Sunday, March 20, 2011

GOODWOOD celebrates 50 years of Britain’s most iconic sportcar, the Jaguar E-Type




One things I can avow is that I am all about all things automotive, especially classic and vintage cars....I LOVE to watch movies from the past simply to see the cars that are in the background in movies like Bullitt or Blue Hawaii...the cars you see the normal people driving in the background are all the ones we want now...
I have always liked the Jag e-type as it is an iconic car from the 60s....the design and style of this beauty inspired the design of man other car that followed.

I became aware of the Goodwood Festival of Speed and their annual Goodwood Revival after seeing some info about it on Cable....it is a totally British gathering with people coming for a weekend of Vintage Racing, Cars, Warbirds and all things British....I would like to attend one year and get to spend a weekend taking in the sights and sounds of this unique festival of speed....Brilliant !!!


GOODWOOD LAUNCHES ITS 2011 MOTOR SPORT SEASON
http://www.goodwood.co.uk/

Festival of Speed and Revival founder Lord March was joined by a host of famous faces at Goodwood House on Thursday 17 March to announce exciting plans for the 2011 Goodwood motor sport season.

Lord March ran though the highlights of what to look forward to at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed (1-3 July), Moving Motor Show (30 June) and Revival (16-18 September), supported by a host of motor sport stars, including Formula One drivers Mika Hakkinen, Jochen Mass, DesirĂ© Wilson and Bruno Senna, motorcycle competitors Guy Martin, James Haydon and Paul Smart, rally stars Andreas Mikkleson, Jimmy McRae and Russell Brooks, and circuit racer legends Paul Radisich, Richard Attwood and Anthony Reid. In addition, golfer Sir Nick Faldo, TV chef James Martin, comedian Ross Noble and model Yasmin le Bon with her daughter Amber on hand.

The theme for the 2011 Festival of Speed is ‘Racing Revolutions – Quantum leaps that shaped motor sport,’ and the essence of this theme was much in evidence at the Goodwood launch, from the 1909 ‘Blitzen Benz’ with an influential aerodynamic design to help it become the fastest car in the world with record of 228.1 km/h in 1911, to the 1981 McLaren-Honda MP4/1 that pioneering the use of carbon fibre materials in F1 racing. The Festival theme will run right through many of this year’s Festival attractions, with racing innovations evident throughout, including developments to engine, aerodynamics, chassis construction, and much more.

The Festival remains the World’s only motor sport event outside of the Formula One championship to attract the current F1 teams and drivers, and Lord March declared that he is confident that Goodwood will feature a record nine of the current 2011 teams this year, including the reigning F1 World Championship team Red Bull, along with a number of the season’s top drivers.

Other forms of modern motor sport will also be represented at Goodwood with many of the current WRC and IRC rally teams in action on the Forest Rally Stage, with the new WRC Mini Countryman making its British debut at the launch. Skoda marks 110 years of motor sport involvement this year and is the new partner for the popular Forest Rally Stage, with Works driver Andreas Mikkelsen very much in evidence. Expect to see wild American rally star Ken Block in action in the 2011 Ford Fiesta WRC at the Festival too. Many of the works World Superbike teams are also expected at the Festival, plus a number of leading riders, including British stars James Toseland, Leon Haslam and Jonathan Rea.

Jaguar Cars will celebrate two important anniversaries at the Festival, with a striking automotive ‘sculpture’ in front of Goodwood House to celebrate 50 years of Britain’s most iconic sportcar, the E-Type, as well as the 60th anniversary since Jaguar first won at the gruelling Le Mans 24 Hours race. A significant 1961 E-type was present at the Goodwood launch with model Yasmin le Bon and daughter Amber taking a keen interest in the car, along with the most powerful production Jaguar ever made, the new XKR-S which made its UK debut.

The Centenary of the famous Indy 500 is being marked by Goodwood with the biggest celebration of this great race outside of America. To date over 30 cars have been confirmed, all of which played a significant role at the Brickyard, including nine outright winning chassis, to be driven by drivers with a dozen wins between them. Many of the cars will be appearing at the Festival for the first time. The cars will all be displayed together, creating a mini Gasoline Alley within the F1 Paddock, with much of the unique pageantry of the Indy 500 being recreated at the Festival. A line-up of Indy 500 cars were present at Goodwood, including the 1914 Sunbeam ‘Indianapolis’, 1951 Steven-Offy ‘Jim Robbins Special’ and 1966 Lola-Ford T90 ‘Bowes Seal’.

Lord March announced that young persons’ attractions at the Festival will be reinvigorated with the Goodwood Action Sports (GAS) live action sports arena, featuring five different types of extreme two-wheeled sport, all performing on an integrated series of jumps and ramps. GAS will be supported by SEAT, with its own Club SEAT interactive area and young driver experience. The emphasis of GAS will be on world class athletes in various extreme two-wheeled disciplines. As well as watching the experts, there will be an opportunity for Festival visitors to try each sport for themselves in the activities field. The Junior FoS for younger Goodwood visitors will remain as a popular attraction as well.

The Goodwood Moving Motor Show will also be held again as a significant addition to the annual Festival of Speed, and will take place on Thursday 30 June 2011, supported by Auto Trader. New cars buyers will be able to enjoy an exclusive motor show preview day, where they will not only be able to see the very latest new car models on display, but in some cases also climb aboard and experience the vehicles first-hand, strictly at the invitation of the participating vehicle manufacturers. At least 23 car manufacturers have already confirmed their attendance at the 2011 Moving Motor Show.

Highlights at the 2011 Goodwood Revival (16-18 September) will set to include a Jaguar E-type-only race to mark 50 years of this important sportscar, plus a tribute to Juan Fangio, 100 years after his birth, and a daily track parade of British-built Ford vehicles to honour the century of Ford in Britain. The 75th anniversary of the Supermarine Spitfire will also be celebrated, with the greatest gathering of these evocative aircraft at Goodwood since the its active duty day as a Battle of Britain RAF Air Base in World War II.

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