Britain has always been hot on history, and automotive yesteryears are no exception. Yet this is no fixed pageant of unyielding tradition darting back to some Merrie England movie. The Goodwood House-based Festival of Speed, which has a hill climb as its centerpiece, dates back just to 1993. The younger race-track-founded sibling, Goodwood Revival, has also become a global benchmark. Those Goodwood twins sit alongside Monterey’s race and Pebble Beach concours weekend, Nurburgring’s Oldtimer gathering and the fast appreciating Le Mans Classic. Even as Lord March skillfully guides Goodwood to sellout 3-day events of differing annual themes, new automotive recreations appear.

In 2008 I went to both July and September Goodwoods. For a change, a sub $200 fee entered my BMW for one revived classic weekend at Silverstone, and the 635 participated in a typical UK Classic Car run.

My weapon of choice for all these diary dates remained Helga the 635, which usually squeaks classic status on a 1985 build date and January 1986 UK registration. I’ve had this Cosmos Blau (looks silver to me, too) coupe for 11 years. Together, we have now covered 60,000 miles of its 146,000 total.

What has changed in the past year is my attitude to the shapely Six. Instead of trying to run two BMWs at a financial stretch, I concentrate on the 635CSi. That meant nearly $4000 expended on an April-May 2008 surgery to an unexpected welding session for the inner front arches, plus body and power train issues accrued over recent years. Then I ran either a 318 tds diesel or a 1999 M3 alongside the Six. When the center exhaust sections failed on the Six and I was locked into buying factory original equipment at a fitted $1200 for the older coupe, the M3’s disposal and Helga’s cosseted future became certain.

I have always attended either one or both of the Goodwood events, mostly in the 635. This year was no exception and we slipped over to both events, the race track Revival celebrating its tenth birthday to attract 124,000 ticket only spectators, whilst the older Festival weekend pulled in over 140,000 thanks to Lewis Hamilton appearing. Both are amazing meetings with a gamut of entertainment from the huge selection of cars to serious air displays, all kinds of must-visit booths and a fresh theme and set pieces every year.

The Festival features entries by invitation only across every pedigree competition category. This year saw a 100-year-old Grand Prix machine alongside 2008 GP drivers and their cars. Sports, sedan, drag strip and motorcycles racers represented emotive eras. Gulf-liveried GT40 Fords and 917 Porsches, or the vast white Ford Galaxie that conquered Jaguars in early sixties Britain were my headliners.

Past and present
1950's Vanwall (left) and Current F1 champ Lewis Hamilton
at Goodwood

The Festival also offers a twisty and wooded rally stage designed and experienced by 1983 World Champion Hannu Mikkola, which sees the dirt flying from 40-year old legends like the Minis and SAABs to the current World Rally Championship contenders like the turbo 4x4 Ford Focus. Specialist celebrities from media to style leaders judge a gleaming Cartier-backed Concours gathering, 2008 including a James Bond vehicle collection offering Lotus Esprit and Aston Martin DB5 on display.

Although it is a British-based, Goodwood has always had the strongest American links of any European classic event, honoring Phil Hill in 2006 and making honored guests of Dan Gurney to, Parnelli Jones and AJ Foyt. In 2008, I enjoyed chatting to Jim Busby about the unique ‘glassback’ BMW 320 racers of the late seventies. Machines that SoCal’s Jim ran on direct orders from Jochen Neerpasch in Munich. These golden wonders appeared against the winning McLaren North American Citibank entries. I also socialized at the Robert Bentley Publishers–Karl Ludvigsen book launch of Ferdinand Porsche: Genesis of Genius.

Retro Americana at Goodwood

This year’s Festival air attraction was the giant Airbus A380, the World’s largest civil airliner, looming large at unfeasibly low speeds. Previous aerial visitors witnessed the UK’s only airworthy Flying Fortress, as well as regular WW2 fighter plane displays from P51 Mustangs alongside the inevitable Supermarine Spitfires. A darkly camouflaged Lancaster bomber was a sinister contrast to the silvery sparkle of the B17 Fortress, both a stark reminder of the thousands of USAAF and RAF air crew who died enabling today’s freedoms.

The Goodwood Revival weekend was impossibly sunny after damp British ‘summer.’ Primary attractions ran over three days for Friday practice and 16 weekend races, motorcycles strongly represented. BMW took a corner of the motorcycle paddock to recreate a RevivalFest beer cellar with traditional Oktoberfest refreshments. Former BMW senior executive Karl Heinz Kalbfell was back in the saddle of a Beemer (a 1938 R51RS) right next door, but British bikes dominated the results. Only one BMW (a 1936 R5) sneaked a single third placing.

The now outclassed 502 appeared in the 1952-59 St Mary’s Trophy races. Entered by BMW Group Classic (not Mobile Tradition) this is a British-prepared V8 baroque sedan and had owner Nick Whale sharing with former factory ace Marc Surer. On track, the locals in leading edge race-prepped Austin A35s versus similarly aged Jaguar delivered front-running David versus Goliath entertainment. There was a twist this time though. Recall John Fitzpatrick’s Ford, Porsche and BMW (Schnitzer E9 coupe/Hermetite 3.5 CSL) heroics? John played a leading part in proceedings, including as the innocent bystander in a Saturday rollover with a shared middleweight Austin A95 Westminster. Thanks to other retirements and sharing with the able John Young, Fitzpatrick and the 1956 Westminster still finished first on aggregate!

Although I enjoy and admire the Goodwood weekends, there is no personal involvement. So, I sought a retro event I could get personal with in my 6 Series. There were two major possibilities, both featuring Silverstone. The established event was the Norwich Union-backed run which can attract up to 1000 cars in October. However, I fancied a summer date, a smaller entry and the advertising strap line ‘Don’t just spectate—participate.’ All the work of organizers Motion Works UK Ltd and just what I wanted for a July weekend.
The Silverstone Classic was an outstanding retro racing weekend in the 1990s when it was backed by Coys auction house. It was revived as a 3-day event in 2007, now with even more racing (21 events featuring 700 cars) than Goodwood, a credit to organizing chief Roger Etcell.
A reasonable ($194) entry fee for the Silverstone Classic RetroRun included 120-miles on public roads with interesting stop-off points for 170 cars. They came from 40 brands made between 1929 and the 1988 cut off. A major lure was a 2-lap parade around the British Grand Prix track, and admission to the circuit for two throughout, with exclusive infield parking.

Motion Works quickly processed our paid entry and we were allotted an 8.52 am start from the choice of four venues: Aston Martin at Newport Pagnell, Lotus in East Anglia, Brooklands Museum or the National Motorcycle Museum. We opted for Aston Martin Works Service, the only chock-full venue on 70 starters. I took a male co-driver — Peter Osborne — because Peter takes excellent pix and as the Six still had the failing exhaust, sounding distinctly grumpy.
Aston proved a great Silverstone send-off. Fresh orange juice and more breakfast that we could handle. All served amongst the fascinating ranks of Astons past and present, featuring factory TLC applied from the fifties to date.

Outside, we could see the UK-usual Jaguars, Triumphs and MGs: there were 28 MGs, 20 Jaguars, 13 Porsches and nine Aston Martins in total. Yet there was an amazing breadth of runners beyond those regulars. My favorite for presentation and pizzaz was a gleaming silver 1948 Plymouth, but another American was the oldest car in the run: a 1929 Chrysler 75 Roadster. Owned by Michael Thompson, it attacked the 2007 Paris Peking rally, taking second place in the vintage class.

1948 Plymouth

The Retro roads took us past the Cardington airship hangars that housed the tragic prewar R101 and cousins (active 2008 airship premises), the outstanding Old Warden Shuttleworth vintage air collection and airstrip, Woburn Abbey wildlife (hear those lions roar) and Stately Home. A Rothschild property, Waddesdon, also straddled our route. A fine house and grounds that have been the backdrop for films, ads and classic car meets, then we made a pilgrimage to the hillclimb site of the first Aston Martin exploits, returning to Silverstone in time for lunch.

Retro reserved parking at Silverstone

Amongst the BMWs at Silverstone was the cleanest street 3.0 CSL I have seen out working. Samuel Lever had a full family accommodated; yet his 1972 coupe registered SFH 3L fairly gleamed in our reserved parking.

There was a neat 2002 Baur Cabriolet out from 1973, an ’86 M535i (12-valve M30 motor rather than the later 24-valve M5/6 unit) and another 6-series. This Six an M635CSi, the right drive European spec and as near original as time and a pair of new wings permitted.
A superb P51 Mustang and reconnaissance Spitfire aerial ballet, plus an excellent live bands, and huge turnout of motor clubs and their automobiles, starred in our pleasure zones. The strongest static car displays came from Ferrari (stunning), AC (outstanding Cobras and Acecas), Porsche (biggest turnout) and BMW memberships, the latter featuring a rare E36 evolution GT and an early Alpina turbocharged 5 series.
The hardcore track action came from 1966-78 Formula 1s to a 1- hour sedan race. That 1960-66 period tintop feature saw 22 American V8s at home on the fast track. Their practice dominance was only interrupted by Jacky Oliver (former Grand Prix team owner and race ace) in a swift Laranca-prepared BMW 1800 TI. Sadly, Oliver was pushed off by the big boys at the first corner. The result was a Mustang 1-4 whitewash, a collectible Mercury Comet Cyclone securing fifth for Nick Whale/Richard Dodkins.

Silverstone Parade

Our high point was the 2-lap parade around the 3.2-mile dream track. Circuit company included a road-going Metro 6R4 rally car—that’s a tiny hatchback with a unique 375hp V6 motor—A Triumph 2000 sedan chopped into a convertible, a Wolseley (badge engineered cousin to MG’s Magnette), a front drive Lotus Elan, a Triumph TR4 and the inevitable Jaguar E types loping alongside equally predictable red and white Mini Coopers.
There was more, but you probably have got the picture…

We won no prizes, but did we ever have fun pressing the auto rewind button through 2008.

CLASSIC CONTACTS
The Hotel
www.flackleyashhotel.co.uk

Silverstone Classic
www.silverstoneclassic.com

Goodwood
(entry menu, choose Motorsports, then Festival or Revival)
www.goodwood.co.uk