a company’s environmental and social impact across five key areas: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. Salon Privé’s final score of 91.2 places it among just 3,300 certified businesses in the UK, joining a list that includes such sustainability-minded stalwarts as The Cotswold Company, Farrow & Ball, and Gü Indulgent Foods.
The irony, of course, is that Salon Privé operates within an industry still struggling to reconcile its lustrous image with the realities of carbon emissions and extractive manufacturing. But perhaps this makes its achievement all the more notable. Sustainability, in this context, isn’t a matter of perfection, it’s a commitment to progress in an environment that traditionally resists it.
This philosophy is evident in the operational minutiae of the event. Disposable packaging is banned on site, plastic sales are prohibited, and food waste is significantly reduced through careful supplier partnerships and local sourcing. Even the generators that power the event run on biofuels, and new Park and Ride initiatives aim to reduce the event’s overall carbon footprint.
Notably, Salon Privé has remained committed to using eco-conscious venues. Its long-time host, Blenheim Palace, an architectural jewel and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has its own robust sustainability credentials and is on track to become carbon neutral by 2027. “This is a fantastic achievement,” says Blenheim CEO Dominic Hare. “Salon Privé’s work across environmental and customer areas is especially impressive. We look forward to continuing to host them for many more years.”
If the B Corp status adds a progressive sheen to the event’s public image, it also signals a deeper truth about the shifting language of luxury. Where once sustainability may have been at odds with exclusivity, today it is part of its definition. Guests, sponsors, and suppliers are no longer content to revel in pageantry alone. They expect accountability, and increasingly, a shared set of values.
There’s a quiet irony that the marquees and manicured lawns of Salon Privé, long symbols of automotive indulgence, now stand as a case study in conscious opulence. But perhaps this, too, is the future of luxury: not an abandonment of aesthetic pleasure, but a thoughtful reimagining of how it’s delivered.
With the tenth edition of Salon Privé at Blenheim set for August 2025, the question now is not whether others in the luxury events and automotive sectors will follow, but how soon. For all its classic Ferraris and glinting Bugattis, Salon Privé has done something distinctly modern. It has made sustainability not just part of the experience, but central to it.
