The Goodwood Revival's delightful Classic Car Show
Over the Road at the 25th-anniversary Goodwood Revival, the huge Revival Car Show was a must-see for all car lovers. More than 3,000 classic cars were parked up and on display for each of the three days of the Revival (constantly changing with each day), to create what is possibly the UK’s (probably Europe’s) greatest classic car show. Very much in keeping with the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ theme, so proclaimed on the colourful front cover of the printed programme. And that was only an addenda to the exceptional wheel-to-wheel racing on track and the various anniversaries we celebrated on track throughout the event.
The variety of cars on display is always staggering, and this year it was particularly rewarding to see a large Continental European contingent of enthusiasts return to the Revival, after a few leaner years post-Covid and Brexit. For the first time ever, the number of Revival visitors from the Netherlands outnumbered those from the USA and Germany. As much was evident in the Revival Car Show fields, with a large number of Dutch-registered classic E-types, MGs, Citroen DSs and pre-’66 Bentleys. A great many Belgian-registered classics had also made the trip to Goodwood in their ‘old timers’ (as they call them), as had plenty of Germans. French, Spanish, Swedish, Italians and others.
Seeing an immaculate early 1960s Vauxhall Victor HB with LHD steering was unusual enough, as most of these once-commonplace family saloons have long since succumbed to rust over the last 60 years or more. So seeing one on French plates was an unexpected surprise, as not many could have been sold in France when new in the first place. Though not a car I would ordinarily get too excited about, that old Vauxhall perfectly summed up the exceptional variety of classics in the two main Revival Car Show fields; split into pre-1966 cars, and later Tax Free classics, up to 40 years old.
A plethora of British-built classics – ranging from humble Reliant Regals, Minis and Morris Minors, via popular sportscars slike the Austin-Healey Sprite, MGB and Triumph Spitfire and many TR derivatives, through to top-draw Humbers, Jaguar Mark IIs, XKs and E-Types, Jensens, Bristols, Aston Martins, Gordon-Keebles et al – had me longing for the world-leading motor industry we had post-war. As always, the Revival Car Show put on its (now traditional) stunning collection of elegant and ‘oh-so-English’ coach-built Bentleys and Rolls-Royces too, both pre- and post-war. These beauties were also joined by many enticing Lagondas, Armstrong Siddeleys and Invictas.
In the second parking area for more recent tax free classics aged 40 years old or older, a dusty William Towns wedged Lagonda caught my eye, as did a pair of Dino V6s, in both Fiat and Ferrari flavours. A GSM Delta was good to see, as were a pair of other South African cars; two Peranha-tuned Ford Capris. An as-new Savage-tuned Ford Cortina 1600E Mark II was also good to see, as was a rare and exciting mid-engined Ginetta G12 , a rarely-seen De Tomaso Longchamp Cabriolet, an early ‘70s Datsun Skyline 240K Coupe, and a Bitter CD, which avid readers will remember from my recent piece celebrating the life of its creator Erich Bitter.
In the main forward parking pre-1966 Revival Car Show field, personal highlights included a tidy and very sweet early Fiat 850 Coupe. A one-off Graber of Switzerland-bodied Aston Martin DB2 drop head was even more arresting, as were an unusual pair of Apal Triumph Spitfires, with coachwork modified in the 1960s by the subsequent Belgian Dune Buggy builder in Liege. There were also a pair of handsome Lancia Flaminia coupes one being Pininfarina Coupe and one delicious Touring Flaminia GTC – joining plus an authentic Plymouth Fury Sheriff’s police car. There was an unusual modified Alllard M1 fastback coupe, a delightful Hotchkiss 686, plus a breathtaking array of countless other outstanding pre-’66 classic cars, with far too many to list.
Although I appreciate that it’s not an easy ask, if you can bear to tear yourself away from the exceptional track action and many other attractions at next year’s Goodwood Revival (6th-8th September 2024), I would strongly recommend a stroll around the Revival Car Show. You won’t regret it.
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