The old and new Ford GTs looked right at home among the rarified machinery
In September of 2016 I was fortunate enough to attend the Goodwood Revival in Chichester, England (about an hour south of London). This event takes place on Lord March’s sprawling estate, and if the words “Lord” and “sprawling” paint images of wealth and decadence in your brain, good. You’re getting an idea of what the Goodwood Revival is all about.
There were six original Ford GT40s racing at the event — in the rain
If there’s a downside to the Goodwood Revival it’s that it wrecks you for every other high-end car show. I’ve attended Pebble Beach 10 times, and every time it felt like a very special occasion with rarified machinery. The Goodwood Revival feels even more specialized, with even higher caliber machinery.
Race cars from the earliest eras of racing showed up for real wheel-to-wheel action
And perhaps the best part of this classic car show is how easy it is to get around…once you arrive. As a guest of Subaru of America, I was lucky enough to be flown into Lord March’s estate by helicopter, and I was by no means alone. There were multiple helicopters landing on Lord March’s airstrip every time I visited it in the course of 2 days.
A retro “new car” dealership display had vintage Lamborghini dream cars looking ready to buy
Anyway, once you get to the Goodwood Revival you can easily walk between the race course, the race paddock, the large Bonhams auction tent, the massive vendor displays and the vintage car dealership set up to show off classic cars as if they were being sold from a new car showroom.
Vintage motorcycle racing added to the show’s breadth of excitement
The race track’s heyday was from 1948 to 1966, but now it only operates 5 days a year during special events (like this one). And because Lord March is not only a car fan but also a classic motorcycle and airplane fan you can see vast numbers of vintage bikes and planes, many of the latter flying around the event between races.
World War II planes were also on display — and flying about the show between races
If you’re a fan of old-world style, in both cars, bikes, planes and people, there’s simply nothing else like the Goodwood Revival to satisfy your need for vintage speed. If you haven’t yet been, please put this on your bucket list.
The vintage theme extends to show patrons at The Goodwood Revival