My first Goodwood Festival of Speed was the second incarnation of the event in 1995. My wife and I took our daughter, aged seven, and our one-year-old son, Charlie, for the weekend. It was special for many reasons—not least because we’d discovered somewhere new and exciting to visit year after year. We had no idea what to expect as we walked from a farmer’s field car park to the estate grounds.
 

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We arrived just as the Festival was finding its stride—only its second year, yet already a magnet for motorsport royalty. The theme was Racing Battles", and the lineup was staggering: everything from Edwardian racers to cutting-edge Formula 1 machines. We wandered freely among legends of road and track—no velvet ropes, just the occasional polite word from a volunteer marshal. The hillclimb roared into life with iconic cars like the Ferrari 312T3 and McLaren F1, while the paddocks buzzed with stories from drivers and engineers. It was intimate, thrilling, and beautifully British—an open invitation to experience history and hear it thunder past.
One highlight happened right beside us: the tiny figure of Denis Jenkinson reunited with Stirling Moss and the Mercedes 300SLR they famously drove to victory in the 1955 Mille Miglia. I’m showing my age here, but I read that brilliant transcript of their ten-hour, seven-minute drive, published in Motor Sport magazine, countless times. I still recommend reading it today—it stands head and shoulders above most motor racing accounts ever published. And yes, you can still see the car today.

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Seeing the Mercedes and Auto Union cars after devouring Chris Nixon's amazing book Silver Arrows was another hairs-on-the-back-of-your-neck moment. And of course, a row of GT40s just sitting on the grass—very cool. The casual placement of priceless cars in sprawling grassy grounds perfectly captured the spirit of the time.

The main paddock hasn’t changed much, but the event has morphed into quite a different beast.

Fast-forward to 2025—Thirty Years Later From wide-eyed wonder to backstage access

Amazingly, my daughter is now the TV producer for the event, my son runs one of the country’s best motoring memorabilia businesses, and my wife and I are still attending the Festival of Speed.

Goodwood has grown up, of course—no longer just a niche celebration, but a global festival. Yet somehow, it hasn't lost its soul. Sure, the central feature now launched holograms of Gordon Murray’s greatest hits into the sky, and the paddocks have turned into carbon fibre cathedrals. But the essence of it all—the thrill, the noise, the heart—is still there.

This time, I had a complimentary pass (in 1995 we’d blagged our way in—money was tight for a young family). I collected it from the Goodwood Hotel, then charmed my way into a prime car park at the Golf Club. Once inside, we settled at a bench near the food stalls, pulled out our picnic sandwiches—some habits never change—and embraced a slower pace. After many years, there’s no need to rush. Besides, it was scorching hot

We strolled on and arrived at the Supercar Paddock, a section I’ve grown to really enjoy. It still has space to surprise.

Brands like Ferrari, Aston Martin, McLaren, Bugatti, and Hyundai unveiled their latest creations—including the Ferrari F80, Aston Martin Valhalla, McLaren W1, and Hyundai Ioniq 6 N. Some were stunning—especially the Aston and Ferrari. Others, like the Bugatti, felt a bit muted. I wanted more noise!

But my two favourite cars of the entire show were the Gordon Murray T specials, displayed separately in a stunning tribute to 60 years of design brilliance. The GMA T.50 and T.33 Spider were standout stars, with their screaming V12s and featherweight engineering. One was the Niki Lauda track car, painted in deep burgundy—utterly stunning.

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Electric Dreams and Old-School Thrills

A big part of Goodwood today are the massive manufacturer stands—always worth a look. I surprised myself by enjoying the new MG range, which seemed great value. They’d made a huge investment at the Festival with multiple stands.

Most of today’s offerings are, of course, electric. I know it’s important and should be part of the Festival’s future—but I’m not there yet. Rachel from complaints will need to tax the shit out of normal cars before I can see me driving one!

Something I am fully invested in is the race car paddock, much like it was thirty years ago. There, a certain Jacky Ickx parked a Brabham F1 car right in front of me. He took his time exiting the cockpit, clearly savouring the moment. Grinning, he immediately engaged with a small group of fans—taking time with each person, reminding us how lucky he felt to be there. I told him he’d inspired me to attend Le Mans in 1977—my mum had taken me. “Your mum—now that’s cool,” he said. We chatted, and he signed my tickets. In 1977 he inspired me, and in 2025—he did it again. He mentioned that, at 80, he has no plans to slow down and thinks “dying standing up” is a good idea. I think so too, Jacky.

My First le Mans 1977 Link

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From Memorabilia to Milestones

One of the very best things about my memorabilia business is meeting fellow enthusiasts—and today was no exception. I met Juan Luis from Spain, a regular customer I'd never met in person. He’s mad about cars and like me his hobby is his business as he produces model cars for a living. We spent a brilliant hour swapping stories and squeezing in as many shared memories as we could before heading our separate ways.

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Those separate ways meant meeting my daughter at the top of the hillclimb at 3.00 p.m.. After a dusty tractor ride, we arrived just in time to see her conducting an interview with Romain Dumas, the French racing ace and Le Mans winner. He had just piloted the Ford F-150 Lightning SuperTruck to victory in the 2025 Shootout, clocking a blistering 43.22 seconds.

Right beside me, just three feet away, stood the Duke of Richmond. A few feet from him was Romain Dumas. And there I was, taking a photo of the true star of the Festival of Speed—my daughter, Lisa. Who would’ve thought it? Thirty years on, she’s the one that side of the fence, leading a team of talented professionals. What a wonderful moment for me that was, I am so proud of my kids!

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All in all, the Goodwood Festival of Speed is a great day out. But more than that—it’s a story that belongs to my family now.

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