With a dedicated E-type race, a 100-strong car parade to mark Ford’s centenary in Britain and Goodwood’s largest-ever turnout of Supermarine Spitfires, this year’s Revival is set to be one of the most entertaining ever.
The annual ‘Step Back in Time’ historic motorsport celebration kicks off in less than a week on 16 September, with a packed racing programme boasting fresh grids and a raft of celebrities, while the pre-1966 theme around the track is again set to wow visitors.
A key highlight of the 14th Revival will be the one-make Fordwater Trophy, celebrating 50 years of the Jaguar E-type with a 30-strong grid of Lightweights, Low Drags, roadster and coupé variants.
The iconic sports cars will be in the hands of some noted hotshoes during the two-driver, 45-minute race, including star pairing Emmanuele Pirro with Desiré Wilson, while Red Bull designer Adrian Newey will team up with ex-F1 driver Gerhard Berger. Look out for noted E-type racer, Jon Minshaw, too.
Joining them will be Touring Car legends John Cleland and Andy Priaulx – who will also be in action in the St Mary’s Trophy in a BMW 1800 TiSA. The annual crowd-pleaser is this year dedicated to production saloons that raced from 1960 to 1966.
The two-part, two-driver trophy (above) features a wide range of cars, from a Renault 8 Gordini and Saab 96 Sport (with Stig Blomqvist behind the wheel) to a Chevrolet Corvair Corsa and Ford Galaxie 500 – the latter piloted by former Le Mans winner and current F1 commentator Martin Brundle, who was in action last year in a tiny Austin A35.
Other St Mary’s standouts include a 1965 Isuzu Bellett and a 1964 Fiat Abarth 1000 TC, with Le Mans racers, Darren Turner and Tom Kristensen (eight times winner) – along with Derek Bell – some of the other motor sport names joining in the saloon car doorhandling.
The dedicated E-type race means the cars will be excluded from the RAC TT Celebration – another Revival favourite – which will pack extra heavy metal, with no less than six Ferrari 250s lining up to do battle with seven AC Cobras and an Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato – driven by Mario Franchitti.
Also in action will be Derek Hill – 50 years since his late father Phil was F1 Champion – who returns to the Chichester track to drive a 1962 Maserati Tipo 151/1.
Two big names in the world of motoring and motor sport will be celebrated, too, with the phenomenal racing career of five-time World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio coming alive with the track tribute involving 22 cars of the type the famous Argentinian raced and the 100 Years of Ford of Britain circuit parade each lunchtime.
A 1939 Chevrolet Coupe TC, 1947 Volpi Chevrolet ‘La Petisa’ and 1958 Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser are some of the more unusual highlights of the Fangio celebration, which will also feature a 1950 BRM V16 P15, 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 and a 1952 Jaguar C-type.
