Ten tantilising reasons to come to the Goodwood Revival
With the Goodwood Revival, the world’s most authentic historic motor race meeting, now just days away, the last minute touches are being put to the growing number of exciting new attractions to enjoy between 31 August and 2 September at the famous Goodwood Motor Circuit, with limited availability of tickets remaining. Ten of the highlights to look forward to this year include; Top Races, Drivers, Riders, Cars and Motorcycles
Racing at the Revival will see some key changes for this year, with an improved line-up set to make the weekend even more action-packed and enjoyable. These will include an all-new grid of production-based sports and GT cars of the mid-1960s featuring for the first time rapid racing versions of the popular production sports cars from the 1963 to 1966. Complementing these will be the Madgwick Cup, which offers a diverse grid of small-capacity sports-racing cars from the mid-1950s.
The one-hour, two-driver Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration race remains the jewel in the Revival’s crown, with a spectacular grid of super-rare GT cars racing in anger, driven by great aces past and present. The thrilling St Mary’s Trophy saloon car race will feature 1960s cars this yearn as a two-part race staged on both Saturday and Sunday, with an aggregate result.
The ever-popular Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy for motorcycles is always one of the most exciting races ever seen at the Revival. This is the only historic motorcycle race in the world that regularly attracts Italian exotics such as Benelli, Ducati and Aermacchi in significant numbers. Battling against them will be British Manx Norton and Matchless machinery. Lining up to race are planned to be a host of famous motorcycle champions, including Wayne Gardner, Niall Mackenzie and John McGuiness.
Period Fashions
The Goodwood Revival is the only meeting in the world set entirely to a period theme, with every detail faithful to that golden age of style, grace and glamour:
1948-1966. No other vintage fashion event anywhere takes place on such a vast scale: the event is usually attended by over 110,000 visitors, the overwhelming majority of whom are suited, booted and groomed from the tips of their ‘femme fatale’ red fingernails to their stilettoed toes, proving that the Revival is far more than a series of races for historic vehicles.
Elegant and smartly-dressed ladies visiting this year’s Revival on Saturday 1st September stand a good chance of taking home a bouquet and a bottle of champagne – traditionally the reserve of victorious racing drivers – as Goodwood introduces motor sport’s first, and only, Ladies Day. Throughout the day a leading team of fashion gurus will be looking out for the most immaculately-groomed ladies in the crowds, and awarding spot prizes of finest Veuve Clicquot champagne and flowers to the lucky few.
Revival Shell ‘Woad Corner’ Showroom
An exciting redevelopment of the popular Revival period garage into a 1930s-style Art Deco showroom building, housing a range of mouth-watering 1950s and ‘60s Ferrari road and race cars to help mark the 60th anniversary of the celebrated Modena marque. The popular Revival wooden country garage façade will be relocated behind the Chicane Grandstand area.
Elsewhere the gruelling 10,000-mile Peking to Paris endurance race, marking its Centenary in 2007, will be recognised with a display of around a dozen pre-War cars that participated in the re-enactment of the event earlier this year. They will be located on the outfield by the main track crossing, supported by a back-drop of three authentic Mongolian nomadic ‘yurt’ dwellings.
Tributes
This year’s Revival will feature a special Tribute to Roy Salvadori, one of the most popular and versatile British racing drivers of the 1950s and ‘60s. Goodwood will also celebrate 40 Years of the Cosworth DFV Engine in a series of special track demonstrations at the Revival. Ford’s Cosworth-designed Double Four Valve engine came to the fore in F1 racing in 1967, just a few short months after Goodwood Motor Circuit closed its doors to competitive motor racing. Indeed, the promised performance increases of this and similar engines was a contributing factor in the demise of racing at Goodwood. Nonetheless, the circuit was used extensively in the testing and development of many DFV-powered cars, and in marking the anniversary of perhaps the world’s most famous engine we will gather together around 20 iconic racing machines to have used it.
Aircraft
The Revival is renowned for its air displays of World War II Warbirds, and this year will be no exception, with Spitfires, Mustangs, Hurricanes and others performing in the air. On a calmer note, the inaugural Freddie March Spirit of Aviation ‘concours d’elegance’ for pre-1967 aircraft will bring together around 25 of the world’s finest, most elegant, original and rarely-seen aeroplanes.
Pre-1966 Revival Car Show
Alongside the main Revival car parks, a highlight for many visitors is the stunning Revival Car Show, featuring over 1,000 pre-1966 cars driven to the event by spectators and guests. Presented in association with Classic and Sportscar magazine, the show is a major part of the Revival weekend, displaying a sensational selection of extraordinary cars that informed observers often say is better than many expensive, organised classic car shows. The variety of vehicles parked up is simply staggering, with something to satisfy every taste or dream. From familiar pre-War Austin 7s and Blower Bentleys, to post-War family saloons, ranging from Morris Minors to Rolls- Royce Phantoms, and all points in between, nostalgic memories come flooding back wherever you look. Visitors can expect to see many rare and exciting sports cars, such as the Ferrari 250 California Spyder and Jaguar XKSS, still as exotic today as they were back in their heyday.
Period Characters
The Revival gives a chance for all visitors to revel in the romance of motor racing as it used to be. The lovingly restored motor circuit is unchanged from its heyday, and great lengths are taken to ensure that everything on the site is exactly as it was. All Goodwood staff and GAG (Goodwood Actors Guild) members dress in appropriate period clothing from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, and each year more competitors and spectators get into the effervescent Goodwood spirit by dressing the part, considering it all part of the fun.
All around the motor circuit site, there are many actors, role-playing and acting out scenes from a bygone era. Spivs selling nylons and watches from beneath their coats; Mods and Rockers hanging out and dancing, then being ‘moved on’ by the local bobbies; comedic workmen preparing to dig a hole in the most inappropriate places; Airline Captains, with a string of adoring air hostesses in tow; the Dad’s Army home guard and even iconic figures such as Marilyn Monroe, George Formby and Laurel & Hardy are all to be found at the Revival.
New for 2007 will be a dozen glamorous girls lining up on the starting grid. The 12 ‘grid girls’ – courtesy of Revival partner Oilexco – will be dressed in colourful Swinging Sixties PVC outfits, all the rage in Carnaby Street at the time. The girls will be parading on the starting grid and performing essential duties before each race over the Revival weekend, holding up row positioning boards to assist the competitors in placing their vehicles in the correct starting position, and of course, looking gorgeous.
Revival Market
Many of the leading vintage clothes suppliers across the UK bring their wares to the Revival Market – a unique shopping village dedicated solely and strictly to the design sensibilities of the pre-1966 period. The Market has become a great fashion network opportunity with fashionistas and serious vintage devotees meeting up to exchange tips, upgrade costumes from last year and even buy a better hat or foxier fur wrap for the event the next day. In addition, specialist vehicle manufacturers and restorers also display their wares, along with the large selection of motor art and automobilia.
A Celebration of the Classic Caravan
A selection of pre-1967 touring caravans, being towed by appropriate period vehicles, will form part of a display to help mark the Centenary of the Caravan Club. The sight of immaculate classic caravans being pulled around the legendary Goodwood Motor Circuit promises to be a surreal experience for all.
When not parading on the track, the caravans will be camping behind the main startline grandstand. Caravans on display will range from a 1928 Eccles De Luxe, pulling its own Great Dane kennel van, with the whole ensemble all towed by a 1928 Sunbeam Weymann, right up to a 1966 Knowsley Juno caravan, pulled by a Jaguar 420 from the same year. Other highlights include a 1935 Morris Eight pulling a lightweight Bampton Easi-Tow caravan, a Citroen DS towing a 1962 Swedish SMV aluminium caravan, and a 1962 Bond Minicar pulling a tiny Berkeley Caravette, a miniscule holiday home originally designed to be towed by a motorcycle and sidecar combination.
Family Entertainment
The Revival is a magical step back in time for all the family, offering fun-filled activities for all the family, set against the backdrop of exciting races for historic cars. The period 1950s fun fair, with a helter-skelter and authentic Austin J40 pedal car merry-go-round, will keep the younger family members smiling. Live 1950s music, jive dancing lessons and many period props, such as old ice cream vans selling real ice cream, and double-decker buses, will keep kids of all ages amused, as will the GAG characters, dressed as 1950s policemen, spivs and happy campers. Look out also for the Glam Cab girls in their shiny Ford Cortina mini cabs, plus the children’s crèche, for when the kids are finally tired out.
Ten members of the local Chichester 4th Girl Guides group, plus their leader, will be camping on the Brooklands Lawn throughout the Revival, earning their badges by doing a series of helpful tasks and duties. A jolly 1950s-style Pony Club gymkhana, complete with period horsebox and regalia is located at the Goodwood Richmond Lawn shop.
To order advance tickets, please contact the Ticket Hotline:
Telephone: +44 1243 755055
Fax: +44 1243 755058
Email: bookings@goodwood.co.uk;
On-line via the Online Ticket section of the Goodwood website: goodwood.co.uk
