Supersonic at Goodwood

In mid-September, a traffic debacle on the roads of Chichester ironically puts all in enthusiastic spirits. The cause is undoubtedly the eye-popping stack of vintage cars making way to this year’s Goodwood Revival Festival. In honour of the glory days of Goodwood Motor Circuit (formerly hosting Formula One, Goodwood Nine Hours, and the Tourist Trophy sports car race from 1948 to 1966) this event is a breathtaking step back into mid-Twentieth Century racing culture. On Friday morning, West Sussex gives us a proper English welcome with drizzly sheets of grey. But it’s not stopping the crowds dressed to the nines in requested post-war garb.

Silver Arrows Return to the UK

Presenting respective team badges, we make our way to the Paddocks, where under its low overhang, drivers trade racing stories and mechanics bustle around the Silver Arrows, tuning them up for the upcoming demonstration race. Though the domination of the Silver Arrows in the Grand Prix racing were cut short by World War II, thanks to the factory teams of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union (now Audi Tradition), the Silver Arrows are back in the UK this year. And never before in history has any race seen so many Silver Arrows together in one place.

As Paul Stewart (founder of Paul Stewart Racing and son of three-time Formula One World Champion Jackie Stewart) acknowledges, these cars are beasts. Behind the wheel of a W25, Stewart mulls over the frightening idea of a crash, showing reverence for these sets of wheels that at first glance, are reminiscent of a matchbox toy. He claims “the sound of the engine is incredible,” and watching these Grand-Prix titans from the the sidelines, there is no disagreement.

Without quite perceiving it at first, there’s a high-pitched whine in the distance, that rises in crescendo at an alarmingly rate, unstoppable. As you try to discern the source, your eyes focus in metallic blurs that as a pack, round the bend, crushing the track at supersonic speeds. Possessing forms and spirits that exist somewhere between the past and the future, these Silver Arrows are emblazoned with cherry red racing numbers that gleam in the overcast light. In acknowledgement of their beauty, the engine blasts are suddenly joined by the meaty buzz of two RAF Spitfires rolling low through the airspace above the track. Oh, what glory!

Fashionable at Goodwood

On the festival grounds the following day, sheep graze in golden meadows under an idyllic sky, and there's a distinct briskness that suggests a cup of tea at the Goodwood Market. We meet an older gentleman there, contently puffing away on his cigar, the billows of smoke wafting up to meet the morning light. Without addressing anyone in particular, he says out loud: “Every great English race requires a great cup of English tea.” Perhaps such sentiments are exactly what sets Goodwood apart, where people have come from near and far to dress accordingly and for a moment, be a part of motorsporting narrative.

Sartorial icon and Goodwood Estate owner Charles Henry Gordon-Lennox (Lord of March), once wrote that “history is full of mavericks with polished shoes and a sharp crease in their trousers and rebels with a collar that stands in the right way and a well pressed jacket.” In response, the gentlemen today are from all corners of relevant history. The clean-shaven RAF Air Crew uniforms seem to multiply, but the dashing Teddy Boy is a favoured look as well. There is also no end to hunting and riding tweeds, and a good amount lean towards the Rack Pack's slim-tie and suit combo of the 60s. The Racing Driver look is championed by the younger lads running about in white racing overalls, oversized goggles resting over their little driving caps.

Of course, the ladies have the spotlight and the photographers clamber every which way to get their shots. We spy a few Amy Johnsons and Amelia Earharts, fearlessly romantic in leather jackets, jodhpurs and pilot boots. The crew at The Telegraph are in cotton overalls and driving hats, threatening the day's paper to be sold out within the hour. But the majority radiate the glamour of starlets from the 40s, 50s and 60s. The jazz band at the Veuve Clicquot tent strikes up a lively tune and the heels start tapping away in rhythm, asking for a twirl around the floor. Some of the more courageous gentlemen oblige and the Goodwood Revival party goes into full swing.

The Elegance of Racing

Back at the Paddocks on closing day, the cars are rolled out into the sun where photographers and journalists size up the spectacle up close. Towering over mortals, Austrian born Formula One driver Karl Wendlinger explains that Silver Arrows have no speedometers, only rev counters, so although unsure of the exact speed, he enthusiastically adds that it “feels very fast!” Germany's Bernd Schneider, looking comfortable in his white racing overalls and a grey jacket, echoes the same thought regarding the W154 he drives, a car that “needs to have speed,” and the Goodwood track is ideal as “the straights are quite long. It's too much fun!”

But this is nothing new for former Formula One driver Jochen Mass, the premier wheelman and expert on all the cars lined up at Goodwood today. Recently seen at the 2012 Mille Miglia, he kindly takes a few minutes to indulge on the topic of Silver Arrow evolution. The soft spoken driver starts with the W25, comparing its handling to a Beatle, “very responsive, not vicious, and perfectly balanced.” He refers to the beautiful W125 as a “much improved version” but then points to his beloved W154 and with eyes gleaming joy, dubs the machine: "the most sophisticated and superior."

On reflection, his good natured words towards the cars aptly capture the very spirit of Goodwood Revival. It’d be irresponsible to describe these three days as simply a step back into time. Instead, it represents a moment of racing culture that is indeed sophisticated and superior; worthy of being celebrated and cherished. The “glory days” are gone but in appreciating the glamour of the Post-War area of motorsports, perhaps it can galvanise a future generation of youths and racers to respect the tradition they’ve inherited. After all, aren’t we all here heirs to this particular world of motor oil, burnt rubber and the sheer thrill of speed that refuses to stop reverberating through time?

Exclusive for Mercedes-Benz | 2012