June 18, 2012
GLORIOUS GOODWOOD
As promised in the Unique Events Calendar posting, we bring your attention to one of the greatest events on Earth - "Glorious Goodwood."
Last September I had the incredible pleasure of attending the 15th annual Goodwood Revival in England, the largest historic motor racing event in the world.
Taking place on the manicured estate of Lord March, Earl of Goodwood, about two hours south of London, Revival was an experience beyond all expectations.
Nearly 140,000 people over a three-day weekend dressed in obligatory period attire from the 1940s-1960s converged around a private racetrack to celebrate cars, motorcycles, airplanes and the heroes and glory of a post-war, Anglo-American-centric world.
The best, rarest and most famous cars on Earth were all here in the flesh, doing what they were built to do: race. Regardless of the fact that many of them are worth tens of millions of dollars, there they were breathing, rumbling and roaring around the track. Then there were the vintage motorcycles, not to mention the squadrons of WWII fighter planes screaming overheard. Whether it’s machines that you’ve only ever read about or the fact that every aspect is genuine (the shuttle vans are vintage double-decker buses, the tow-trucks are old Land Rovers, the first-aid ambulances are antique Daimler hearses, and the security vehicles are real McCoy U.S. Army Willys Jeeps), everything at Goodwood was executed to perfection.
And it’s not just motor racing. There were vendor tents selling antiques and made-to-measure clothing, dancing to live bands (swing, jazz, rock ‘n roll), museum exhibitions, pop-up pubs and period correct dining tents, an automobile auction, why, there was even a parking lot of over 1,000 classic cars that people arrived in! But best of all was the people watching. It just never got tiring.
Authentic in every minute detail, Goodwood Revival was a step back in time I didn’t think possible - in a way that was genuine, not contrived or "reenactment-esque." It was totally unique. It was inspiring. It was simply the best event I’ve ever attended in my life. Following are just a few snapshots. Click each to enlarge.
Note: Not to be confused with the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June, the Goodwood Revival always takes place in September at the conclusion of summer. Mark your calendar!
Last September I had the incredible pleasure of attending the 15th annual Goodwood Revival in England, the largest historic motor racing event in the world.
Taking place on the manicured estate of Lord March, Earl of Goodwood, about two hours south of London, Revival was an experience beyond all expectations.
Nearly 140,000 people over a three-day weekend dressed in obligatory period attire from the 1940s-1960s converged around a private racetrack to celebrate cars, motorcycles, airplanes and the heroes and glory of a post-war, Anglo-American-centric world.
The best, rarest and most famous cars on Earth were all here in the flesh, doing what they were built to do: race. Regardless of the fact that many of them are worth tens of millions of dollars, there they were breathing, rumbling and roaring around the track. Then there were the vintage motorcycles, not to mention the squadrons of WWII fighter planes screaming overheard. Whether it’s machines that you’ve only ever read about or the fact that every aspect is genuine (the shuttle vans are vintage double-decker buses, the tow-trucks are old Land Rovers, the first-aid ambulances are antique Daimler hearses, and the security vehicles are real McCoy U.S. Army Willys Jeeps), everything at Goodwood was executed to perfection.
And it’s not just motor racing. There were vendor tents selling antiques and made-to-measure clothing, dancing to live bands (swing, jazz, rock ‘n roll), museum exhibitions, pop-up pubs and period correct dining tents, an automobile auction, why, there was even a parking lot of over 1,000 classic cars that people arrived in! But best of all was the people watching. It just never got tiring.
Authentic in every minute detail, Goodwood Revival was a step back in time I didn’t think possible - in a way that was genuine, not contrived or "reenactment-esque." It was totally unique. It was inspiring. It was simply the best event I’ve ever attended in my life. Following are just a few snapshots. Click each to enlarge.
Note: Not to be confused with the Goodwood Festival of Speed in June, the Goodwood Revival always takes place in September at the conclusion of summer. Mark your calendar!
-JZ
Comments
Absolutely fantastic! Posts like this help restore confidence in the swear word that "blog" has become. Thank you for this.
Sun Drop - 11 months ago