The best classic cars at the 2018 Festival of Speed

By Lizzie Pope

| 10 Jul 2018

Classic & Sports Car – Top classics at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Festival of Speed may not be quite so classic-car focused as Goodwood's other major events, but that doesn't mean there's nothing worth looking out for. Far from it!

For starters, the 25th running of the event, which takes place at the West Sussex estate this weekend (12-15 July), features an improbably large number of anniversaries – from its own Silver Jubilee to the central '70 years of Porsche' exhibit.

Land Rover's 70th will also be marked, and there are several other birthdays being celebrated across the weekend, including one for Lotus and one for Alpine.

With so much to see across this sprawling site, you might need to be a bit canny – and put in some serious legwork – if you want to take in all of the classic-car-related highlights.

So we thought we'd help you out by pulling together this guide – in handy alphabetical order – to everything we'd recommend seeing.

Oh, and don't forget to look skywards for the Red Arrows displays (pictured above) on Saturday and Sunday too!

See the Alfa Romeo 1900 Sport Spider (left) and 1750 GT Am on the famous hillclimb

Alfa Romeo

Alongside a host of modern machinery – including the Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team showcar – Alfa Romeo is bringing a pair of classic vehicles to FoS.

First is the sole remaining 1900 Sport Spider, one of two built in 1954. It has a Bertone-designed body, a 1997.4cc twin-cam engine and a 137mph top speed, and will be driven up Goodwood's hill this weekend.

Also tackling the hill will be Alfa's 1750 GT Am from 1970 – where 'Am' stands for 'America', due to it being type-approved for GT racing, on the basis of the 1750 GT Veloce version built for the US.

Both cars are usually displayed at the Museo Storico Alfa Romeo in Arese, Milan, which was listed in our '50 museums every classic-car fan should visit' feature.

Alpine's Le Mans 24 Hour-winning A442 B

Alpine

We promised you anniversaries, so here's another: it's 40 years since the Alpine A442 B won the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Back then, it was driven by Jean-Pierre Jaussaud and Didier Pironi, but next weekend, former Formula One and Le Mans driver Michel Leclère will take it up the hill.

Powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged V6, the A442 B hit an amazing 223mph on the Mulsanne straight in 1978 and recorded what was then the fastest-ever lap time by an Alpine at La Sarthe.

The BMW 850CSi-based Art Car (left) and the V12 LMR, the latter pictured at the 2016 FoS

BMW

The Munich manufacturer will be showcasing plenty of brand-new-and-shiny cars at FoS, but, happily, it's also bringing some classics.

Most of these will be representing the marque's success in touring-car racing and at Le Mans.

One particular highlight will be the BMW V12 LMR that was the overall winner at the Le Sarthe in 1999. This 580hp, 12-cylinder monster will be driven at Goodwood by Pierluigi Martini, one of the three-man crew that took it to that famous victory.

You'll also see the BMW 3.0 CSL Replica that was a series winner in touring-car racing in the ’70s, and the 'Wirtshaus' BMW M1 Procar, a 470hp racer from the specially created Procar series in 1979 and 1980. F1 fans, meanwhile, should be excited to see the Williams F1 BMW FW26 from 2004.

Accompanying these will be David Hockney’s 1995 Art Car. This is a BMW 850CSi painted to show the inside of the car on the outside. And we do mean everything – from internal engine parts to a dog in the back!

The Brabham BT62 is making its global debut at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed

Brabham

Yes, yes, we know this isn't a classic car, but it draws inspiration (and its name) from a bygone era – and it's really rather cool.

That the Brabham BT62 is making its world debut here means you might have to sharpen your elbows or jump on someone's shoulders to get a look, but you won't miss the 710hp machine when it takes to the hill, with David Brabham at the wheel.

A new blue and red livery, representing one of the 35 Celebration series vehicles, which pays tribute to the car that took Brabham’s 19th of 35 F1 victories, will also be shown this weekend in Sussex.

Another debut: it's the first time Steve McQueen's Bullitt Mustang has been outside the US

Ford

As we have already revealed, with a degree of excitement, the highlight of Ford's 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed stand will be Steve McQueen's Bullitt Mustang – yes, the film-star car itself.

And there's a second classic Mustang to look out for, too, but it's something rather different. This 1965 notchback is an autonomous car and will become the first-ever road car to drive itself up Goodwood's hill. Its standard appearance is deceptive, as a crack team from Siemens and Cranfield University has been busy under the skin. It will have a driver who can take control at any time, but this run will be entirely autonomous.

Five decades on (another anniversary), Andy Priaulx, a World Endurance Championship driver who's also a former winner of the British Hillclimb Championship, the European Touring Car Championship and the World Touring Car Championship, is the lucky chap who'll be taking this Mustang GT Fastback up the hill.

It will be joined by its 21st-century sibling, plus the Ford GT.

As if that wasn't enough, reigning World Rally Drivers' Champion Sébastien Ogier, along with Elfyn Evans, will be in action on the hill and round the rally stage in their M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC car.

Oh, and don't miss the Ford Galaxie 500 touring car as it burbles up the hill, against the clock.

Jenson Button will drive the RA301 on Sunday

Honda

The number-one attraction for Honda next weekend is surely its classic F1 car from 1968.

The RA301 was the last F1 car raced by Honda until the team returned almost four decades later for the 2006 season, and will be driven on the final day of FoS by none other than 2009 F1 World Champion Jenson Button.

Other Hondas coming to Goodwood include the current works British Touring Car Championship Civic Type R and the latest NSX, plus a host of two-wheeled stars.

Look for C&SC in the Land Rover parade

Land Rover

You probably don't need to be told that Land Rover celebrates its 70th birthday in 2018, so more candles will be blown out (figuratively, we presume, otherwise that would be a H&S nightmare) at Goodwood.

Key to this celebration will be a parade of 70 Land Rovers from across the last seven decades, headed by ‘Huey’, AKA HUE166, the first pre-production Land Rover prototype. C&SC's art editor (and Land Rover obsessive) Martin Port will also be taking part in the parade.

Other highlights include a Guinness World Record attempt by stunt-driver Terry Grant, who'll drive the Range Rover Sport SVR with the aim of claiming the ‘Fastest Mile on Two Wheels’ title, plus there's the chance to tackle Land Rover's obstacle course yourself. Kids can even get behind the wheel of pint-sized electric Defenders.

Jim Clark's Lotus 25 is coming to Goodwood (pic: LAT)

Lotus

Sorry, but we've yet more anniversaries for you – starting with another 70th.

That's right, it's seven decades since Colin Chapman's first car kick-started the Lotus story. It is also 50 years since Graham Hill took the championship in the Lotus Type 49, and 40 years since Mario Andretti won his World Championship in the Lotus Type 79. And, of course, it's 50 years since Jim Clark’s tragic death at Hockenheim.

Indeed, Clark's own World Championship-winning Lotus 25 is one of the cars that'll be taken up Goodwood's hill, as will Hill’s World Championship-winning Lotus 49, Ayrton Senna’s first F1 race-winning car, the Lotus 97T, and the Lotus Type 56, gas turbine Indycar.

The T80 record car (left) and Silver Arrows are coming to West Sussex

Mercedes-Benz

We're sure you've already seen our preview of Mercedes' Festival of Speed stars, but just in case you missed it, let us recap.

Firstly, the marque will be bringing the jaw-dropping T80 to Goodwood. This one-off 3000hp racer dates from 1939 and is powered by a colossal 44.5-litre V12 aeroengine. It'll be well worth looking out for.

Also representing the three-pointed star will be a CLK LM, a 300SLR and a W196 'Silver Arrow'.

Not only that, but star drivers include DTM legend Bernd Schneider, two-time F1 champion Mika Häkkinen, Klaus Ludwig, and Le Mans winner and former F1 driver Jochen Mass will also be at the festival.

The Porsche 935/78 'Moby Dick' will make a Goodwood FoS appearance

Porsche

Of course, even among the many, many anniversaries Porsche's stands out. Goodwood's famous central display is dedicated to the marque, and a succession of its iconic and influential cars will take to the track.

Among them, we know that Derek Bell is down to drive a 917K and a 962, while Jochen Mass will be taking the 962 for a drive, and American comedian Adam Carolla will be behind the wheel of a 935.

Triple Le Mans class-winner John Fitzpatrick is driving the 935/78 known as 'Moby Dick', and there'll even be an outing for the first ever Porsche sports car: the 1948 Porsche 356 Roadster known as 'No.1'.

In addition, the latest from Porsche 911 specialists Singer, the ‘Dynamics and Lightweighting Study’, will be unveiled to the world for the first time. This car has been developed in conjunction with specialists including Williams Advanced Engineering and is intended to be the ultimate air-cooled 911.

And also keep an eye out for the Paul Smith 'art car' 911, coming to Goodwood with Bicester Heritage-based specialist Sports Purpose.

Jenson Button is one of many F1 drivers heading to West Sussex next weekend

Selected other highlights

You'll notice some omissions from our list of manufacturers, but that doesn't mean they won't be contributing to the classic-car exhibits at the 2018 Festival of Speed – some announcements just come with more fanfare than others.

Gil de Ferran is set to drive a McLaren M23 and F1 GTR, with Emerson Fittipaldi and F1 driver Stoffel Vandoorne also set to pilot the former.

Modern offerings from Aston Martin, Ferrari and Jaguar won't be in short supply, but you might have to head to the concours and auction arenas to see classics.

But when you do, you'll be rewarded with some of the all-time greats. Going under the hammer at next weekend's Bonhams FoS sale is the 1965 Aston Martin DB5 from Goldeneye and '2 VEV', a DB4GT Zagato that could hit £10m.

There will also be two Ferrari Dinos – a 246GT Berlinetta and a 246 GTS – and a 365 GTB/4 'Daytona' Berlinetta, plus Jaguars including an XK140 Coupé, an XK120 Roadster and a pair of Series 1 E-type roadsters, to name but a few.

Touring-car fans will be delighted by some of the old-school racers coming to Goodwood. These include the much-loved Volvo 850 Estate, the awesome Audi S4 GTO and the rumbling 1972 Dodge Charger.

And, on a different note, check out the Volkswagen Golf 2 Bi-Motor designed for Pikes Peak, which has a pair of turbocharged 1.8-litre, 16-valve engines.

See all this and much, much more at the Silver Jubilee Festival of Speed.

You can still buy tickets here – and you can check out Goodwood's new (free!) motorsport app.

Bullitt Mustang coming to the UK

'2 VEV' leads 10-strong Aston Martin line-up at FoS auction

This ex-John Surtees BMW is being sold for £2m

Lotus Cortinas raced by Jacky Ickx and Jim Clark to sell at auction