Speeding back to motoring's Golden Era at Goodwood Revival: Britain's celebration of classic cars and vintage fashion is as glorious as ever

Those who witnessed the scene – as I did – speak of it with awe.

And thankfully there remains grainy footage of the legendary feat to prove it really happened (if you look on YouTube).

I speak of the Duke of Richmond’s very first Goodwood Revival in September 1998 when a spectacular piece of derring-do set the tone for nearly three decades of West Sussex fun to follow, as former RAF fighter pilot Ray Hanna opened proceedings with an extremely low pass down the race track in his Spitfire.

By ‘low’ I mean that the New Zealander flew the length of the Goodwood race circuit’s pit-straight below the height of the grandstands and just feet above the ground.

From my spot on the stand I was looking down on to the top of the plane as it skimmed only a whisker above where classic racing cars would soon be gripping tarmac at the track built around the perimeter of a former wartime fighter base.

The stunt earned organisers a stern slap on the wrist from air traffic controllers – the circuit, after all, still has a civil airfield at its heart, Goodwood Aerodrome, previously the base for two RAF fighter squadrons during the Battle of Britain.

Tally ho! Goodwood Revival has been core part of the automotive annual calendar since 1998

Sartorial time leap: Those attending are expected to dress to the nines in their favourite retro clothes

Romance and glamour combine at the celebration of fashion and Golden Era motor racing, with this year's event taking place next weekend at the Chichester circuit

But sometimes it is better to beg forgiveness than ask permission.

As this year’s three-day Goodwood Revival extravaganza gets under way next weekend, running from Friday to Sunday, that spirit of mischief, fun and sheer joie de vivre is about to be celebrated again at an event which is now a firm fixture on both the automotive and far wider social calendar. Glamorous garden party meets costume drama, it is cinematic in its breadth and detail.

The Goodwood Revival was the brainchild of the present 11th Duke of Richmond and revives a ‘golden era’ of racing at the Goodwood Motor Circuit from 1948 to 1966, after which time it lay largely dormant.

That original post-war Goodwood Motor Circuit was born when the current duke’s grandfather ran with an idea to turn the perimeter track of RAF Westhampnett airfield on his land into a race track. Opening day on September 18 1948 attracted 15,000 spectators and 85 drivers, including Stirling Moss who won his first ever race.

Half a century to the day after his grandparents had opened the track in their Bristol 400, the current duke (then still the Earl of March) in 1998 opened the inaugural Goodwood Revival meeting in an identical car.

Five years earlier, he had also set up the sibling Goodwood Festival of Speed, running up the hill past Goodwood House. Both continue to flourish.

Glorious: The historic motoring festival is staged entirely in a period theme, with a traditional funfair amongst the attractions

 Bring your picnic blanket and hope for sunshine: Attendees even bring tradtional hampers

The annual Goodwood Revival celebrates ‘an era when every car, garment and accessory was built to last’. But dispel any idea that is simply a motoring festival for petrolheads. Those who enjoy the whiff of four-star and the roar of engines from stylish classic cars of the late 1940s, ’50s and ’60s are amply rewarded.

Yet the Revival is far more. It is a fully immersive family fun experience in which racing participants, staff and, most importantly, all the many thousands of paying guests, enter fully into the spirit by dressing up to recreate an era spanning 1948 to 1966 when the Goodwood Motor Circuit was at its peak.

Dressing up is all part of the family fun. There are online Goodwood guides to help you find your ‘look’ – from Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly to 1960s mods and rockers.

Raid your local vintage charity shop. Mix a Dick Tracy-style trilby with a suit and a painted silk tie – as I do – and you’re there. As children, my two sons went as Sixties hippies. Borrow a waistcoat or tweeds from older relatives.

Military uniforms from the 1940s abound – as do war planes.

For the 1950s it’s Teddy boys, pencil skirts, and jiving dresses. Women have endless options, from tailored wear to flowing skirts or garage mechanic overalls. Shops on site include those to help you get your ‘look’ and hairdressers to ensure your quiffs match your threads.

Festival goers pictured at Goodwood Revival in 2025 - celebrities aplenty have been known to attend, including Bryan Ferry and Rowan Atkinson

Star spotting is also fun. Rowan Atkinson is a regular attendee and racer who in 2009, in the guise of his comedy creation Mr Bean, sat with a mop on an armchair atop a Mini lapping the circuit. Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason is another regular who loves to race. And pop singer Bryan Ferry is often to be spotted.

Legendary names who have raced at the reborn circuit include Sir Jackie Stewart and the late Sir Stirling Moss. This year’s line-up includes Formula 1 world champions Jenson Button and Jacques Villeneuve and four-time IndyCar Champion Dario Franchitti.

And be assured, the cars on the track may be expensively restored and maintained classics – but they are raced for real with no quarter given.

To celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Vespa scooter, more than 300 Vespas will take part in the daily track opening. The Revival also celebrates the 50th anniversary of Barry Sheene’s first world championship.

You can also shop until you drop. I’ve spent far more than I dare confess on motoring memorabilia. And the multitude of food and drink outlets mean you will never starve.

As the racing subsides at dusk, the party fun continues ‘Over the Road’ from the main circuit where added attractions include a funfair, more stalls, a ‘drive-in’ movie, and live music, including rock ’n’ roll for bopping late into the night.

Almost three decades since it began, visitor numbers have multiplied tenfold, with 150,000 coming over the three days last year to enjoy ten hours of daily track action. And it’s never dull: there are more overtakes at the Goodwood Revival weekend than in an entire Formula 1 season.

Truly, it is not just Goodwood’s horse-racing season that deserves the superlative ‘Glorious’.

HOW TO PLAN YOUR GOODWOOD REVIVAL VISIT...

Costumes at last year's Goodwood

• The Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy is one of the big highlights with a full field of pre-1963 GT cars including Jaguar E-types, Aston Martins and Ferraris, with the official practice on Friday morning and the main event on Friday evening. 
• Then there’s the Goodwood Trophy featuring racing cars from 1930 to 1951 including Maseratis and Talbot-Lagos; with a practice on Friday and main race on Saturday.
• Enjoy the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy over two thrilling parts on Saturday and Sunday. Races begin with a Le Mans-style sprint to their bikes, which mainly comprise Norton and Matchless motorcycles. 
• For speed lovers, the Whitsun Trophy on Sunday features the fastest sports prototypes that raced between 1948 and 1966 including Ford GT40s, McLaren M1As and Lola T70 Spyders. There’s practice run on Friday. 
• The Glover Trophy, also with a practice on Friday before the Sunday race, brings together 1.5-litre Grand Prix cars such as Lotuses, Coopers and Brabhams of the types driven by Graham Hill, Roy Salvadori and Stirling Moss between 1955 and 1963.
• Enjoy the roar of a field of 1950s sports cars such as Lister Knobblys and Lola Mk1s in the Sussex Trophy, with practice on Friday and race on Saturday. 
• Meanwhile, the Revival Style Village will hold best dressed competitions daily at 3pm as well as vintage workshops and presentations throughout the weekend including speakers such as Dame Zandra Rhodes. 
• Maserati fans should keep an eye out for the cars around the paddocks, which are being celebrated with a La Dolce Vita theme this year.
• Sir Jack Brabham, the only driver to win an F1 world championship in a car bearing his own name, will be officially commemorated with parades on each day of the Revival featuring cars he engineered.
• One of the biggest events will be the RAC TT Celebration presented by Dunlop race on Sunday involving former F1 world champions Jenson Button and Jacques Villeneuve as well as Nascar icon Jimmie Johnson and four-time IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti. There will be a practice run on Friday, too. 
• This year will see the first ever Sunday Closing Party, with music and dancing. Participants are advised to ‘brush up on your Lindy Hop’.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

• Visit the traditional seaside town of Bognor Regis, ten miles to the south.
• Stop by in historic Chichester to take in the splendid cathedral.
• The Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, featuring many restored planes, is a short drive away (tangmere-museum.org.uk).
• Celebrating 1,000 years of rural life, the Weald and Downland Living Museum is home to 50 rescued historical buildings (wealddown.co.uk).
• Drop by the Tinwood Estate on the edge of South Downs National Park for a vineyard tour and a tipple (tinwoodestate.com).

WHERE TO STAY

The Carlton, Bognor Regis

Sitting right on Bognor’s sandy beaches and only a 20-minute drive from the action, this plush hotel offers a cosy stay, replete with sweeping seaside views. 

BOOK IT: Doubles available from £144, room only (thecarltonhotel.uk).

Avisford Park Hotel, Arundel

With a spa and 18-hole golf course on site, this lovely Georgian manor house is a great place to relax and unwind following the festivities at Goodwood – and there’s a fabulous Sunday roast on offer, too. 

BOOK IT: Double room from £240 (avisfordparkhotel.com).

The Village Hotel, Portsmouth

OK, it’s a 35-minute drive away but it’s currently got availability over the Revival weekend and comes with a pool and a gym. Rooms are comfortable, plus there’s a bar and grill restaurant. 

BOOK IT: Doubles from £213 next weekend (village-hotels.co.uk).

Rooms still available at time of going to print.

And finally...

Goodwood Revival runs from Friday, September 18 to Sunday, September 20; admission from £84; hospitality packages from £360; only Friday and Sunday tickets remain. Children under 12 go free, while those aged 13-21 are half-price. Parking is free (goodwood.com).

There are five VIP packages for Goodwood Revival on Sunday, September 20 to be won. Enter at Mailrewards.co.uk 18+. UK only.