A car show for the wealthy, Salon Privé has carved a niche for itself as an exclusive garden party for those where cars are collectables and money is no object. It's all very splendid, with the very finest contemporary car makers mixing with some quite staggeringly desirable classics and vintage machinery on the lawns at Syon House, London.

The venue change this year from the Hurlington Club has done little to alter the exclusivity of the event, as a wander around the car park reveals. There's more exotica than at an Abu Dhabi fuel station, with rarities like Ferrari 599 GTOs and F40s abandoned in a field by the gates to Salon Privé.

Those two Ferraris are positively common though compared to some of the metal inside. Not only the vintage Ferraris - with more Ferrari 250s on show than anywhere we've ever been - but some of the more modern machines on offer. There are Spykers and Bugattis mixing with the finest from Ferrari, Maserati, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce and Bentley. It's the oddities that excite though, such as the Noble M600 and Hennessey's Venom GT - the latter is a Lotus Exige bodied hypercar that hopes to better the Veyron's 253mph top speed.

If such extrovert high-speed posturing isn't your thing then the lawn of classics is a sight to behold, with everything from a pretty, early Porsche 911 T/R to those 250 Ferraris on show. There are some real oddities too, such as three-wheelers like the 1934 Dymaxion and Morgan Super Sports, to Tatras and Topolinos.

There's an auction of 'Quintessentially English' vehicles by RM auctions, while the concours d'elegance will be judged by Derek Bell MBE, Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen and Peter Stevens among others. Derek Bell is particularly significant at this year's event, as, among a unique collection of 956 and 962 Group C Porsches, are many cars he raced in to tremendous success.

Vintage motorcycles, a celebration of 100 years of the Spirit of Ecstasy and Rolls-Royce, plenty of watches, boats and other necessities for the super-rich are on offer at this unique event. Just be sure to wear your finest, enjoy the cars and the people watching on offer. Just don't take the car, as the entry price (you'll pay over Ł200) includes all the champagne you can drink.

Kyle Fortune. Photography by Max Earey. - 24 Jun 2011