Goodwood has saved the Tyrrell Shed from demolition
The Tyrrell Shed, the former home of Ken Tyrrell's world championship-winning Formula 1 team, will open its doors for an exclusive preview at the 81st Goodwood Members' Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport.
The shed stood in its original home in Ockham, Surrey, for more than 70 years, but after a period of sensitive restoration, it has now been relocated to Hurricane Lawn at the Goodwood Motor Circuit after the estate was approached to save it from demolition.
Restoration workers were tasked with retaining as much originality as possible, right down to details such as stickers on the walls. Visitors at the 81st Members' Meeting should get a sense that they're travelling back in time.
Ken Tyrrell first established his racing team in 1958, setting up a workshop in an ex-military issue shed in the yard of his family's timber business. The team competed in lower formulae between 1958-'67 with a list of drivers that included John Surtees and Jacky Ickx. Tyrrell made the jump to F1 in 1968 with an exciting talent by the name of Jackie Stewart and came close to winning the championship at the first attempt using Matra chassis. A year later in 1969 the team dominated, and Stewart won six races on his way to his first world drivers' title.
During a disappointing 1970 season, Ken Tyrrell made the decision to start building his own cars, rather than relying on other manufacturers' chassis. Unhappy with the performance of that year's March 701, Tyrrell employed Derek Gardner to begin work, in secret, on the Tyrrell 001.
All of Tyrrell's cars – including championship winners with Stewart in 1971 and '73 – were built in the Tyrrell Shed up until 1976. That includes the famous six-wheeled P34, another car developed in complete secrecy, which remains one of the most recognisable F1 cars in history.
The team moved the assembly of its cars to a new purpose-built factory next door to the Tyrrell Shed, but it was still put to use, firstly as a fabrication shop, and later for storage. Now, in 2024, it begins a new life as a window to the past, a chance for us to experience the atmosphere of one of motorsport's most remarkable buildings, exactly as it would have been 50 years ago.
The Tyrrell name has helped to shape the F1 we know today. It provided the platform for Jackie Stewart to embark on his mission to improve safety standards in the sport, and in the years after Ken Tyrrell sold his team in 1998, it became BAR, then Honda, Brawn and finally Mercedes, one of the most successful F1 teams of all time.
GRRC Members and Fellows will have the first opportunity to experience the Tyrrell Shed at the 81st Members' Meeting before the official public opening at the Goodwood Revival on Sunday 8th September.
Tickets for the 81st Members’ Meeting are now limited for both Saturday and Sunday so make sure you book now to avoid disappointment. Also, if you purchase your tickets before 31st March you’ll be automatically entered into a competition to win a VIP Package for you and a guest to enjoy at the event.
Lead image courtesy of Grand Prix Photo, Goodwood Photography by Joe Harding.
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