The latest Goodwood Revival, held from September 6-8, 2024, captivated classic car enthusiasts with its unique blend of Historic racing, on-track demonstrations and vintage fashion at the Duke of Richmond’s Goodwood Motor Circuit in West Sussex, UK. In no particular order, here are ten standout moments from this year’s three-day celebration of motor sport heritage, where often wet and wild conditions did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Sustainable fuels
While the Goodwood Revival has always been a celebration of the past, in 2024 the event made history of its own by becoming the first event of its kind to require all cars to compete with fuel containing at least 70 percent sustainable components. The move follows last year’s Fordwater Trophy for Porsche 911s, which served as a highly successful pilot event for the switch to sustainable fuels.
Amid growing environmental concerns, the Duke of Richmond’s bold mandate for sustainable fuels should safeguard the Revival – and events like it – for decades to come. In the words of Vintage Bentley CEO William Medcalf: “Who wants to see a Ford GT40 converted to electric? Run it on synthetic fuel, and we can hear the damn thing barrelling out of the chicane at Goodwood.”
On-track demonstrations and memorable celebrations
The Goodwood Revival’s demonstrations and track parades once again delivered some of the weekend’s most evocative moments in 2024. A boisterous contingent of pre-1966 beach buggies opened the track each morning as Meyers Manx celebrated 60 years of its original dune buggy, as well as the unveiling of its pre-production 2.0 EV buggy, which made its European debut in the Revival’s very own Earls Court Motor Show feature.
Goodwood also marked 60 years since John Surtees won the Formula 1 driver’s title with Ferrari, by bringing together cars and motorcycles from the multitude of categories the legendary Brit competed in. The result was a poignant parade that included everything from 150cc, 350cc and 500cc motorcycles to race-winning F1 cars, sports cars and GTs.
The most evocative tribute of all, however, was Goodwood’s parade of over 100 military vehicles to mark the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. The line-up included everything from Spitfires to amphibious landing craft, and constituted the largest gathering of military vehicles ever assembled at the Motor Circuit.
Preceding the parade was a moving speech from the Duke of Richmond, and a short film that outlined Goodwood’s role in Operation Overlord. Field Marshal Montgomery’s restored Rolls-Royce Wraith Staff Car led the cavalcade, carrying D-Day veterans John Dennett and George Chandler, representing the Royal Navy and Coastal Forces respectively.
Freddie March Spirit of Aviation Concours
Based outside the Goodwood Aerodrome building, the Spirit of Aviation showcased an incredible line-up of pre-1967 aircraft. This year’s concours coincided with the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings so, poignantly, all the aircraft on display were linked to the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944.
Highlights included several Supermarine Spitfires, an American P-51D Mustang and a recreation of the Horsa troop-carrying glider. Best of Show, however, was awarded to John Romain’s Westland Lysander (G-CCOM) – the only British-built example that remains in airworthy condition.
RAC TT Celebration
The RAC TT Celebration, a cornerstone of the Revival, is a one-hour, two-driver race for closed-cockpit sports GTs from 1960-1964, harking back to the RAC TT races held at Goodwood in period. Slippery conditions provided a stern test for one of the most talented grids of the weekend, with Oli Bryant putting on a masterclass in his AC Cobra, scything his way through the field to second place before teammate Jake Hill took over.
Hill then took advantage of a drying track to muscle his way past the CUT-7 Jaguar E-type for the lead. He then built the most commanding lead he could muster before having to fiercely defend his position from the charging TVR Griffith piloted by his BTCC rival Tom Ingram. The pair were engaged in a relentless duel in the closing stages, before Ingram finally wrestled the lead from Bryant to take a deserving victory.
The AC Cobra of Andrew Smith and Dario Franchitti rounded out the podium, and Franchitti admitted in a post-race interview that he couldn’t help but watch the battle for the lead unfold on the big screens while he drove at podium-finishing pace.
Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy
The Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy once again proved a highlight of the weekend, with its daredevil riders delivering gladiatorial action in tricky conditions that left spectators in awe. The Norton Velocette MSS of Michael Russell and Michael Rutter played a starring role in Part One, taking an impressive victory after starting way down in 27th position. They were joined on the podium by Dan Jackson and James Hillier in second, and Ben Kingham and John Brookes in third.
Part Two proved to be equally spectacular, as Duncan Fitchett took full advantage of the traditional Le Mans-style start to lead the pack into Madgwick. Unfortunately for Fitchett this was all in vain, because he was later disqualified for a technical infringement. It was then a case of déja vu as Russell and Rutter once again took the win from 27th place on the grid after staving off the threat of Duncan Fitchett and Jeremy McWilliams’ Norton Daytona Manx. Herbert Schwab and Davey Todd claimed the runner-up spot ahead of Kingham and Brookes, who once again finished in third.
Freddie March Trophy
Another Revival regular, the Freddie March Memorial Trophy brought an incredible weekend to a close with a 25-minute sports car duel that captured the spirit of the Goodwood Nine-Hour races held between 1952 and 1955. The HWMs of Jake Hill and Richard Woolmer started from first and second, ahead of Scott Malvern’s Allard J2X.
Woolmer had a decent getaway, but he was still dispatched by Hill’s HWM early in the race. Hill never looked back, and he took a commanding victory ahead of Woolmer in second and Malvern in third. The Aston Martin DB3S that achieved second in the 1955 Le Mans 24 Hours took a distant fourth place with Mathias Sielecki at the wheel.
Settrington Cup
The Settrington Cup is among Revival’s most anticipated contests, and it stands out not for its horsepower but for its pedal power. This wholesome competition is reserved for children aged ten and under racing wheel to wheel in Austin J40 pedal cars, proving Revival excitement isn’t always measured in litres of displacement.
Part One saw Luca Franchitti rack up another victory for his family’s motor-racing dynasty, and he was joined on the podium by Teddy Horne and Leo Evans. Part Two saw another Franchitti in the top three, with Luca’s sister Sofia finishing third. Victory in Part Two was claimed by Bear Hughes-Ward, with Josh Johnston finishing in second.
The results of both races were combined to determine Josh Johnston as the overall winner, followed by Luca Franchitti in second place and Hugo Upward taking the last spot on the podium.
Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy
Held as the sun set on Saturday evening, the Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy was one of the most memorable, competitive and photogenic races of the Revival weekend. This 45-minute, two-driver duel for closed-cockpit GT cars boasted a field stacked with motor sport royalty, with the likes of Tom Kristensen, Andy Priaulx, Jimmie Johnson, Dario Franchitti and Gordon Shedden all gracing the entry list.
Fittingly, it was the all-star pairing of Jimmie Johnson and Dario Franchitti that won the event, after surging into the lead from ninth on the grid and surviving a safety-car restart. Their Aston Martin DB4 GT was followed by the AC Cobras of Nigel Greensall and John Spiers in second, and Andrew Jordan and Tom Hartley Jr in third.
Tyrrell shed unveiling
Goodwood regulars glimpsed the world’s fastest shed at April’s Members’ Meeting, but Tyrrell’s famous blue-doored workshop made its official debut at the Revival. The unassuming shed was home to Ken Tyrrell’s Formula 1 team for two decades from the 1950s, but in recent years it faced the threat of demolition as neighbouring businesses sought to expand their premises.
Happily, the Duke of Richmond stepped in to save the iconic building, and it was relocated plank by plank from Ockham, Surrey to the Goodwood Motor Circuit in West Sussex. On Sunday morning the Duke, alongside former Tyrrell drivers Sir Jackie Stewart and Martin Brundle, officially unveiled this piece of motor sport history, now preserved for future generations.
St Mary’s Trophy
The St Mary’s Trophy showcases a ‘David versus Goliath’ battle on the track, with nimble Mini Coopers challenging hulking Ford Galaxies in one of the Revival’s most thrilling and iconic contests. Adding to the excitement for 2024 was the event’s star-studded entry list, which included the likes of NASCAR legend Jimmie Johnson, former Formula 1 driver Jean-Éric Vergne, Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner and five-time Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro.
Frenchman Romain Dumas was the star of Part One, as he manhandled his Ford Galaxie 500 from the back of the grid to third place by the time the chequered flag dropped, finishing behind the Plymouth Barracuda of Jake Hill by a tantalising 0.008 seconds. Frank Stippler took the Part One victory with an imperious drive from the front row of the grid in his Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint GTA. The Ford Galaxie 500 of Nick Swift claimed the top step of the podium in Part Two, followed by the Mk1 Ford Cortina of Chris Ward and the Galaxie 500 of Gregor Fisken.
The 27th Goodwood Revival takes place on September 12-14, 2025. For more information, click here.
