Going to Goodwood in 2011?

You may have heard the British Motor Show is no more. This year’s event was cancelled ages ago, the 2012 one has already bitten the bullet and effectively that means it’s all over. There’s just not enough manufacturer support to make it worthwhile. All this is good news for Goodwood, which stages several annual events that are going from strength to strength. Dates for 2011 have just been confirmed; the Moving Motor Show is 30 June, the Festival of Speed is 1-3 July, and the Revival is 16-18 September. The biggest of these is the Festival and next year’s theme will be ‘Racing Revolutions; Quantum Leaps That Shaped Motor Sport’, a celebration of the quest for increased power, greater efficiency and more speed. It will undoubtedly be an excellent event – because it always is – and 2011 marks some significant anniversaries that fit with the theme. It will 75 years since Auto Union won the European Championship with a ground-breaking rear-engined car, 60 years since the naturally-aspirated Ferraris vanquished the supercharged Alfas, 30 years since the dawn of rallying’s four-wheel-drive age, 25 years since turbocharged engines ruled the roost in F1, and 20 years since a rotary-engined Mazda took the chequered flag at Le Mans. It’s also the centenary of the Indianapolis 500, and there will be a special collection of cars and drivers to mark that. Tickets are on sale now, and if you buy before the end of the year they’re cheaper because of the lower VAT rate. Visit www.goodwood.co.uk/festival-of-speed or call 01243 755055
to get yours.