6 legendary sportcars to see at the 2024 Goodwood Revival

1. Ferrari 250 GTO

Participating in the John Surtees Celebration

Talking of cars returning to Goodwood. This Ferrari 250 GTO was raced by the great John Surtees in the 1962 RAC TT, a race which featured five GTOs in total, the others driven by eventual race winner Innes Ireland, Graham Hill, Mike Parkes and David Piper. Surtees crashed out on lap 62 of the race, but had been running well up to that point. The Ferraris were the class of the GT+2.0 field that season, and won every race they entered to claim the manufacturers’ championship.

The car that Surtees drove that day survived the accident and will return to Goodwood at the Revival this weekend. It’ll be present as part of the John Surtees Celebration taking place on all three days of the event. Don’t’ miss your chance to see it in action on Friday at 15:25, Saturday at 13:50 and Sunday at 16:40.

2. Lister ‘Flat Iron’

Racing in the Sussex Trophy

Another car once driven by a legend of motorsport. This Lister ‘Flat Iron’ is the car that Jim Clark himself attributed with teaching him the most about racing. The Scottish Border Reivers team bought it for him to race in 1959. Chassis number BHL 5 was originally built in 1955, but severe damage in 1956 meant a major rebuilt was required. With a new Lister chassis frame and a 3.4-litre Jaguar XK engine, the car was reshaped with a bespoke aluminium body which came to be known as the Flat Iron.

It was this car that Jim Clark raced three years later, winning at the first attempt at Mallory Park, with more success to follow at Charterhall. He also raced at Goodwood in that year’s Whitsun Trophy, and the car will return to the Motor Circuit this weekend to take part in the exotic Sussex Trophy.

3. Cheetah

Racing in the RAC TT Celebration

Think of the most savage of American V8 sportscars to race anywhere in the world, and at the very top of the list has to be the Bill Thomas Cheetah. The man behind it was a performance tuner of Chevrolets who pitched the idea of a car that would overhaul the dominant Shelby Cobra. GM, who had grown sick of the Cobra’s relentless success, liked his idea and supported Thomas with the development of a Cheetah concept car. It crashed before it could make its planned debut in 1963, and by the time it was ready to start competing in 1964, changes were made to the regulations that required 1,000 cars to be built for homologation. That effectively killed the Cheetah before it ever had the chance to prove itself on the world stage, but the original car survives to this day.

It’ll be here once again at the Goodwood Revival, racing in the RAC TT Celebration in the hands of Duncan Pittaway, where its presence will be difficult to miss thanks to the monstrous noise it makes, not to the mention its distinct appearance.

4. Jaguar E-Type

Racing in the RAC TT Celebration

Next up we have a very significant Jaguar E-type. It can be quite easy to become complacent in the presence of an E-type (we’ve seen so many of them over years here at Goodwood) but you can be fairly certain that every single one of these stunning sportscars will have its own story to tell. This one in particular would be very boastful indeed, if it could speak. It’s the most prolific E-type in history, having competed in and won more races than any other. It’s said it raced 135 times between 1965 and 1972, taking a whopping 26 victories in a single season.

Once raced by Roy Salvadori, and doubtless many others, it’ll be lining up on the grid once again this weekend for the RAC TT Celebration, recognisable by its ‘WOO 11’ number plate.

5. Aston Martin DB3S

Racing in the Freddie March Memorial Trophy

Now for a car that has already won at Goodwood, all the way back in 1956 in the hands of Stirling Moss. It was introduced as the works Aston Martin car after the 1954 Le Mans 24 Hours, and scored a one-two-three finish in its first race at Silverstone with Peter Collins, Roy Salvadori and Carroll Shelby. It was then acquired by Syd Gilby who ran it for Salvadori in 1956, lending it to Moss for the Goodwood Easter Meeting of that year where he won convincingly, cementing this car’s place in motorsport history forever.

It's always a special moment when period Goodwood winners return to race on the Motor Circuit once again, and the opportunity to see it in action is not one to be missed. It’ll be in the Freddie March Memorial Trophy on Sunday evening, running with the same number 59 that Moss raced with all those years ago.

6. MG EX 182 (MGA)

Racing in the Fordwater Trophy

MG announced its return to the world stage of motorsport with three cars at the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hours. The company was in the process of developing a new road car – the MGA – but three racing prototypes were produced off the back of that development. They were known as MG EX 182s, and this one in particular was driven by Ken Miles, who would go on to drive for Porsche and then Ford, with whom he won the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring in 1966. This was the great American’s first appearance at Le Mans, and a fifth-place finish in the S 1.5 class behind the far superior Porsche 550 Spyders was a commendable result.

This car would also go on to race at Reims, Dunrod and Crystal Palace, and will next be appearing at the Goodwood Revival where it will compete for glory in the Fordwater Trophy. It’s a svelte little machine that’s sure to go well thanks to its Le Mans pedigree. We can’t wait to see it in action.

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.