Goodwood Revival 2022
The main draw of the weekend was the on-track racing which drew big crowds. 1/5000 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
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.
Large amounts of classic fairground rides for those who love to experience a thrill rather than just watch one. 1/3200 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
One of the curious things I spotted was the Lightyear 0, a prototype electric car that partially powers itself through a large array of solar panels that cover it from front to back. Only 150 will be built as a test for the technology. 1/3200 50mm F2.8 ISO 100.
Looking up close at the solar paneling that goes all the way up to the headlights. 1/400 50mm F4.0 ISO 100.
As the event was held in the days after HRH Queen Elizabeth II’s passing there were numerous tributes scattered around the event. 1/3200 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
There were plenty of opportunities to build your own period styled outfit at the event itself. 1/8000 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
Sky Cinema were doing free showings of classic films like the Italian Job all weekend. 1/3200 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
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.
There’s probably no better place to pick up a piece of automotive memorabilia or garage ornament. 1/8000 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
The event was well documented by camera crew who were also dressed appropriately for the theme. 1/4000 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
On of the most amusing things I saw, and straight out of the from the 1950s, was this crashed UFO that even had soldiers telling people to move on. 1/1600 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
But the aliens were lurking not too far away. 1/500 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
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.
There’s no shortage of period glamour. 1/400 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
A very rare Aston Martin DB3S Fixedhead Coupe on display. 1/8000 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
Tractor Transport moves the attendees around the event. 1/800 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
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.
The low fencing allows even regular people to get great photos of the racing. 1/160s 105mm F5.6 ISO 64.
If only I could replicate the sound these cars make with my photos. 1/160s 105mm F5.6 ISO 64.
The races were conducted in a way similar to how they were in the past, complete with all the analogue fittings. 1/160s 105mm F5.6 ISO 64.
Despite the Friday only being practice and demonstrations the drivers still put on a show. 1/160s 200mm F5.6 ISO 125.
Much to the delight of the onlooking crowds. 1/160s 70mm F5.6 ISO 125.
Whilst the action was going on there were a fair few helicopters that flew over the track and landed on the grass in the middle. 1/500s 85mm F4.0 ISO 125.
Some of the cars also carried tributes to the late Queen as you can see on the black shield on the door of this Ford GT. 1/160s 130mm F6.3 ISO 125.
This large camera used to record the racing certainly caught my eye. 1/800 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
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.
Aston Martin’s impressive Valkyrie took pride of place at their inside stand. 1/200 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
The Range Rover stand had a pristine classic model on display on one end… 1/200 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
…and at the other end members of the public can sit in the very newest one. 1/200 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
A whole area was dedicated to war time era vehicles and planes like this Willys Jeep. 1/800 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
The were both Allied and Axis planes on display. This is a Bücker Jungmeister, used by the Luftwaffe as a training plane. 1/400 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
The large wing of a plane made for a great shelter when the heavens briefly opened. 1/1600 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
The most famous face I saw was Damon Hill who was quickly mobbed by a crowd of people after his signature. 1/640 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
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.
The MG EX234 prototype that was up for auction at Bonhams. 1/2500 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
A driver waits for the a gap in the crowds to drive from the paddocks. 1/640 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
The drivers VIP area had a wonderfully twee Ancient Egyptian theme which even had actors pretending to be on a dig. 1/1600 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
BMW’s classic garage set-up. 1/1250 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
A man works on his car in the paddocks. 1/1250 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
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.
There’s plenty of opportunities for couple to dance to live music. 1/250 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
And it’s not just classic cars, there was also plenty of classic bikes. 1/800 50mm F1.8 ISO 100.
If you enjoyed this blog then please consider leaving a tip below.
