WORDS: ELLIOTT HUGHES | PHOTOS: GOODWOOD
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is motoring’s answer to Glastonbury, serving up a vast, star-studded spectacle deep in the English countryside to satiate the passions of any petrol-head. Anticipation was particularly high in the build-up to this year’s 30th-anniversary edition, which coincidentally also falls on the 75th year of motor sport at Goodwood.
Unfortunately, however, the Festival of Speed didn’t go ahead on Saturday due to the threat of thunderstorms and high winds, which compromised the safety of the event’s temporary structures. Still, there were plenty of highlights to cherish, particularly as 2023 saw the FoS celebrate more motoring milestones than ever before.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is motoring’s answer to Glastonbury
The 75th anniversary of Porsche headlined as this year’s celebrated marque, and correspondingly was the subject of Gerry Judah’s spectacular centrepiece sculpture in front of Goodwood House. A parade of the marque’s most significant models was held across the weekend, with a gorgeous 1961 718/8 Spyder and a cutting-edge 2023 963 LMDh racer bookending the display.
Lamborghini was another manufacturer to mark a significant milestone, and it chose to honour its 60th year with the unveiling and dynamic debut of its 2024 LMDh race car. Other noteworthy anniversaries included the centenary of the Le Mans 24 Hours, 75 years of Lotus, 75 years of NASCAR, 60 years of McLaren and 50 years of the WRC.
Yet the focal point of FoS remained the 1.16-mile sprints up the Hill by an eclectic armada of spectacular machinery. The most headline-grabbing runs came courtesy of the new V10-powered McLaren Solus, which howled its way to the top of the time sheets in Sunday afternoon’s shoot-out, as well as the near-2000bhp Rimac Nevera, which set a new hillclimb production-car record.
Other highlights from the Hill included runs by Sebastian Vettel in his 1992 Williams FW14B and 1993 McLaren MP4/8, both of which ran on sustainable fuels. Vettel was accompanied by his F1 protégé Mick Schumacher, who paid a touching tribute to his own father Michael, by donning Schuey Sr’s iconic helmet and overalls in the cockpit of his Mercedes F1 WO2.
Jenson Button and Mika Häkkinen were some of the other members of the F1 fraternity in attendance. Jenson put on a show by lighting up the rear tyres of the Garage 56 NASCAR he drove at Le Mans, creating one of the biggest burn-outs in FoS history. Häkkinen, meanwhile, was reunited with his championship-winning McLaren MP4/14.
Two-wheeled racing was well represented, too, as the FoS held its biggest-ever celebration of MotoGP. Six teams – Ducati, GasGas, LCR Honda, Aprilia, CryptoDATA RNF and Red Bull KTM – appeared alongside ten active riders, including championship leader Francesco Bagnaia.
Another less fortunate aspect of this year’s hillclimb was the unusually frequent number of crashes. The scariest moment of the weekend came on Thursday, when the rear-left wheel of a Mk1 Jaguar detached and bounced over the haybales and into the crowd. Thankfully, no one was hurt. A Hyundai RN22e, Porsche 911 GT1, BMW M1 Procar and Leyton House Formula 1 car also all fell victim to the course.
There was a dizzying amount to see away from the hillclimb, too. The Supercar Paddock remained as popular as ever, showcasing around 60 of the finest models from the likes of Ferrari, Koenigsegg, Bugatti, Singer and Aston Martin, many of which were publicly unveiling new models.
Stand-out dynamic debuts included the Singer DLS Turbo Project, Aston Martin Valour, Ferrari KC23, Caterham Project V, McMurtry Spéirling PURE, Bentley Speed Six Continuation, Range Rover Sport SV, Lamborghini Revuelto, McLaren 750S, Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato and Porsche Mission X.
As ever, it was well worth making a pilgrimage to the Forest Rally Stage – particularly on the 50th anniversary of the WRC. Rally cars of every vintage could be seen sliding between the trees, including a Subaru Impreza 22B, Lancia Delta Integrale and various Mk1 and Mk2 Escorts. Some of the more unconventional rally cars also made an appearance, with a Citroën DS, Ferrari 308 and Lotus Esprit all delighting spectators.
The return of the Cartier Style et Luxe Concours provided respite from the adrenaline, allowing visitors to peruse 50 rare and wonderfully presented classics across eight diverse classes. The quirky 100 Years of Cyclecars class was certainly a highlight, and brilliantly contrasted with the fearsome GT1 racers occupying the Road to Le Mans class and the elegance of Enzo’s Ferraris. Best in Show was awarded to the 1937 Bentley 4¼ litre Rothschild Sedanca Coupé by Gurney Nutting.
Bonhams’ annual sale took place on Friday afternoon and, as ever, it saw a selection of special vehicles enter new ownership. The most lucrative of the 240 lots was a one-of-a-kind 2007 Koenigsegg CCGT GT1 Competition Coupé, which sold for £3,319,000 ($4,275,980). Another stand-out sale saw a derelict 1964 Aston Martin DB5 fetch £326,000 ($420,000) – well above its highest estimate. The event’s total sales figure came to an impressive £10.6m ($13.66m).
While the crowds certainly seemed far busier than usual, and Saturday’s cancellation was highly unfortunate – particularly for those with one-day tickets – the 2023 Festival of Speed was a fantastic occasion, and a highlight of this year’s motoring calendar.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed returns on July 11-14, 2024. For more information, click here.
