6 significant F1 cars you have to see at the 2024 Goodwood Revival
We’re counting down the days to the Goodwood Revival, when the famous Motor Circuit travels back in time as we celebrate the past glories of motorsport. Formula 1 forms a major part of Goodwood’s history, although the venue was never a host of a world championship grand prix, several non-championship F1 races were held here between 1955 and 1963, where the famous Glover Trophy was initially awarded to the likes of Roy Salvadori, Stirling Moss, Mike Hawthorn, Graham Hill, Innes Ireland and John Surtees.
This year, the Revival marks the 60th anniversary of John Surtees’ F1 championship triumph, which will give us the opportunity to see many of his most famous cars, including that championship-winning Ferrari 158. But that’s not all, many of the greatest F1 cars from the 1950s and ‘60s will once again be taking to the Motor Circuit during the Revival weekend to once again celebrate that magical era of motorsport. Here are six F1 cars you have to see at the 2024 Goodwood Revival.
1. Ferrari 158
Participating in the John Surtees Celebration
We’ll start with the Ferrari 158, because the Goodwood Revival represents a rare opportunity to see it in action. The car is that of John Surtees, who drove it to the F1 world championship in 1964, winning at both the Nürburgring and Monza. That was its only full season of competition before it was reconfigured with a V12 engine towards the end of 1964. In 158 form it was powered by a 1.5-litre V8 engine, it was the first F1 car to feature a monocoque chassis, and proved to be very competitive if not always reliable. Surtees finished on the podium on six occasions that season, enough to win the championship by one point ahead of Graham Hill, as only the best six results counted.
It’ll be showcased as part of the John Surtees Celebration at the Revival where it’ll be out on the Motor Circuit on Friday at 15:25, Saturday at 13:50 and Sunday at 16:40. Keep an eye out for this unassuming little car that with a very special place in motorsport history.
2. Ferrari 1512
Participating in the John Surtees Celebration
We mentioned the 158 was reimagined with a V12 engine, and this was the result, the Ferrari 1512. That 1.5-litre V12 developed 220PS (162kW), ten more than the 158, and was designed specifically to be competitive on the higher speed circuits like Monza and Spa. Despite finishing third at the final race of the 1964 season, the 1512 fell behind the competition in 1965 only managing a couple of podiums in the hands of Surtees and Lorenzo Bandini.
Only three were ever built, which makes it a rather special thing indeed to see in action, especially here at Goodwood, where it too will be participating in the John Surtees Celebration across the weekend.
3. Cooper T51
Racing in the Richmond & Gordon Trophies
Here is a car whose history is deeply entwined to Goodwood. It’s the Cooper T51 that Stirling Moss drove to victory in the Glover Trophy 1959 with Rob Walker Racing. The T51 broke new ground that year, fine-tuning a rear-engined configuration that made it the fastest F1 car in the world when it arrived at Goodwood in March and scored a one-two finish at the first attempt. It won on its world championship debut, too, as Jack Brabham drove to victory at the 1959 Monaco Grand Prix. He went on to take the title that year, the first ever for a rear-engined car, a moment that transformed F1 forever.
This Cooper T51, which won here at Goodwood 65 years ago, will be racing around the Motor Circuit once again at the Revival. Its 2.5-litre four-cylinder Climax engine will fire up for the Richmond & Gordon Trophies Official Practice on Friday at 15:45 before the race gets underway at 10:30 on Sunday. Look out for its dark blue Rob Walker Racing livery with the white band around the nose.
4. Lotus 18
Racing in the Richmond & Gordon Trophies
In a similar fashion, the Lotus 18 transformed the fortunes of Colin Chapman’s F1 efforts. Once more it scored its first victory, the first F1 victory for Lotus, at Goodwood in the 1961 Glover Trophy in the hands of Innes Ireland, but this particular car has a close relationship with a certain Jim Clark. On the very same day, 3rd April 1961, the Scot took his own maiden victory in this Lotus 18 at the non-championship Pau Grand Prix. After two hours and 39 minutes, Clark crossed the line 90 seconds ahead of Jo Bonnier to announce himself and Lotus on the F1 scene and kickstart a remarkable period of success for both driver and team.
Jim Clark’s Lotus 18 will be racing in the Richmond & Gordon Trophies this weekend, one of three 18s in the field, look out for car number 18 to cast your eyes on the car that carried the great two-time world champion to his first F1 victory.
5. Ferguson P99
Racing in the Richmond & Gordon Trophies
Another pioneer, but somewhat less successful, was the Ferguson P99 which stands alone as the only four-wheel-drive car to win an F1 race, and as the last front-engined car to win an F1 race. While not a world championship event, Stirling Moss’s victory driving a Ferguson P99 at Oulton Park in the International Gold Cup was a historic moment. The wet conditions played perfectly into the Ferguson’s strengths; the additional grip of its four-wheel-drive system gave it a huge advantage as Moss saw off a field of dominant Coopers and Lotuses to take the chequered flag by a massive margin.
It did race at the British Grand Prix in 1961 with Rob Walker Racing, but was disqualified for outside assistance. It’ll be racing in the Richmond & Gordon Trophies at the Revival resplendent in its classic blue and white livery.
6. Gilby Type B1
Racing in the Glover Trophy
Here we have a true rarity. Gilby Engineering was initially a racing team that ran a Maserati 250F for Roy Salvadori in the 1950s. Founder Syd Greene began by entering Formula Libre and F1 races in Britain, travelling to Goodwood regularly and even racing in several European rounds of the world championship at Reims, Silverstone, the Nürburgring and Monza. After plenty of success with drivers like Salvadori and Stirling Moss, in 1959 Green turned his focus to his son Keith and began building his own car, which first raced in 1961. Powered by a 1.5-litre Climax engine, it bore a close resemblance to the Coopers of the time, low-slung and rear-engined, but unfortunately never particularly fast.
Only one of these was ever built, and you’ll be able to see it in action at the 2024 Revival. It’ll be racing in the Glover Trophy, just as it did in the early 1960s.
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