Three times is a charm: last week we were finally on the boat to our favorite event. Goodwood Revival lived up to the high expectations. What can we say: it surpassed everything! What an atmosphere, what an action, what a party. What a way to end a jam-packed calendar of events this summer! We went there like a club of car freaks and came back completely idolized. Whether or not you have experience with the British car paradise; we were almost literally blown away by all the spectacle on and off the track!
Patience tested
You have to give something for it: after having made our customers tasty twice before for this classic English candy trip, patience was called for quite a bit. Fortunately, the anticipation has continued unabated in recent years. The sweeter tasted the crossing to Harwich, starting from Hoek van Holland!
Last Thursday’s boat trip turned out to be the start of an unforgettable adventure. The endless tension reached a climax when we were overloaded with exclusive classics, vintage outfits and crackling decibels. But not before a healthy dose of nervousness was ‘drunk away’ at the bar, on the way to the other side of the North Sea. In the middle of it were our Goodwood veterans, who used the drink to relax towards a well-known festivity. Exchanging previous experiences with participants who went in completely blank made it a unique and wonderfully fun mix of people.
Once docked, we could of course have sprinted straight to the final destination. However, in accordance with Prins tradition, we took a slightly different approach: the road to get there, that is what counts for us as enthusiasts. Around 07:00 we prepared ourselves in the morning sun for a 4-hour ride. The tourist route took us past characteristic English towns with the famous red telephone box on the corners of the street. A coffee break in an old cottage was accompanied by an impressive flyover; the first that morning. The Spitfire drew a line towards Goodwood and treated us to a good dose of nostalgia. And there was more to come…
Whether or not you are familiar with the picturesque Goodwood grounds, upon arrival it was a surprise everywhere. So many fantastically beautiful cars together, it doesn’t seem to get used to! We don’t want to either, because that is precisely the charm of the Valhalla among classic car events. At first it seemed a bit strange to see all those smartphones in the height, since we really imagined ourselves in the 1960s between all the impeccable vintage dream cars and ditto clothing. But yes, you just have to capture something as impressive as Goodwood!
There was not much time to look back at the series of photos and videos on the spot, because the 2 days we were there flew by. So there was no other option than to keep the gas full to be able to see and experience everything! Speaking of ‘full throttle’: there was hard, but fair racing. Even the most expensive Ferraris and Aston Martins drove to the limit and were not spared. In any case, as a fan of the Italian thoroughbreds, we fell in love: because of Ferrari’s 75th anniversary, Goodwood went extra big. Among others, 2 Le Mans winners, 3 unique 250 GTOs – one driven by three-time F1 champion Sir Jackie Stewart himself – and the “Scaglietti built” 4399GT with Le Mans legend Derek Bell at the helm were on the grid for some ‘parade laps’. To top it all off, 10 (!) 250 GT SWBs were added as if it were the most normal thing in the world…
Goodwood at its best!
Tasting the atmosphere on Friday would have been enough in itself to enjoy forever, but turned out to be just a preview of the rest of the weekend. It is Saturday morning when “The Assembly Rooms” welcomes us for a day of feasting on snacks, drinks and a top view from the Private Grandstand. We missed nothing of the action on the track, but could also relax in the sun on the terrace while gazing at the strolling crowd; one visitor even more in sixties style than the other.
Historical amount of goosebumps
However, in our opinion the best show was given away by St. Mary’s Trophy: In the midst of a wildly enthusiastic group of British ladies and gentlemen at the Grandstand, the roof went off as we saw the classic MINIs, Alfas and great Americans frolic bumper to bumper on the Goodwood Motor Circuit. The combination of hard-hitting action on the track and the contagious cheer from the stands resulted in a historic amount of goosebumps from head to toe. It wasn’t until long after the very last car had flagged and waved past us to loud applause during the lap of honor that it was over and over with the standing ovation. But the atmosphere was felt for a long time… What if we agree to hold on to this moment of euphoria until our next visit to Goodwood Revival…?
