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?
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The venomous nature of the Cobra
Last week, Matt Prior drove a totally new kind of AC Cobra. This is a car with one of the strongest allures of all - but also an incredibly complex and controversial history.
SKODA KAMIQ
A long getting-to-know-you trip to Spain reveals all
THE SEVEN-YEAR TITCH
Outgoing baby Jag is plush, practical and now eminently affordable
'Our time has come'
Honda may be late to the EV party, but a barrage of bold new battery-powered cars is on the way. JAMES ATTWOOD speaks to boss Toshihiro Mibe at its R&D base to find out what's in store
Lion kings
Plush, powerful four-door cars are an endangered species - and now Peugeot has called time on its latest, the 508 PSE. STEPHEN DOBIE compares it with its most significant ancestor, the 505 GTI
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF
Wolfsburg gives the lesser-known Golf PHEV a big-impact refresh
PORSCHE PANAMERA GTS
Stuttgart's latest 'bahnstormer targets driver appeal over outright punch
MERCEDES-AMG GT 63 PRO
Hardcore variant of V8 sports car engineered with track days in mind
TESLA REVEALS ROBOTAXI
Firm unveils Cybercab coupé and 20-seat Robovan in autonomy push
DACIA PLOTS AMBITIOUS EXPANDED EURO LINE-UP
Firm teases something different’ ahead of impending C-segment reveal