The Goodwood Festival of Speed started as a hillclimb and a celebration of motoring. It’s now one of the biggest car events in Europe, and this year it seemed to be larger than ever.
Although you can’t miss the commercial nature of the Festival of Speed- there seem to be more hospitality areas than cars these days- Lord March has kept the paddocks open to the public, which means visitors can get right up to their motoring legends, be they drivers or the vehicles themselves.
There really is something for everyone at the Festival of Speed- from veteran and vintage cars to modern F1 cars and superbikes- and to list it all would be impossible. So, we’ve selected our highlights.
The Mercedes 300SLR ‘722’. In amongst a stellar group of Silver Arrows, the 722 stands out- it’s probably the most legendary racing car of all time and at Goodwood you can get right up and touch it. 60 years ago it was driven to success in the Mille Miglia by Stirling Moss, averaging an astounding 98mph on public roads. On Saturday it was driven by another German legend, Jochen Mass, who spent ages chatting and signing autographs, then on Sunday Moss himself took to the wheel.
The 1911 Fiat F76 ‘Beast of Turin’. This 4-cylinder, 28.5 litre car is massive in every sense of the word- and the noise it makes when it goes up the hill is earth-shattering. It doesn’t quite reach the speed of 135mph that it managed in Oostende in 1911, but it’s still a sight to behold.
The Singer Porsche 911 Targa. This is the first Targa given the Singer treatment, and they’ve done the business. Photographs just don’t do this car justice- in the flesh it is absolutely stunning. And with a 4- litre, 390bhp engine in the back, it’s no slouch either. One of two Singer 911s at Goodwood this year, the other took to the track and proved its worth.
The Supercar Paddock. OK, so we know that they’re not classics, but they will be. All the noise and attention was focused on the Ferrari FXX K, but there were a few other stunners hiding away in the corners. Our favourite was the Maserati Granturismo MC Stradale (Centennial Edition).
1953 Ferrari 250MM Berlinetta. Nick Mason’s Carrera Panamericana 250MM was tucked away in a back paddock, but what a car- one of only 18 built and a previous Pebble Beach winner.
The Jaguar Land Rover Experience. This wasn’t just a stand- Jaguar have created a full tarmac test-track, and an off-road course complete with hydraulic see-saws. It took five weeks to build, and it made the Audi offering opposite look tiny. Which I suppose was the point.
Cartier Style et Luxe. From Jim Glickenhaus’s Ferrari P4/5 to the 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso by Fantuzzi, there were some stunning one- off Ferraris. The Citroen DS also featured heavily, with some beautiful examples including a lovely light blue 1973 DS23 Familiale.
The Forest Stage. Another Goodwood highlight is always the Forest Stage rally course. The driver’s here don’t hang about- as you can see from our photo of the airborne Toyota Celica. Dust, noise, fast cars from all eras- what more could you want?
Were you at the Goodwood Festival of Speed? Let us know what your highlights were. To see more photos from the 2015 Goodwood Festival of Speed here.
