Restored specials début at 2023 Goodwood Revival

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Although primarily a post-war event, the Goodwood Revival always yields some fascinating pre-war gems among the scores of 1950s and '60s sports and Grand Prix racers. There were two pre-war races this year, the Goodwood Trophy for Grand Prix and Voiturette cars of the 1930s and '40s, and the Rudge-Whitworth Cup, a special addition to the schedule in honour of the Le Mans centenary, for 1920s sports-cars of a type that raced at Le Mans in period.

Streamlined Jaguar resurfaces

The most exciting news, for at us, at least, concerned the débuts of two specials, one a recreation, built on pre-war chassis. The Jaguar Pycroft Special was possibly the most important car of the whole weekend, with 2023 marking 75 years since racing started at Goodwood in 1948. Paul Pycroft rebodied a 2½-litre S.S.100 with aerodynamic coachwork, entered it in the first ever Goodwood race meeting and proceeded to cross the finish line in first place. It was later restored as a standard S.S.100, before being rebuilt again in its race-winning guise. It was only ever shown topless over the weekend, but in period it had an unconventional metal hood with curved plastic rear window.

The other débutante was an Austin Seven special now better-known as the Lotus Mk. I. Built in 1948 around a 1928 chassis, Colin and Hazel Chapman immediately set about entering trials with it, before experimenting with other specials which would eventually culminate in the successful Lotus Mk. VI. The original car no longer exists and, while an unofficial replica has been made before, this example was the result of a project spearheaded by Clive Chapman and Classic Team Lotus and completed in 2023 in time for its 75th anniversary. With this anniversary being a major feature of the Revival, it was joined by the unrestored 1949 Lotus Mk. II, built with Ford 10 mechanicals around an Austin Seven chassis, and the Seven-engined 1951 Lotus Mk. III, which won its first race at Castle Combe.

Goldie's MG and Coco's Model T

The National Motor Museum Trust generated a lot of attention for itself with the prominent display Henry Segrave's 1927 Sunbeam 1000hp land speed record car minus its engine, which is currently undergoing restoration, but it also exhibited a 1946 MG TC by the pedestrian footbridge. Generally obscured by the sea of punters passing by, it was easily missed but merited a look, being none other than the personal car of Lt. Col. 'Goldie' Gardner.

This year's theatrical centrepiece, bemusing as it was, was themed around the circus and presented an opportunity to admire some 19th-century circus wagons which, with their ornate paintwork and decorative carvings, represented a valuable insight into one of the more specialized examples of the body-builder's craft. More within our scope, however, was a Ford Model T laden with tricks. Believed to have been built for the Keystone Cops silent comedy films of 1912-1917 and then used by Coco the Clown in the Bertram Mills Circus, who imported it from America. Nicolai Poliakoff - Coco - sold it to Pierre Picton, another clown who made frequent appearances in British children's television of the 1960s and '70s and who in turn sold it to Nick Mason. The intelligently engineered Tin Lizzie featured collapsing panels, a tipping rear seat and ejector seat, and will have delighted thousands of circus-goers over its working life.

They were just a few  highlights from a packed event, which also contained a large variety of Pioneer, vintage and post-vintage motorcycles, and the ever-eclectic pre-1966 parking, which included a different Edwardian for each day of the event: on Friday a 1913 Théophile Schneider Hall-Scott-engined racer, on Saturday a 1913 Talbot tourer and on Sunday a 1913 Sunbeam 12/16hp. Have a look through the photographs to see more.

Words and photographs: Zack Stiling
 

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