Highlights from the 2025 Goodwood Revival
The celebration of vintage cars and clothes was another winner.
The Goodwood Revival is unique. The last of the annual events to take place on the Goodwood Estate, it combines classic style with the finest historic racing on the planet. In 1998, the Duke of Richmond came up with the idea to honour the original lifespan of the circuit, which ran from 1948 to 1966. While the Festival of Speed has since ballooned, becoming the world’s biggest motoring festival, is it the Revival that is arguably the most exciting event on the calendar. This year was no different, with some of motorsport’s biggest names descending on the estate to compete in a range of period-correct machinery.
Goodwood, as its website states, is the “only classic circuit in the world to remain entirely in its original form”. Other long-standing tracks, such as Silverstone, have modernised significantly over the decades, complying safely with larger run-off areas and gravel traps that adhere to the FIA’s strict rules. Goodwood, meanwhile, has maintained the same layout as when it first opened in 1948, hosting the UK’s first professionally organised motor race after world war II.
This, combined with strong efforts to restore the track and its outbuildings to its glory days of the ‘40s, is part of what makes Goodwood so special. For the Revival, every aspect is carefully considered, from the attendees’ clothing (vintage attire up until 1966 is encouraged, harking back to the year of Goodwood’s original concluding circuit) to the safety cars (period-correct Jaguars). Every other detail follows suit, from the overalls the Marshals wear to the pre-race count down signs shown by the race-starter.
The spirit of Goodwood’s legacy also – most importantly – sustained on the track, with a series of races all dedicated to specific classes, eras and individuals who originally competed on the circuit. This year included a celebration of Jim Clark, celebrating the 60th anniversary of his greatest season in 1965. It was the year that Clark dominated Formula One, winning the driver’s championship and the 1965 Indianapolis 500, both for Lotus. In honour of his achievements, a collection of cars were paraded round the Goodwood Circuit, including his F1 championship winning and Indy500 winning Lotus 33 and 38, seen together for the first time. Sir Jackie Stewart, Clark’s good friend and competitor, was present, a fitting tribute, as the two held the joint lap record at the Easter Monday meeting at Goodwood in 1965.
This year, the competitive action was likely no less thrilling than it was sixty years ago. Some of the greatest names in motorsport took part in thirteen races across the weekend in cars from Goodwood’s heyday. The lineup included Formula One World Champions Jenson Button and Jacques Villeneuve, Indy 500 Champion Tony Kanaan, IndyCar Series champions Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon, and NASCAR Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson. A host of big British racing names were there too, including Tom Ingram, Gordon Shedden and Chris Ward, as well as motorcycle legends Carlos Checca, Troy Bayliss, Michael Dunlop, and John McGuinness.
Just as notable were the vehicles themselves. The Revival always draws in some of the most spectacular vintage racers in the world. This year saw the likes of Jaguar Lightweight E-Types race against AC Cobras, and Porsche 904s against Lotus Elan 26Rs. There were Ferrari 250 GT SWBs, Jaguar Mk1s, Alfa Romeo Giulietta T.I.s and TVR Griffiths, making up grids valued over £30 million. A particularly memorable moment was a tiny Austin Mini overtaking a giant, V8-powered Ford Fairlane, an image that summed up the proceedings. Another highlight was a street party celebrating the 80th anniversary of V.E. Day. Taking over homes straight off the track during a break in the action, it served as a touchingly communal conclusion to the Goodwood season.
