A FLEET of classic cars embarked on a tour of the Cotswolds from the grounds of Blenheim Palace before the launch of a prestigious automotive event.

About 30 classic cars – including a rare Ferrari Daytona Spider, an Aston Martin DB3/S and a Lamborghini 400 GT – set off on Wednesday morning as part of Salon Privé’s Chubb Insurance Concours d’Elégance tour.

After leaving the grounds of the Woodstock World Heritage Site, the tour took in towns and villages across the Cotswolds, including Burford, Bilbury and Chipping Norton, before returning to the palace.

All the cars that took part in the tour also took part main annual Concours event. The internationally-renowned Concours d’Elégance saw more than 60 cars competing against one another and joining vehicle parades.

Visitors to the event were also given the opportunity to test-drive cars from the world’s most elite super and hyper car brands.

Now in its 12th consecutive year, Salon Privé is one of the longest-running and most established automotive events in the UK and is based at Blenheim Palace.

Today, the event is having a second concours paying homage to Ferrari’s anniversary with a ‘Tribute to 70 Years of Ferrari’.

For more information visit salonpriveconcours.com