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Revive and thrive: the return of Goodwood’s historic festival
By Michelle Johnson | 19 August 2021 | Cars & Yachts
Following the Festival of Speed’s successful comeback, Tempus heads to Goodwood to discover how Revival, the world’s greatest historic motor race meeting, is preparing for a riotous return this September
Any aficionado will tell you that classic cars are about far more than what’s under the bonnet. The world of vintage automobiles is a lifestyle, encompassing everything from vehicle restoration to your personal style.
This is, perhaps, one of many reasons that the world’s greatest historic motor race meeting, Goodwood Revival, captures the imaginations of its thousands of attendees each year. The event, held in September at the Goodwood Motor Circuit, is a celebration of the vintage era, staged entirely in period theme to capture the halcyon days of the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s.
Combining hundreds of rare and priceless cars on and off the track, racing enthusiasts can delight in watching champions of past and present recreate Goodwood’s famous racing with events such as the St Mary's Trophy, the Royal Automobile Club TT Celebration and the Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy, as well as the most competitive – and cutest – race of the event: the Settrington Cup children’s pedal car race.
But the nostalgic festivity doesn’t stop there. Revival is famed for its period fashions and entertainment, too, with many visitors attending in full vintage dress to revel in the style and ethos of an earlier time and escape the trappings of modern life.
It may not surprise festivalgoers that Goodwood Revival – and, indeed, all Goodwood events – have a long-held tradition of sustainability at its heart. Celebrating a time when communities lived by an ethos of "make do and mend" – from repairing treasured belongings to restoring their cherished cars – is only natural that the organisation champions a similar reduce, re-use and recycle approach. Brand- new for 2021, the Make-Do and Mend corner at the event will showcase how we can repurpose and restore more in our modern lives, too.
The event’s founder, the Duke of Richmond, says: “We all know that fashion has a huge impact on our planet and so this year we wanted to make sure that we used our incredible event to highlight solutions to this problem. We want to reconnect with the best of the past and as an antidote to the throw away culture, share how special pieces can be treasured, valued and passed down through generations.”