Goodwood

Of all the British tracks which blossomed in the postwar period it is only Goodwood which retains it’s mystique and allure unsullied or tainted by the onslaught of commercialism and emasculation. The romance of a wartime fighter aerodrome and the legendary feats of two generations of the greatest British drivers and their cars provide a setting unmatched anywhere in the lexicon of motor sport.

Having survived closure in 1966 the track has been reborn and revitalised but still essentially the same as it was decades ago, having expacted the otherwise inevitable tolls of safety regulation and the diktats of later day F1. Here amongst the wonderful ACs, Aston Martins, BRMs, Coopers, Ferraris. Jaguars, Lolas. Lotus, Maseratis, Porsches,Vanwalls etc all were the heroes of yesteryear, Brabham, Brooks, Phil Hill, Moss, Gardner, Surtess, Piper, Sears and many, many more from Goodwood’s glorious past.

Here too were the perfect partners to such glamourous excitement, Veuve Clicquot, Lous Vuitton, Omega, Aston Martin and Jaguar, even the fuel was supplied by a name synonymous with the circuit. The final sartorial touch of period dress completes the picture.

It is then perhaps fitting if frustrating that this most wonderful of facilities is used only once a year; otherwise sensory and aesthetic overload would surely result.