Goodwood Festival of Speed 2015

As in previous years, the Louwman Museum was also present in 2015 at the famous Goodwood Festival of Speed in the English county of West Sussex.

The museum had brought along three very sporty cars: the 1903 Gordon Bennet Napier, the 1956 Jaguar D-Type and the Toyota Camry Nascar race car from 2013.

The Festival of Speed, which started on a small scale in 1993, has grown into one of the most talked-about car events in the world. It is essentially an open-air museum for the automobile, with the added benefit that you can see and hear them all driving. Goodwood attracts participants and spectators from all corners of the globe, and sells out early every year.

The participating cars are divided into different classes, each providing plenty of spectacle. The very oldest cars, grouped under the name "Clash of the Titans" (battle of the titans), ranged from the gigantic fire breathing 28.5 liter Fiat S76 called 'Beast of Turin' to the (seemingly) fragile Darracq with a 25.4 liter V8 engine producing 200 hp. From 1905. In this class our Napier also made a few fast runs.

The Jaguar D-Type from the Louwman Museum, which took victory at Le Mans in 1957, is a regular sight at Goodwood.

In addition to the timed and demonstration runs on the hill climb, a concours delegance is held in front of the house of Lord March, on whose estate the event takes place, again divided into various classes. Among other things, several masterful creations by coachbuilders Figoni et Falaschi could be seen here, including the famous Talbot Lago Teardrop Coupe that can be found in the Louwman Museum.

A magnificent spectacle is offered by the professionally constructed rally course. Lots of dust and flying stones make for an impressive show. In the adjacent field, off-road vehicles make spectacular jumps, much to the delight of the many spectators.

At set times, impressive air shows are also given, including by the Red Arrows. In addition to all the historic automobiles, the public can also admire modern cars. Numerous contemporary car manufacturers are present, which has also turned the event into a large-scale car exhibition.

Beyond that, we will let the photos in the slideshow below speak for themselves.

Phil Seed