2009 Goodwood Breakfast Club season gets off to a manic start

The first of this year’s ten Goodwood Breakfast Club meetings got off to lively start on Sunday 1 March when an impressive selection of Minis, and other small family favourites, descended on Goodwood for the ‘Mini Mayhem’ theme to help kick off the 50th anniversary Britain’s best-loved and most iconic car.

Despite an overcast sky, the first 2009-season Breakfast Club meeting tempted many small car enthusiasts out of their long winter hibernation.

The owners and enthusiasts of the huge variety of minimalist motoring took to the picturesque West Sussex roads for an enjoyable Sunday morning drive, before displaying their machines at the legendary Goodwood Motor Circuit; home to many a Mini race in its racing heyday. The only taxing issue of the day was choosing what to have for breakfast from the tempting selection of Goodwood’s own organic fayre.

Amongst the various Minis, Lotus, Morgans and Fiats arriving at the circuit, a special Goodwood display of interesting small cars included a classic 1967 Mini Cooper S and the UK public debut of the brand new Toyota iQ city car, kindly loaned for the day by Toyota UK. And celebrating the arrival of her fabulous new 2009 Fiat 500 Abarth was Wendy Jenkins, who was full of excitement that Sunday had arrived so that she could drive her lovely new acquisition to Goodwood to join the Breakfast Club crowd. “It was either a new kitchen or a new car – and the car won!” said a very proud Wendy.

Many visitors enjoyed a hearty breakfast, made with Goodwood’s delicious home-reared organic ingredients. Some visitors also took advantage to slowly tour the Goodwood circuit by tractor and trailer.

Most Goodwood Breakfast Club meetings are held on the first Sunday of the month, with the next event, on 5th April, set to attract a wealth of family favourite saloons and estates, from the Ford Cortina and Morris Minor, to the more recent Sierra Cosworth and pioneering Renault Espace.

All Breakfast Club meetings are free to attend, and will be staged from 08:30hrs to midday. Goodwood is encouraging Breakfast Club visitors to pre-register their intention to visit the monthly event to gauge numbers, vehicle types, and so on, by visiting goodwood.co.uk/breakfastclub. By pre-registering on the website, all visitors will also have the opportunity to win a flight in Goodwood’s own Harvard historic warbird during the popular Goodwood Revival, which is being held this year from 18-20 September.

For more information, visit goodwood.com/breakfastclub