With just over two weeks to go until the 2008 Festival of Speed gets underway July 11th – 13th, Goodwood is getting into celebratory mode as it prepares to mark a number of significant motor sport and automotive anniversaries at the event, including Goodwood’s own 60th anniversary since motor racing began at the famous West Sussex venue in 1948. 

A selection of the many anniversaries being recognized at the 2008 Festival of Speed will include:  

100 Years: 

1908 French GP: For the first time since the famous 1908 French Grand Prix, a record number of the actual cars that competed in that race will be together again at the Festival, including GP cars from Benz, Itala, Mors and Mercedes.

Ian Fleming: The celebrated British author and James Bond creator would have been 100 this year. To mark this fact, the Festival will be gathering a selection of well-known cars used by 007 in various Bond movies as part of the Cartier ‘Style et Luxe.’ Confirmed cars present will include his Aston Martin DB5 with ejector seat from Goldfinger and the Lotus Esprit ’submarine’ from The Spy Who Loved Me.

Ford Model T: Production of the Model T began in 1908, and a broad cross section of the world’s pioneering mass production vehicle will form part of the annual Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ concours d’elegance

AC: The Centenary of AC will be honored with a display of important models from the ex-Thames Ditton specialist car maker lined-up along the ‘Walk of Fame’ of the Dunhill Driver’s Club, including a 1911 Sociable three-wheeler, a 1937 16/80 bodied by Lord March’s grandfather, plus the iconic 1960s Cobra. 

60 Years:

Land Rover: Like Goodwood, Land Rover – the most travelled of British car marques – celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2008. Goodwood will help mark this significant birthday with a jaw-dropping 34-metre high installation directly outside Goodwood House. This central display will house a handful of Land Rover models, seemingly clambering over this huge structure. Examples of key models representing Land Rover’s history will be present at the Festival, including the first production model built in 1948, right up to the recent LRX concept car, getting its first UK public airing at Goodwood.

1948 Motor Show: The 1948 London Motor Show at Earls Court was the first significant post-War vehicle exhibition in Britain, with a number of now legendary cars launched at the event, including the Jaguar XK120, Morris Minor, Aston Martin DB1 and the first Land Rover. These cars, and others, will form the basis of a class in the Cartier ‘Style et Luxe.’

Porsche: The revered German sports car manufacturer also celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, since the launch of the first VW Beetle-based 356 production model. A selection of Porsches, illustrating the evolution of the rear-engined models, will be on the Cartier Lawn, as well as a number of iconic racing Porsches tackling the 1.16-mile Goodwood hillclimb.

50 Years: 

Mike Hawthorn: The theme of this year’s Festival is ‘Hawthorn to Hamilton,’ marking the 50th anniversary since Mike Hawthorn became Britain’s first F1 World Champion. As for Hamilton repeating Hawthorn’s success this year, who knows?

BTCC: Arguably the UK’s most popular race series, the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), is 50 this year. To help celebrate, Goodwood is gathering a large selection of famous ex-BTCC cars and drivers, with TCC stars like Andy Rouse, Jack Sears, Win Percy, John Cleland, Steve Soper, Anthony Reid and Frank Biela being reunited with their cars from Ford, Jaguar, Vauxhall, Nissan, Audi and others.

Lola: To mark Lola’s half-century, a selection of significant Lola racing cars will be at the Festival, driven by famous names including John Surtees and Damon Hill.

Cosworth: Like Lola, another great British race engineering company – Cosworth – is also 50 this year, with Goodwood recognizing the occasion with a selection of famous Cosworth-powered race cars.

40 Years: 

McLaren: Legendary Formula One constructor McLaren celebrates 40 years of Grand Prix victories in 2008, and Goodwood marks this important achievement with an exciting display of significant McLaren race cars, including the championship-winning cars of Emerson Fittipaldi, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. On Sunday 13 July, current works McLaren star Lewis Hamilton will drive his F1 car up the Goodwood hill.  

Gulf: The distinctive pale blue and orange livery of the famous Gulf Oil-sponsored competition cars was first seen in the late 1960s and will be recognized by Goodwood with a paddock full of Gulf-livered competition cars, ranging from the Ford GT40, right up to the 2008 Aston Martin DBR9 that won its class at the Le Mans 24-hour race earlier this month.

Ford Escort: The Ford Escort was announced in 1968 as a humble family car successor to the popular Anglia. Forty years on, the Escort is now remembered more fondly for its dominance in rallying and circuit racing than as a car that your dad used to drive. Expect to see plenty of competition Escorts at Goodwood next month.

Tickets to the 2008 Festival of Speed are still available. To order advance tickets, contact the Ticket Hotline by:

Telephone: +44 1243 755055

Email: bookings@goodwood.co.uk

Online: www.goodwood.co.uk

[Source: Goodwood Festival of Speed]

 Print Story