It might be budget day, but a sizeable portion of the UK motoring media wasn’t watching Osborne at the despatch box, instead they were listening listening to Lord March outside Goodwood House introduce what to expect from the 20th Goodwood Festival of Speed on the 12-14 July.
Several marques and championships have significant anniversaries to mark, 2013 being Lamborghini’s 50th year, while Porsche will commemorate 50 years of its iconic 911 model at the Festival with the centrepiece sculpture outside Goodwood House.
The World Rally Championship’s 60th year will be celebrated on a considerably lengthened rally stage, while the Sports Car World Championship’s 60th year - and 90 years of the Le Mans 24 hours race - ensure sports and prototype racers will make up a good number of the cars running up the 1.16 mile hill climb.
Goodwood will once again feature Formula One’s biggest paddock outside a race weekend, with seven teams already having confirmed their attendance. Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes, Lotus, Caterham, Marussia and McLaren will all have cars completing the hillclimb. McLaren’s road car division will also show its P1 hypercar in action in front of over 185,000 spectators over the weekend.
Since its 1993 introduction - where 25,000 people attended - the Goodwood Festival of Speed has grown immeasurably. Thursday 11th July will see the now traditional Moving Motor Show offer visitors test drives in all manner of vehicles.
Skoda is promising its new Octavia vRS will debut, while Lexus will bring along its new IS. The press day saw Jaguar bring along its XFR-S, the first time it’s been seen running - driven by Jaguar’s 1988 Le Mans 24 hour winning driver Andy Wallace.
Big name drivers are a constant draw at Goodwood, with regulars like Sir Stirling Moss and Derek Bell joined by a glittering A-List of Formula One, Rally, Touring, Indy and Sports Car drivers past and present. Motorcyclists won’t be forgotten, either, with a new dedicated area, while the 20th Goodwood Festival will also celebrate Land Speed Record holders, the Bloodhound SSC appearing just days before it heads off to its record attempt. The usual Cartier, Style et Lux concours d’elegance will celebrate the most beautiful and eclectic cars over the Festival’s 20 years. Tickets are on sale now, via www.goodwood.com.
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Great though the GFoS is, I wish there was a proper motor show on offer in the UK as there was in the past. I used to enjoy going to the shows at Earls Court or the NEC.