After a year of mind-blowing car events, it was fantastic to return to Goodwood Motor Circuit for the 2022 Goodwood Revival. As ever, the first thing that hits you upon entering the UK’s foremost classic car festival is the atmosphere. With pristine vintage metal and immaculately prepared period outfits swirling around Goodwood’s picturesque grounds, the only giveaway that we weren’t in fact back in the 1960s was the flurry of smartphones held aloft to capture the weekend’s most unforgettable moments. Of course, we had to join in ourselves, and so we present to you our favourite memories from this year’s Revival.
This year, Ferrari celebrated its 75th anniversary, and what better place could there be to showcase Scuderia’s finest race cars than the Goodwood Revival? Lining up on the grid this weekend were some of the greatest racing machines of all time, including two Le Mans winners - the Ferrari 166 MM Barchetta that won the 24 Hours in 1949 and the Ferrari 275 P that claimed an overall win at the Circuit de la Sarthe in 1963 and 1964.
Meanwhile, we spotted a jaw-dropping triplet of Ferrari 250 GTOs, including the green 3767GT driven by Sir Jackie Stewart and the Scaglietti-bodied 4399GT piloted by Derek Bell. Ten 250 GT SBWs made an appearance too, including Sir Stirling Moss’ 1960 Goodwood TT-winning car, a fleet of howling Formula 1 cars, and the Ex-Ecurie Francorchamps Ferrari 365 P2/3 that won the Targa Florio in 1965.
However, Ferrari weren’t the only ones celebrating a milestone anniversary at Goodwood. 60 years after Graham Hill’s first F1 win, which happened right here at Goodwood Motor Circuit, this year’s Revival paid tribute to the only man in history to win the Indy 500, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Monaco Grand Prix.
As part of the tribute, Graham Hill’s son and fellow F1 World Champion, Damon Hill, took to the track in ‘Old Faithful’, the 1962 title-winning BRM P578, among a cavalcade of cars from Graham Hill’s illustrious motorsport career. A fitting tribute to one of history’s greatest drivers, especially as Saturday was Damon’s birthday!
Apart from the racing, one of the first things that catches your eye when you enter the heart of the Goodwood Revival is the March Motor Works workshop. With its lineup of beautifully patinated BMW 328 roadsters, period-correct workbenches, and authentic 1930s-style mechanics, the garage is one of Goodwood’s great portals that allows you to travel back to the golden era of motor racing. What few people know is that the links between BMW and Goodwood actually date back to the time when the 328 was a new and very competitive car.
Freddie March, the race-driving 9th Duke of Richmond and founding father of all automotive and aeronautic heritage at Goodwood, had witnessed the roadsters win races and hillclimbs in Europe and supposedly nudged fellow engineer Archibald Frazer-Nash into selling the cars in England after 1934. Step closer to the cars in the workshop, and you will see that the blue-and-white logo on the bonnet of one of the cars actually says Frazer-Nash BMW.
Shifting focus back to the track action, one of the weekend’s most visually spectacular races had to be the Stirling Moss Memorial Cup, which took place just as the sun was beginning to drift towards the horizon, bathing the circuit in a golden glow. Ferrari 250 SWBs and Jaguar E Types are, of course, spectacular to watch duking it out under the setting sun, however, our favourite car from the race had to be the extremely glittery hot pink AC Cobra ‘Dragonsnake’.
All in all, it was another smash-hit edition of the Goodwood Revival, and one which has set a new bar for the events to come in 2023. Until then, please enjoy the gallery of our 50 favourite images from another glorious Revival.
Photos by Mikey Snelgar for Classic Driver
