Back in 1993 when Lord March held the first Festival of Speed he can't have imagined that 25 years later the original one day event would have grown into the four day event of international importance.
Held in the magnificent grounds of Goodwood House, famous for its collection of Canaletto paintings,
The Festival of Speed is a cross between a motor Racing hill climb, a garden party and a motor show.
Every year Lord March commissions a huge sculpture which sits in front of the house. This year the sculpture by Gerry Judah celebrates the outstanding contribution to motor sport by Bernie Ecclestone
and shows cars from his collection soaring at a precarious angle towering over Goodwood House.
You needed to be there for all four days to pack in everything that was on offer. Ferrari are celebrating their 70th anniversary and the cars on display and taking part in the hill climb were incredible. An example of nearly every model they have made was in the paddock. Williams F1 team were celebrating their 40th anniversary and the event also marked the 50th anniversary of the Ford Cosworth DFV, the most successful F1 engine ever.
It has become the de facto British Motor Show and this year Rolls Royce, Porsche, Audi and McLaren have chosen to launch their latest models at the Goodwood event. McLaren also brought a life size Lego 570s to which Lord March added the final brick on Sunday morning.
Wandering around the paddock you could rub shoulders with racing and rally drivers, past and future champions who are all happy to talk. Formula 1 was well represented with cars from Ferrari, McLaren, Red Bull, Williams, Mercedes and Renault.
This is the closest you can [you will get] get to racing and rally cars in action which is continuous and spectacular.
It might seem easy but imagine driving a Formula 1 car at full speed along a narrow garden path knowing that if you drop a wheel on the lawn or stick it in one of the ancient flint walls you'll be doing it in front of at least 60,000 spectators. F1 cars aren't officially timed but their pace is still blistering.
There was exciting action throughout the site with a separate forest track for rally cars and the Goodwood Action Sports area with enthralling motorcycle stunt riders, there really is something for everyone at Goodwood.
If your preference is traveling on two wheels motor cycles were well represented with a collection of machines from 1920s Broughs to modern Grand Prix and super bikes, ridden with verve by great riders like 15 times world champion
Giacomo Agostini and 1983 and '85 500cc world champion Freddie Spencer.
Formula 1 world champion Nico Rosberg got back in his Mercedes for a blast up the hill and afterwards was interviewed by Mark Webber on the balcony of Goodwood House and interestingly he didn't rule out a return to racing in the future.
The R.A.F.s Red Arrows aerobatic Team gave spectacular displays but the thing that absolutely stopped the show was the low flying (and when I say low flying I mean skimming the tree tops) Tornado jet fighter. The thunderous roar from its engines using afterburners drowned out the noise of racing cars and set off most of the alarms in the car parks.
You could really feel the ground shaking.
For those who prefer their motoring at a more sedate pace the Cartier Style et Luxe concourse d'elegance competition was being held on the lawn in front of the stables. I wouldn't know which to choose so I'd probably have to leave with at least three, perhaps one Aston Martin and Two Ferraris but the little Fiat 500s were quite interesting too.
Nick Heidfeld who holds the record posted a time of 48.59 seconds in a Formula E electric racing car only 8 seconds slower than the time he achieved in a McLaren Formula 1 car a few years ago. The winner was a spectacular Justin Law who hurtled up the hill in a breathtaking time of 46.13 seconds in his Jaguar XJR 12 sports car.
It's difficult to imagine how this years event could be bettered but I guarantee that next year it will be back with new themes and will be just as exciting as this year. The thing that won't change is that it will be organised and run with the same warmth and enthusiasm as the very first Festival 25 years ago.
Text Copyright William Lansbury 3rd July 2017
Photos Credit Thomas Harling
