There are two major events held at Goodwood each year that every car enthusiast needs to attend at least once. One is The Festival of Speed (FoS) held at Goodwood House in the summer and the other is Goodwood Revival held at the racing circuit in early Autumn. Whereas the former has a much bigger focus on the latest and greatest with a smattering of the old, the latter is very much focused on the past with everything themed around the 1940s, 50s & 60s. This year I finally got my chance to attend, though only as a regular punter. No trackside access for me, but to be fair at Goodwood I wouldn’t say it is strictly needed.

One of the more fun aspects of this event is that a lot of people go in period dress, something I had contemplated, but at such short notice I didn’t think it made sense to spend a whole load of money for one day’s outfit, no matter how good those tweed jackets looked in the bric-a-brac shop.

Arriving at the event I was greeted by a large number of trade stands that was focused largely on classic car related services, memorabilia and period clothing. In fact, if you were there all weekend and turned up without an outfit it wouldn’t take you long to assemble one. Another fun aspect (though one I didn’t get to enjoy) was the fairground rides that really did look like something out of the 1950s. Definitely a way to keep the kids entertained.

Hopping over the bridge took me to the reason I’d say I prefer this event to FoS, which is the racing. On the Friday I was there it was just practice before the main events over the weekend but that didn’t mean the drivers weren’t putting on a show. These older racing cars are so much more visceral than their modern counterparts, rawer and more unrefined with greater variations in their design and construction. The noise is both terrific and overwhelming, sometimes you really did need to stick your fingers in your ears, and if you didn’t it was because you were already deaf.

After my ears couldn’t take anymore, I strolled around the rest of the event, which suitably bolstered its war time era theme with a plethora of army vehicles and planes that attendees could get up close to and in some cases sit inside. Sadly, I wasn’t at the event early or late enough to see the spitfires flying during golden hour but that must have been wonderful to witness. Beyond that were historical garage setups from major manufacturers like BMW and, hidden away inside, there were a few special modern treats including Aston Martin’s latest hypercar – the Valkyrie. Suitably set-up a rotating platform so you could admire every angle.

I finished up the day by exploring the paddocks where people worked on their cars (and bikes) between races before having a quick look around the Bonhams auction house. Though I didn’t buy a brochure in order to look around inside. I did however find a few interesting cars outside including the very beautiful MG EX234 prototype that very much reminds me of the Alfa Spyder. I suppose this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise as this car was also styled by Pininfarina. Sadly, despite it being a one-of-a-kind piece of MG history it sold for less than its £70k estimate later in the weekend.

And that rounded off a very enjoyable first visit to Goodwood Revival, perhaps the last major motoring event of the season for me and when I very much look forward to visiting again in the future. Whether you love cars or the retro aesthetics it is well worth your time.

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