a history of the goodwood festival of speed

Set around the immaculately kept lawns and grounds of Goodwood House, it's not hard to see why the festival is thought of as one of the best motoring festivals in the world and often described as 'the garden party of the Gods'.

The brainchild of Lord March, Charles Gordon-Lennox (who went on to become the 11th Duke of Richmond), the Goodwood estate has always enjoyed an affinity with British motor racing thanks to its close proximity to the legendary Goodwood Motor Circuit.

However, after not being able to get a permit to host the event at the circuit, Lord March decided to host it on his own grounds. Initially, he had his doubts about the festival being a success, famously asking a journalist “Do you think it'll work?” on the first ever press day. However, the fact that 30,000 motoring enthusiasts turned up for the inaugural event proved that he needn't have ever worried.

Only five years after its launch, the Goodwood Revival was born; a sister festival to relive the moments of the previous Goodwood Festival of Speed. The festival includes Grand Prix cars from the 1950s and 1960s, sports cars, and even the little-seen historic saloon cars.

Year after year, Goodwood continued to bring together tens of thousands of car fans from around the world. In fact, in more recent years, it has attracted crowds of around 100,000 on each of the three days it is now held.

Featuring famous attractions such as the hill climb, soapbox challenge and central display, Goodwood has been known over the years for its iconic monuments, challenges and overall atmosphere. This unique summer weekend continues to bring together an impossibly diverse mix of cars and people, and still remains the perfect opportunity for car makers to show off their historic offerings to an adoring public.

Celebrate its 25th year, and catch the Festival of Speed until July 15th 2018 at Goodwood House.