The cars were split up in five different sections; the Main Paddock, F1 Paddock, Supercar Paddock, First Glance Paddock, and Cartier Style et Luxe. The Main Paddock was where a vast majority of the cars that would go up the Hill Climb were displayed, including most of the Ferraris. There were too many people here to get any clean photos of the cars but what a sight it was to behold. Likewise, the F1 Paddock had several static displays as well, almost as many F1 cars displayed than there were going up the hill.
Further down the hill was the Supercar Paddock. Most of the supercars were displayed openly letting fans see the finer details of the cars. Only a few were roped off or covered up when they weren’t moving. Next to the Supercar Paddock was the First Glance paddock was where all the
latest release cars were housed, including the Rolls Royce Sweptail and Alpine A110.
Finally, the Cartier Style et Luxe lawn. Since 1995 this section has provided a sort of Concours show at the Festival of Speed. This is where the rarest and most sought after cars in the world are judged. The theme for this year’s lawn was ‘Elegance from Every Era’.
As expected there were plenty of beautiful 50s and 60s Maseratis, a selection of the most mouthwatering Aston Martin DBs including a DB4 GT Zagato, and an extensive lineup of Ferrari 250 cars including a GTO and a SWB California. There were also some more modern entrants such as the Koenigsegg CC8S, Porsche Carrera GT, Ferrari Enzo, Pagani Zonda C12 S, McLaren F1, and Bugatti Veyron.
It was here where I finished my first Goodwood experience. With the sun setting and drawing a warm orange blanket over the Cartier lawn, it was the perfect chance to look back and sum up one of the most exciting weekends I’ve had. It was worth dealing with the large crowds, the scorching heat, and walking up and down the hill several times.
No other event comes close to the atmosphere, spirit, and quality of cars that were at Goodwood. Japan has similar events to the Festival of Speed. The Asama Hill Climb and the Suzuka Sound of Engine are comparable events but are not on the same scale as Goodwood. There’s only one original Festival of Speed.
By Ken Saito