BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME
Autocar UK|July 12, 2023
The 30th Goodwood Festival of Speed begins tomorrow. Simon Hucknall finds out how they prepare for a global event that attracts over 200,000 visitors
BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME

I first came to the Goodwood I Festival of Speed 20 years ago, and I bet the event that took place in 2003 couldn't happen in 2023 - at least, not when it comes to driving on the track. Back then, I hooned up the hill in a Noble M12, wearing jeans and a shirt, after a cursory check of my race lid by some chap near the start line. When I drove last year, my mandatory race suit and approved helmet had to be scrutineered by Motorsport UK officials, and a current race licence presented to BARC staff. And that was just to pilot a three-wheeled EV.

But while the nitty-gritty of running the FoS has evolved hugely, its fundamentals remain unchanged: a rip-roaring celebration of all that's fast and fun on two and four wheels (...and three), with a now-legendary hillclimb at its core. Surrounded by an array of full-access paddocks containing the height of automotive eclecticism, it's a magnet for the motor and motorsport industries, with more new car previews than you can shake a stick at and a plethora of A-list drivers and teams providing high drama and spectacle for the 200,000-plus visitors who flock to the South Downs venue each year.

That volume of visitors means that, save for the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, the FoS - now in its 30th year - is the UK's largest automotive event and, along with Glastonbury, this country's biggest gig of any kind held on a greenfield site. Which got me thinking: how are the bucolic surroundings of the Duke of Richmond's country pile transformed into motoring nirvana for a daily audience of around 55,000?

Esta historia es de la edición July 12, 2023 de Autocar UK.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición July 12, 2023 de Autocar UK.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE AUTOCAR UKVer todo
THE DRAMATIC ITALIAN THAT MARKED THE END OF AN ERA
Autocar UK

THE DRAMATIC ITALIAN THAT MARKED THE END OF AN ERA

When the Huracán bowed out, the curtain fell forever on Lambo's V10

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 27, 2024
HOW EV MAKERS CAN WIN THE RACE TO 5.0MPKWH
Autocar UK

HOW EV MAKERS CAN WIN THE RACE TO 5.0MPKWH

Manufacturers are honing every detail to close in on big efficiency goal

time-read
1 min  |
November 27, 2024
MASERATI MC20
Autocar UK

MASERATI MC20

We bid a sad farewell to a handsome supercar that was easy to live with

time-read
4 minutos  |
November 27, 2024
The quickening
Autocar UK

The quickening

Instant acceleration is part of the appeal of an EV, but is it all getting a bit much for unwary and inexperienced drivers? JOHN EVANS investigates

time-read
3 minutos  |
November 27, 2024
Inside track
Autocar UK

Inside track

Watching an F1 race with live access to engineers and telemetry is the stuff of dreams for racing fans. ALEX WOLSTENHOLME makes a day of it

time-read
3 minutos  |
November 27, 2024
WHOLE IN ONE
Autocar UK

WHOLE IN ONE

The Volkswagen Golf has been all things to all motorists for half a century. At the wheel of a classic Mk1, VICKY PARROTT charts the eight-generation history of one of the world's most successful cars

time-read
7 minutos  |
November 27, 2024
DACIA DUSTER
Autocar UK

DACIA DUSTER

Mk3 model gains digital tech, ADAS, slicker looks... Is this mission creep?

time-read
10 minutos  |
November 27, 2024
MAZDA CX-80 PHEV
Autocar UK

MAZDA CX-80 PHEV

Another look at Mazda's hefty SUV, this time in plug-in hybrid form

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 27, 2024
VAUXHALL GRANDLAND ELECTRIC
Autocar UK

VAUXHALL GRANDLAND ELECTRIC

Newcomer looks to ease the average family SUV driver into EV motoring

time-read
2 minutos  |
November 27, 2024
BMW X3 20 XDRIVE
Autocar UK

BMW X3 20 XDRIVE

Fourth generation of brand's best-seller arrives with base petrol engine

time-read
3 minutos  |
November 27, 2024