Introduction
People are always saying 'things were better in the good 'ol days'. In 1998 the Earl of March decided to show us how good the old days really were by hosting the first Goodwood Revival Meeting. He restored the old Goodwood Motor Circuit to its 1960s condition with an exceptional eye for detail. The track hadn�t been used for racing since 1967, and while the track was in active duty it was one of the premier circuits in England and the host of many legendary races. The cars and drivers of that and a slightly earlier era were invited back to join in this time-warp event. To complete the picture, participants and spectators are asked to wear period-correct attire and in some areas of the venue such as the paddock, the dress-code is mandatory. The organizers go to great lengths to get the look and feel right; the fish and chips for example are served in reprinted newspapers of the 1950s. It proved to be a winning formula and since its inception, the event has attracted a large number of important historic vehicles, legendary drivers, fabulous airplanes and most importantly massive crowds. In the last two years, the maximum capacity of 110,000 people was achieved and tickets were sold out well in advance. The combined effort of the spectators, participants and staff form what appears to be a classic film set, which creates the perfect decor for three days of thrilling historic racing and a jaw-dropping air show.
After getting our first taste last year, we returned this year to absorb the world's only complete period sporting event. With the help of ace photographer Gavin Ireland, we have compiled a mouth-watering 210-shot slideshow packed with all the action off and on the track.

Bonham's
Longtime supporter of both Goodwood events, auctioneer Bonham's held their traditional auction at the end of the first day. One of the most interesting lots on sale was the Lola Mk1 from the Lord March's own collection. It proved popular with the bidders as it was hammered down for just under GBP100,000. Another strong seller of the highly successful auction was the ex-Paddy Hopkirk Mini Cooper S, which found a new owner for an impressive GBP84,000. Proving that the punters were not only interested in racing car was an Aston Martin DB6, which sold for twice its top estimate at GBP49,900. Top seller of the auction was also not a racing, but it did have an interesting Goodwood history; the GBP290,000 Isotta Fraschini 8A had won a Concours d'Elegance at the track exactly fifty years ago. Earlier in the day, the automobilia lots had also attracted some serious bidders with an impressive collection of Geoffrey Goddard photography reaching record prices. A genuine Bugatti Type 52 toy car sold for a staggering GBP24,150.
At the end of the day, over 80% of the lots were sold, with many going for over the top estimate. The sales total was just shy of GBP3,000,000.

A tribute to Roy Salvadori
One of the Revival's great traditions is the annual celebration of a legendary driver's career. This year the honour befell to Roy Salvadori, who raced during the Motor Circuit's opening event in 1948. That was early in his rich career, which lasted well into the 1960s. Salvadori was one of the most versatile drivers of his era and not only drove a wide variety of cars, but also served as a Works driver for several manufacturers. He is most praised for successfully racing different cars on the same day. At the 1955 Goodwood International Easter Meeting, he won the F1, F2 and sportscar race in three completely different cars. His finest hour came in 1959 when he scored Aston Martin's only Le Mans win together with Carroll Shelby.
Now 85-years old, Roy Salvadori was on hand together with an impressive selection of cars he used to race. These were driven around the track on each of the three days with Salvadori heading the field in the passenger seat of his Le Mans winning DBR1. His chauffeur was good friend and colleague; Sir Stirling Moss. A good reflection of the honoree's career, the parade was a colourful mix, ranging from the Alfa Romeo P3 similar to the car he drove at his 1948 Goodwood debut to the Maserati engined Cooper Monaco he used in 1964, his final full season of racing.

Forty years of the Cosworth DFV engine
When Jim Clark lined up for the Dutch Grand Prix in 1967 in his Lotus 49, he started one of the most impressive and successful careers in motor racing; that of the Cosworth DFV (double four valve) engine. It went on to propel drivers to 155 Formula 1 and two Le Mans wins between 1967 and 1983. While DFV-engined machines never raced at Goodwood, the fortieth anniversary of the engine was still celebrated at the Revival on the grounds that many of them were tested on the track in the following years.
Like Salvadori's tribute, the DFV's anniversary was celebrated with a parade of a variety of V8 engined F1 and sports cars, headed by honorary clerk of the course Jacky Ickx in a Ford GT40. Many of these were familiar entrants to the various historic races frequently held for these cars, but some gems were retrieved from hiding for this one. Most interesting of all was the ex-James Hunt Hesketh 308B, which was driven by his son and aspiring racing driver Freddy Hunt. Also of note was the de Cadenet Le Mans racer that was driven by the current owner for the first time, even though he bought it ten years ago and he visibly enjoyed himself.

Air Display
An intricate part of the Goodwood Revival is the air display, which is not at all surprising as the circuit was built around the existing airfield. In the War, it was the base for several Spitfire squadrons. This year a concours d'elegance was added to the spectacle, which brought together some very interesting pre-War machines. Most impressive though, were the displays of the gathered fighter planes and the fly-past of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. Special guests on this occasion were the Grumman developed Hellcat, Wildcat and Bearcat. In particular the latter made a startling impression as it soared to stunning top speeds, courtesy of its 2300 bhp radial engine. It was so fast that in the last years of its active duty, it shot down a number of jet-fighters. And of course the always present Spitfire and Mustang never cease to amaze; there are few things more exhilarating than the roar of the Rolls Royce Merlin V12 engine.

The races
Yes, there was also time for proper racing between all the parades and air displays; fifteen races in total on Saturday and Sunday. Most of these were brim full with action, so it would take too much ink to go into them all in detail, so we'll have to concentrate on the highlights.
Saturday saw the first of two races for the St. Mary's Trophy for 1960s saloon cars with the celebrity drivers behind the wheel. The final result would be determined on aggregate. Last year's impressive debutant and Le Mans racer, Jean Marc Gounon gave his co-driver the best starting position by taking victory in an incident packed race in a rumbling Plymouth Barracuda. Halfway through, the race was red-flagged after Anthony Reid spilled all the oil of his Jaguar MkII. In the aftermath several drivers spun off and got stuck in the gravel. Despite having to give up his lead, Gounon was quick enough to keep Barrie Williams and Jackie Oliver in their massive Ford Falcons behind him. The all-star grid also included Derek Bell, Henri Pescarolo, Stirling Moss, Tiff Needell, Hurley Haywood, Arturo Merzario, Rowan Atkinson, Desire Wilson and Richard Attwood to name a few. In race two Oliver Bryant more than defended Gounon's lead and secured victory in his father's silver Barracuda. On Sunday Gounon also took the win in the Sussex Trophy in an Aston Martin DBR2 and the gallant Frenchman was appropriately declared 'Driver of the Weekend'. He could only conclude that he was born forty years too late.
The most prestigious race of the weekend is without question the 'Royal Automobile Club Tourist Trophy Celebration' for early 1960s GT cars. The one-hour two-driver race always attracts some of the finest machines of its era and this year the multi-million pound line-up was particularly impressive with the Le Mans class winning Shelby Cobra Daytona as the absolute star. The Daytona's mechanics received the 'Spirit of Goodwood' after they replaced a blown engine, after airlifting a fresh engine by helicopter from London. Like last year, the exciting race was won by Michael Vergers and Juan Barazi in the latter's Lightweight Jaguar E-Type. The TT was sadly overshadowed by a heavy accident, which saw Martin Stretton hit the barriers head on in his ISO/Bizzarrini A3C. He was lucky to escape the folded-up wreck with 'just' a broken elbow. We were glad to hear that Martin was discharged from the hospital on Monday. It was not the only massive shunt of the weekend, but fortunately only the cars were damaged in the others.
If anybody left the Revival early to beat the traffic, they missed the most exciting race of the weekend; the Glover Trophy for 1.5-litre Formula 1 cars. The duel between historic racing aces 'Fearless' Frank Sytner in a Lotus 24 and Barrie 'Whizzo' Williams in a BRM P261 seemed over early when the latter spun. The world's fastest pensioner had other ideas and fought his way back to the tail of Sytner's Lotus, setting several fastest laps in the process. Much to the delight of the crowd, Williams passed Sytner in the penultimate lap to take the victory. Both drivers received a well deserved standing ovation from the crowd. It was a fitting finale to an exciting weekend of nose-to-tail and side-by-side racing.

Conclusion
Now in its tenth year, the Goodwood Revival Meeting is so much more than just a motoring event; it is a big late-summer party to be enjoyed by men, women and children alike. There simply is no equal and we can do little else but strongly recommend dressing up and visiting the Revival in the future.