The Goodwood Revival, Britain's celebration of classic motor racing and vintage fashion, returns to the Goodwood Motor Circuit in West Sussex for three days from Friday, September 18 to Sunday, September 20. The event has become a fixture of the automotive and social calendar since it was launched by the present 11th Duke of Richmond in September 1998.
The very first Revival was opened by former Royal Air Force fighter pilot Ray Hanna, who flew a Spitfire the length of the circuit's pit straight below the height of the grandstands and just feet above the ground. The stunt earned organisers a rebuke from air traffic controllers, since the circuit still has a working airfield, Goodwood Aerodrome, at its centre, once home to two RAF fighter squadrons during the Battle of Britain.
A golden era revived
The Revival recreates the circuit's golden era of racing between 1948 and 1966, after which the track lay largely dormant. The original Goodwood Motor Circuit was created when the current duke's grandfather turned the perimeter track of RAF Westhampnett airfield into a race track. Its opening day on September 18, 1948 drew 15,000 spectators and 85 drivers, including Stirling Moss, who won his first ever race there.
Exactly fifty years later, the current duke, then still the Earl of March, opened the inaugural Revival meeting in a Bristol 400 identical to the one his grandparents had used in 1948. Five years before that, he had also founded the Goodwood Festival of Speed, a hillclimb event on the estate that continues to run alongside the Revival.
Dressing for the part
Organisers describe the Revival as celebrating "an era when every car, garment and accessory was built to last." Racing participants, staff and paying guests alike dress in period clothing from 1948 to 1966, from Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly-inspired looks to 1960s mods and rockers, Teddy boys, military uniforms and garage mechanic overalls. Onsite shops and hairdressers help visitors complete their look.
Familiar faces on the grid
Rowan Atkinson is a regular attendee and racer, and in 2009 lapped the circuit in the guise of his comedy character Mr Bean, seated in an armchair with a mop atop a Mini. Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason and singer Bryan Ferry are also frequently spotted at the event. The late Sir Stirling Moss and Sir Jackie Stewart both raced at the reborn circuit in past years.
This year's driver line-up includes Formula 1 world champions Jenson Button and Jacques Villeneuve, Nascar icon Jimmie Johnson and four-time IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti. Organisers say the cars, though expensively restored classics, are "raced for real with no quarter given."
Anniversaries on track
This year's Revival marks the 80th anniversary of the Vespa scooter, with more than 300 Vespas taking part in the daily track opening, and the 50th anniversary of motorcyclist Barry Sheene's first world championship. Sir Jack Brabham, the only driver to win a Formula 1 world championship in a car bearing his own name, will be commemorated with parades each day featuring cars he engineered. Maserati's paddock presence will be marked with a La Dolce Vita theme.
Racing highlights
The Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy features pre-1963 GT cars including Jaguar E-types, Aston Martins and Ferraris, with practice on Friday morning and the main race on Friday evening. The Goodwood Trophy brings together racing cars from 1930 to 1951, including Maseratis and Talbot-Lagos, with practice on Friday and the race on Saturday.
The Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy runs in two parts across Saturday and Sunday, with races beginning with a Le Mans-style sprint to motorcycles that mainly comprise Nortons and Matchless machines. The Whitsun Trophy on Sunday features sports prototypes that raced between 1948 and 1966, including Ford GT40s, McLaren M1As and Lola T70 Spyders, with practice on Friday.
The Glover Trophy brings together 1.5-litre Grand Prix cars such as Lotuses, Coopers and Brabhams of the type driven by Graham Hill, Roy Salvadori and Stirling Moss between 1955 and 1963, with practice on Friday and the race on Sunday. The Sussex Trophy features 1950s sports cars such as Lister Knobblys and Lola Mk1s, with practice on Friday and the race on Saturday.
One of the weekend's biggest events, the RAC TT Celebration presented by Dunlop, takes place on Sunday and will feature Button, Villeneuve, Johnson and Franchitti, with a practice run on Friday.
Beyond the track
The Revival Style Village will hold best-dressed competitions daily at 3pm, alongside vintage workshops and presentations including a talk by designer Dame Zandra Rhodes. As racing ends each evening, the party continues in the "Over the Road" area with a funfair, a drive-in movie and live music, including rock 'n' roll dancing into the night. This year will bring the first-ever Sunday Closing Party, with organisers advising visitors to "brush up on your Lindy Hop."
Around 150,000 people attended over the three days last year, roughly ten times the number who came in the Revival's early years, with ten hours of track action each day.
Tickets and travel
Admission starts at £84, with hospitality packages from £360; only Friday and Sunday tickets remain. Children under 12 go free, and those aged 13 to 21 pay half price, with parking free of charge.
Nearby attractions include the seaside town of Bognor Regis, Chichester Cathedral, the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, the Weald and Downland Living Museum and the Tinwood Estate vineyard. Hotels in the area include The Carlton in Bognor Regis, Avisford Park Hotel in Arundel and The Village Hotel in Portsmouth.
