The best motor show on earth

1993 Eagle MKIII IMSA Champion

As part of its celebration of its 50th year in motorsport, Toyota invited a select group of South African journalists to the Festival and to say that it was an unforgettable experience is putting it mildly.

It was awesome, fantastic, fabulous. Talk about goose pimples, lump in the throat and watery eyes, I saw many a grown man wipe away a tear at the sight and sound of old maestro Stirling Moss thundering past in the same sleek silver 1955 Mercedes-Benz 3-litre 6-cylinder in which he beat legendary Juan Fangio to win the 1955 Mille Miglia.

And that is what the festival of Speed is all about – driving legends and fabulous machinery which has thrilled mankind for the past 100 years and more.

For those of you who don't know, Goodwood is a 1.6-mile hill climb which includes two corners to the right, one to the left, two bits of straight, a kink and a short straight to the finish line.

But what makes it unbelievably thrilling is to see and hear about 350 of the world's most famous cars and motorcycles in action on the track, not racing each other, but racing against the clock, trying to set up the best timed lap.

The three-day event is run in stages, starting with the record breaking Brooklands giants of the early 1900's, through to Indy 500 stars, classic endurance racers, weird and wonderful concept cars (remember the six-wheeler Tyrrell-Cosworth P34 of 1977. Yep, it was there, in action and impressively fast, even today), the greatest and latest Formula 1 cars, rally cars, old and new motorcycles (have you ever heard the thunder of a 1978 Ducati 900SS? Well, I did at Goodwood), superbikes, muscle bikes, Canam cars, touring legends, racing saloons, prototypes... Jeez, guys, I can go on forever.

Some of the top names in car and bike racing were there, mingling with the crowd and dishing out autographs. Many top car brands had vehicles on display, much like a major international motor show (and I must say the Toyota “hanging cars” pavilion was by far the most impressive).

In addition to the cars we were also treated to a magnificent flying display by the Red Arrows, all the more impressive because they flew in pouring rain and in the middle of a huge thunderstorm.

Goodwood is recognized world wide as one of the best motoring experiences because it allows visitors to get up close to vehicles and drivers. It is a unique experience and a three-day event worth saving for.

If you do ever make the journey to Goodwood, also make a point of visiting the Beaulieu National Motor Museum which is not too far away. It's home to 250 motor vehicles and automobilia and you could easily spend a whole day there.

The other must-see is the Goodwood Revival which this year takes place between 31 August and 2 September. In attendance will be stars such as Redman, Moss, Salvadori, Bell, Oliver, Ickx, Mass and Haywood and a superb selection of racing and flying machinery.

Because of the massive popularity of the Festival of Speed (more than 200 000 visitors this year) and the Revival, admission is by advance tickets only, so check out availability first at www.goodwood.co.uk

Related: Also see Goodwood – a feast for the motor-mad

Click on an image to enlarge