The engines have been silenced, the bunting has been taken down and the vintage outfits have been Hung up as the Goodwood Revival, the world’s greatest historic motor race meeting comes to an end for another year.
The only sporting event of its kind to be staged entirely in a period theme is more than just an unrivalled weekend of historic racing, it is an immersive celebration of a less disposable world, where “make do and mend” was a way of life rather than a casual slogan.
The Revival is, at its heart, a celebration of craftsmanship and sustainability, from an age when possessions were made to last and be cherished. It promotes a thoroughly modern ethos – to “reduce, reuse, repair, restore and recycle” – in the most authentic way possible.
All the cars are original, having been lovingly maintained since new, many of the outfits have been handed down through generations, and even the retailers specialise in pre-owned artifacts – everything from clothes and accessories to automobilia and books.
Now let’s take a look at all the highlights from an incredible weekend of nostalgia.
Commemorating Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
The Goodwood Revival went ahead last weekend with special moments across the event to honour Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. A book of condolence was available for guests to sign and there were daily moments of silence that followed a special film, featuring unseen footage of The Queen at Goodwood over the years.
The NEW Revive & Thrive Village
The Revive & Thrive Village made its debut this year, championing the sustainable ‘Make Do and Mend’ approaches of post-war Britain through a modern lens. With sewing workshops, live demonstrations and a line-up that included Black Girl Knit Club, Dominic Chinea, Charlotte Jacklin, Nerrisa Pratt, Micaela Sharp and Juliet Uzor, visitors flocked to the new area to soak up all the ways in which we can breathe new life into second-hand belongings.
On stage, the Vintage Style Not Vintage Values conversations with icons like Dandy Wellington, Jessica Kellgren-Fozard, Onyi Moss and Paula Sutton, sought to celebrate the joys of vintage whilst actively challenging the regressive undercurrents that can be associated with retro culture.
On The Track
Goodwood has long brought together competitors from across the spectrum of motorsport and this year was no exception, with almost 30 different racing championships represented at the Revival. The 24 Hours of Le Mans, World Endurance Championship, Formula 1, Formula E, Isle of Man TT, World Superbike Championship, IndyCar, NASCAR and British, European and World Touring Car Championships were just some of the disciplines represented.
Drivers included Rowan Atkinson, Jenson Button, Karun Chandhok, Max Chilton, Scott Dixon, Dario Franchitti, Damon Hill, Jimmie Johnson, Tom Kristensen, John McGuinness, Sir Jackie Stewart, Jean-Éric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne.
Racing Highlights
Into dusk on Friday, the Freddie March Memorial Trophy hosted stunning sports cars from the late- 1940s to early-1950s including the Jaguar C-Type, Aston Martin DB3S and the Allard J2X. Across the weekend the likes of the Jaguar E-Type, Ferrari 250 SWB, Aston Martin DB4 GT also took to the track.
Once again, the RAC TT Celebration gave us an absolutely thrilling race at the front, Jenson Button and Harrison Newey looking set for a comfortable victory until their Jaguar E-type Lightweight expired soon after the pit stops. A nail-biting battle between Romain Dumas and Gordon Shedden in their AC Cobras then kept us enthralled until Dumas retired, leaving Shedden, who shared with Andrew Smith, to take the victory.
A new race exclusively for MGBs, the Lavant Cup, was won by Goodwood commentator, Ed Foster, after a red flag caused a re-start from which Foster made a rapid getaway to chase leader Mark Cole. Cole came to a halt with only three minutes left, leaving Foster to take a Goodwood victory that he joyously described as “unbelievable”.
A Trio of Celebrations
Picking up the baton from this year’s Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, the Goodwood Revival spent the weekend wishing Ferrari a happy 75th anniversary, with a daily beauty pageant of the world’s most revered and evocative cars from Maranello paraded around the historic Motor Circuit.
The trio of honorary celebrations was also made up of the 100th anniversary of the Austin 7 and a moving tribute to motor racing icon Graham Hill on the 60th anniversary of his first F1 World Championship.
Settrington Cup
10 years of the Settrington Cup were marked and it was certainly the most competitive race over the weekend as we saw enthusiastic young drivers take to their Austin J40 pedal cars on the historic Goodwood Motor Circuit. Our race flag competition winner Beth got the keys to the Duke of Richmond’s very own Austin J40 for the race, and waved her beautifully designed flag to start the race off alongside none other than racing legend Jenson Button.
The Future of Revival
It was also a weekend of firsts as the Revival continues to cement Goodwood’s position as a champion of the planet and its people, focusing on sustainable living. Synthetic fuel made its debut in two races over the weekend: a Jaguar C-Type in Friday’s Freddie March Memorial Trophy and a Porsche 904 in the RAC TT on Sunday. In addition, over by the bike paddocks, visitors could witness ARCS Energy demonstrate their exciting new zero emissions solution prototype. The cars that take to the track are lovingly restored, recycled, and revived, handed down through generations of enthusiasts and these landmark moments promote the evolution of fuel and emission developments.
—
Customers can sign up for ticket alerts now at goodwood.com to be the first to hear about next year’s dates and when tickets go on sale.