Tom Senior
Director Classic Car Finance
I can't believe it's September already and time for the legendary Goodwood Revival. This yearly event has been successful for over 20 years and is the highlight of the calendar for the Classic & Vintage car community.
It's such a unique event where everyone gets into the spirit of dressing up in period costume with tweed, uniform, waistcoats and caps all in full flow. The event and dress exude all that is British eccentricity.
Having been for the first-time last year, I was geared up for the occasion, although unfortunately my plans to go as an officer from the military were hampered at the last minute, so back to the default tweed it was.
This year the Cambridge & Counties Bank party was 11 strong and following a lovely dinner at the Brighton Grand Hotel the night before, we had an early start the following morning, in an attempt to beat the worst of the traffic on the morning of Friday the 13th. As it happened, we arrived a little after 8am and there were already hundreds of cars in front of us!
Friday at the Revival is practice day with a huge range of cars going around the track from the not so humble Mini to the 1950's Formula 1 cars, 60's touring cars as well as vintage racers from Bentley. The undisputed main attraction has to be the Kinrara Trophy race that starts at 6.30pm and finishes just as the sun is beginning to set. The resultant photo's this year were among the prettiest of the day. This race features iconic cars such as the Ferrari 250 SWB, Aston Martin DB4GT, AC Cobra's and Jaguar E Types, most of which are worth many millions of pounds with the collective value of the cars going around the track valued at circa £200m.
Cambridge & Counties Bank have been financing Classic Cars for well over a year now and there were several of our customers cars in action over the 3 days of the revival. This most definitely adds a special element to the mix especially since I knew (a) the owner/driver of the car, (b) it's value and (c) hoped it made it round the track fully intact as our loan was secured against it. I am pleased to report, all cars returned safely to their spaces in the paddock… Phew!
Away from the racing there was still plenty to see and do with the Earl's Court Motor show including scenes from the Italian Job, static displays of the new Aston Martin Valkyrie and the Land Rover Defender which was seen in flesh for the second time only since its launch a few weeks earlier. Personally, I think it's great even though I know it is a divisive vehicle. The static aeronautic display, the paddocks, the period shopping streets together with the overall festival atmosphere mean you ideally need to be there for more than one day in order to fully appreciate it all. However, with lengthy drives for most, I was homebound late on Friday night following another wonderful day at the Goodwood Estate in the early autumn sunshine. Roll on next year!