To promote the Goodwood Festival of Speed, to be held June 24–26, 2005, a preview was staged in mid-March, attended by a representative selection of cars and drivers. These included Sir Stirling Moss/C-type Jaguar, Rene Arnoux/Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, Jochen Mass/Rothmans Porsche 956 and Sandro Munari/Lancia Stratos. It has become a tradition for the Festival to be built around a central theme and this year it is to be “Racing Colours—National Pride and Culture”. This will celebrate the essence of what makes the cars of different countries so typical of their makers’ cultures, passions and skills. The displays will be divided into national groups featuring some car-and-driver combinations new to the event.
Making his Goodwood debut will be four-time World Champion Alain Prost, who will drive his 1989 title-winning McLaren-Honda MP4/5. Also among the French contingent will be a cluster of rarely seen Matra sports and GP cars. As ever, Goodwood will import around 30 significant competition cars from the USA, with representation from Indy car, NASCAR, Trans-Am and Can-Am. Arie Luyendyk will appear for the first time and will be joined by Johnny Rutherford, Danny Sullivan and Junior Johnson. Honda will celebrate 40 years of Grand Prix success with a fine collection, including Ritchie Ginther’s 1965 Mexican GP–winning RA272 and the 1967 Italian GP–winning RA300 with John Surtees at the wheel. A strong Italian representation is certain, with a number of cars from the Alfa Romeo Museo Storico, joined by rare Ferraris, including the 1956 410 Sport, once driven by Fangio, Shelby, Ginther and Phil Hill. Mercedes will bring its newly restored 21.5-liter 1910 Blitzen Benz and the 300SLR, the latter celebrating 50 years since the famous Moss/Jenkinson Mille Miglia victory. Among the British contingent is the Ferguson P99 fwd car driven to victory at Oulton Park by Moss in 1961.
Other themes at the Festival will be “50 Years of the Small-Block Chevy” where the rare 1959 BOCar Chevrolet and a replica of the 1955 Chevrolet 150 are due to make their debut. “25 Years of the Mighty Quattro” will include the 1987 Pike’s Peak S1, to be driven by Bobby Unser. The ex–Paul Newman Honker 11 will be among the Can-Am display and the Collier Museum will be sending a 1914 Mercedes and a 1919 Indy Ballot.
Entry to the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Goodwood Revival will once again be by advance ticket only, with absolutely no ticket sales on the day. You can purchase tickets on line at www.goodwood.co.uk
Submitted by Keith Booker
