2012 Goodwood Revival (14 - 16 September)

Historic Silver Arrow racers to create a memorable spectacle at the 2012 Goodwood Revival

[quote]after much speculation and excitement, goodwood is now able to confirm the sensational news that 75 years after the first appearance of the legendary pre-war ‘silver arrows’ in the uk, the 2012 goodwood revival (14-16 september) will stage arguably the most spectacular historic vehicle demonstration of all time.

The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the famous silver arrows mercedes-benz and auto union grand prix cars once again being driven in anger at a british motor circuit for the first time in 75 years will make the 2012 revival a must-attend event for all motor sport enthusiasts.

The iconic mercedes-benz w25, w125, w154 and w165, plus examples of the auto union type c and type d, will be in action at race-speeds in september, with well-known top-level racing drivers behind the wheels of these awesome and significant cars. This promises to be the biggest thing in historic motor sport for decades.

Alongside the silver arrow racers will be many of the cars that competed against – but were totally out-classed – the dominant mercedes-benz and auto unions in the late 1930s. Expect to see examples of era, maserati, riley, bugatti and mg on the legendary goodwood track, alongside the silver arrows.

[b]a brief history of the silver arrows[/b]

the introduction of the 750kg formula in 1934, along with the promise of significant funding from the german government, led to the arrival on the grand prix scene of two of the most evocative names in motor sport history: Mercedes-benz and auto union. Built with little regard for cost, their cars were light years ahead of the opposition, and dominated grand prix racing from 1934 until the outbreak of war in 1939.

Abandoning the traditional german racing white in favour of bare metal (legend has it that this was to save weight, in order to keep them below the 750kg maximum weight limit, although the truth of this story is still debated), the cars quickly gained the nickname of ‘silberpfeil’ (silver arrows in german)’, creating a legend that endures to this day.

By 1937, when the cars raced in the uk for the first time, power outputs were approaching 600bhp – a level that would not be equalled in grand prix racing until the turbo era of the 1980s. Such was the speed and sound of these monstrous machines, and the astonishing feats of the daredevils who drove them, that the english crowd – more accustomed to seeing rileys, mgs and eras with less than half the power of the german cars, competing in handicap races – were rendered utterly speechless.

With the full support of mercedes-benz and audi, the 2012 goodwood revival will recreate the spirit of that momentous day in 1937, with a race-speed demonstration of as many as ten of these fabulous machines, including examples of the mercedes-benz w25, w125, w154 and w165, and auto union type c and type d.

Piloted by world famous drivers, the silver arrows will stage a carefully choreographed ‘race’, alongside examples of the british and continental ‘cannon fodder’ that raced against them in period – providing all the spectacle of a real race, but without risk to these priceless machines.

Low-speed demonstrations by individual silver arrows are an impressive sight, and this will be the first time that so many of these mighty machines have been driven together at full racing speed since the yugoslav grand prix, on 3 september 1939 – the day after wwii broke out. As such, it will be a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience – arguably the most momentous occasion in the history of historic motor sport.

To complete the spectacle, the cars will be housed in an authentic recreation of a period pit/paddock building, based on the distinctive structure at the bremgarten circuit in switzerland, alongside period transporters.

Switzerland had strong links with the silver arrows. The swiss grand prix was a highlight of the european championship from 1935-39, with the bremgarten track was regarded as one of the most challenging in the world:

Additionally, the european hillclimb championship was very important during the 1930s, being won by such star drivers as hans stuck and rudolf carraciola. The klausen pass event was one of the most popular on the calendar, won in 1934 by carraciola in a mercedes-benz w25, beating his rival hans stuck in an auto union.[/quote]

One week to go!

[quote]At next week’s Goodwood Revival (14-16 September) many of the most valuable cars in the world will gather to create the most expensive vehicle display anywhere on the planet!

With a mouth-watering array of rarely-seen automobiles, the total value of the cars being gathered together at Goodwood is almost beyond comprehension. Just consider the following...

In the pantheon of desirable cars, one stands above all others. The Ferrari 250 GTO has everything – stunning looks, fantastic performance, and impeccable heritage. Launched in 1962, the GTO reaches its half century this year, and to celebrate the Revival will feature a display and daily track parade of 15 GTOs, which is sure to be one of the most jaw-dropping (and valuable) sights in Revival history. With an average value estimated at £20 million each, the value of the 15 Ferrari GTOs displayed at the Revival totals a cool £300 million.

In addition to the 250 GTOs, this year’s Revival will offer visitors a truly unique opportunity to see a large gathering of mythical pre-war Silver Arrows being demonstrated on track together at speed for the first time in more than 70 years. The sensational Auto Unions and Mercedes-Benz will appear alongside examples of the ERAs, Maseratis, Rileys and MGs they trounced on their first appearance on British soil, 75 years ago at the 1937 Donington Grand Prix.

Goodwood estimates that the Revival will see the largest ever gathering of Silver Arrows racers brought together in the same place at the same time, with at least ten examples. Although most are priceless, and virtually impossible to estimate their true worth, a combined value of the collection in the unlikely event they would ever be offered for sales is comfortably in excess of £100 million.

The one-hour, two-driver Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration race for closed-cockpit GT cars remains the jewel in the Revival’s crown. Nowhere else in the world can you see such a spectacular grid of super-rare GT cars racing in anger, driven by great aces past and present. The grid will once again feature a breathtaking £100+ million array of internationally-renowned historic cars, including Ferrari 250 GTO and GT SWB; Aston Martin DB4GT, Zagato and Project cars; plus Jaguar E-types and E-Type Lightweights.

This year’s Saturday feature race will be very special indeed, featuring a grid exclusively made up of AC Cobras and variants in the Shelby Cup, in celebration of the model’s 50th anniversary. It will be a 45-minute two-driver race, with driver changes in the pits between 15 and 30 minutes. With a mixture of standard cars and special-bodied coupés, it should make for an intriguing spectacle and a fitting tribute to this iconic Anglo-American sports car. Racing Cobras with known history can change hands for up to £2 million each at present, so a mild average value estimate of £500,000 per car still adds up to a £20 million grid of snarling V8s.

The total value of the other cars and motorcycles in the remaining Revival races add up to another £80 million, and that’s not including the stunning array of vehicles offered for sales in the Bonhams auctioned at the event on Saturday 15 September, nor any of the 2,000 tax exempt classic cars that park-up in the Revival Car Show each day!

So, the combined value of the vehicles appearing at this year’s annual Goodwood Revival is conservatively estimated at over £600 million. That’s an awful lot of lottery wins needed to acquire that lot. Revival-goers are certainly in for a very special treat next week!

Tickets and further information for the 2012 Goodwood Revival can be ordered by on the Goodwood website ([url="http://www.goodwood.com/motorsport/"]http://www.goodwood.com/motorsport/[/url]), or via the Ticket Hotline:
Telephone: +44 (0)1243 755055
On-line via the Ticket section of the website [url="http://www.goodwood.com/motorsport"]http://www.goodwood.com/motorsport[/url][/quote]