More than 200 000 enthusiasts tramped the immaculate lawns of Lord March’s Goodwood House during the last weekend in June. They stopped and they stared at Gerry Judah’s sculpture in front of the house. This year it was a tribute to Mazda, with a 36-metre high, 120 tonne structure. Steel beams carried two soaring Mazdas, a 787B and a design study, the LM55 Vision. Just looking at it and trying to work out how they did it was a pleasure for all.
Nearby were seven Mercedes-Benz SLRs. There is only one other in the world and that is said to be welded to a wall in Germany. Sir Stirling Moss was reunited with 722, his Mille Miglia car, the subject of a recent restoration.
Probably the star of the event was “The Beast of Turin,” the 1911 Fiat S76, making its first major public appearance, spitting flames and smoke from the 28,4-litre engine exhaust stubs, as it passed applauding crowds.
There was much, much more – Andy Green went straight on at Moulscomb Bend in the Bloodhound support Jaguar XJR, plowing into some of the 3 800 straw bales and knocking a television cameraman off his platform. Andy said he was at 100mph, when he realised that this was too fast! Ah, well, There are no corners on Hakskeen Pan.
Don Garlits ran his Swamp Rat dragster, Richard Petty drove his Plymouth Superbird and Ken Block drove his awesome 630 kW Ford Mustang “Hoonicorn.”
In the Style et Luxe Concours paddock were some of the world’s finest cars, including a Citroen DS class and five Figoni et Falaschi cars from the Peter Mullin Collection.
Bonhams conducted its usual highly successful sale, the highlights being R52,4 million for a 1935 Aston Martin works Ulster and R34,3 million for the Ex-Moss Porsche RS-61 sports spyder racing car.
The Mazda MX5 made its first appearance, Lord March driving it up the hill to start the event and there were many other firsts, including the first public showing of the Aston Martin Vulcan track car, of which twenty four will be built at R32,4 million each.
Honda produced its new racing bike with headlights, the RC213V-S and the Mad Max turbine bike, powered by a Rolls-Royce helicopter engine drew more rapturous applause from the crowds.
Drivers? Well, it was the usual who’s who, with possibly Valentino Rossi becoming the people’s favourite after he rode his Yamaha M1 through the front doors of Goodwood House. Only at Goodwood!
-Barry Wiseman
