This is the third year for the Goodwood Breakfast meetings, and all the evidence from today’s event, the first of 2010, suggests that the event is getting ever more popular. Doubtless encouraged by a forecast (and a reality!) of a cloudless blue sky, far more people turned out with their cars than at any of the previous Breakfast meetings I have attended. There were also far more people milling around, looking at the incredible variety of machinery and enjoying what has to be one of the first outdoor events of the year. It was well gone mid-day before the majority had gone, which is also testament to just how much there was to see. Granted it was extremely cold initially, with a biting wind challenging the photographer’s fingers almost more than the double hazard of throngs of people and the lengthy shadows that you still get in March. Theme for the day was “Tax Free”, in other words for cars registered before 1973, and the majority of cars were indeed from this era, but there were some truly splendid supercars as well. What follows is but a relatively small sub-set of the cars in attendance, as there was too much to see, and the photographic challenges were also non-trivial. So, apologies now for the absence of pictures of the Miura that was there, and the Ford GT and countless other splendid devices.
ABARTHAn example of the Abarth tuned Fiat 850, with a 500 relative alongside it.
ALFA-ROMEONumerically, most of the Alfas at the event were the 105-series Gulia/GTV cars.
There was also this rather lovely, earlier Guilia Spider.
ALVIS
ARIELGiven the temperature, the driver of this Atom would have needed even more layers of thermals than the rest of us. Good on him for bringing it along, though!
ASTON-MARTINPlenty of the DB cars at the event. This is a DB4.
AUSTINThis A70 Hampshire based estate is believed to be the only survivor of a model that sold in very small numbers in the late 1940s. I have seen this car at this event before, and it also featured in Classic and Sports Car magazine a couple of years ago. Truly a splendid reminder of a bygone era!
There were several Austin Sevens, which just look tiny when parked up next to more modern cars.
Also now seeming somewhat small is the A35 Van. there was much excitement from one other attendee, as she recognised the garage whose name appears on the side and said (in a loud and rather posh voice) that she had gone to school with people of that name in Sunningdale.
Successor to the A35 saloon car was the Farina designed A40, like this Mark one car.
Plenty of Austin Healeys, as you would expect. I love the Big Healey, and now I am working with a colleague who owns one, I am hopeful of a ride in one this summer (I am also hoping he can join us at Prescott!).
BENTLEYSpecial object of desire for Mr Roadrunner, no doubt, this lovely Bentley.
BRISTOLThis 405 is an example of the only 4 door model that Bristol has ever made.
CHEVROLETA C3 model Corvette Stingray.
CITROENA late model 2CV, in one of its limited edition liveries.
DELAGEA late model from this French marque.
FERRARIAlthough Ferraris have become a common sight in some parts of the UK, it is still not every day that you see an Enzo. But today I did. I also happened to be by the car when the owner fired it up, and can honestly say that it sounds like no other car I’ve ever heard!
I know that not everyone is as besotted as I am, but to me the Daytona is still one of the lovliest Ferrari shapes ever.
I also like the 550 Maranello, and this was a stunning example.
The 360 Modena – still elegant, before the 430 uglification process took effect!
308 GTS and GTB, also an object of desire.
This 250 GT was also attracting a huge amount of attention, and no surprise in that. It was probably the most valuable car at the event.
The 365 GT – also very lovely.
The 365 GTC/4 from the early 1970s
FIATEveryone knows the Nuova 500, and their survival rate is quite high, but this is its larger brother, the 600, here in special Viotti trim.
There were also a few of the 500 cars.
FORDThe Pilot was Ford’s large car offering from the late 1940s, precursor to the Zephyr, and featuring a V8 engine.
Rather more mundane was this 1960s Anglia – motoring for the rep in the 60’s!
There were a few Cortina, including a very tatty Mark 3, and a Taunus GXL Coupe (based on the Mark 3, but never sold in the UK), which sadly had gone before I got a picture. I did capture this Mark 2 1600E model, though.
The classic Mustang from the 1960s is a popular car in the UK as well as the US, and there were several at the event..
HONDAThe Z, a micro car from the early 1970s.
HUMBERRescued from a rather derelict state, judging by the picture in the windscreen, this splendid Humber was one of the earliest cars at the event.
JAGUAR/DAIMLERThere were plenty of classic Jaguars and Daimlers, of course. I particularly liked the pairing of the Mark 2 Jaguar and its Daimler V8 2.5 litre relative.
I also liked the Mark VII/VIII and IX saloons like these.
One of several of the XK sports cars, this is an XK120.
LAMBORGHINIThere was a Miura at the event, but it was not there that long, and when I returned in the hope of getting a picture, I was sad to find it had gone. I did, however, capture some shots of the Espada.
This Gallardo was keeping a particularly nice Aston-Martin DB7 GT company.
I caught this Urraco as it was leaving.
LANCIAA very rare Appia Zagato. What an elegant car. Lancia should look to their heritage to see how it should be done now!
Equally lovely was the Fulvia Coupe from the mid 1960s. This is a fairly early car.
LOTUSA pair of Elan Sprints.
The Plus 2, a 4 seater version of the Elan.
MASERATIAn early road car, the 3500Gt.
A Merak
MERCEDES-BENZSeveral classic Mercedes, and not just the now rather valuable SL “Pagoda” cars were there.
MERCURYA Monterey from the mid 1960s
MGA good mix of MG sports cars, including this pairing of an A and a C.
There were several other B models, a few of which were perfectly placed for my camera
There were also some TF models, the last of the “traditional” MGs.
MINIThere are still quite a few very early Minis to be seen at events like this, and a couple were in attendance today.
Although most of the estate cars (Traveller and Countryman) came with wood panelling, some were made without, like this one.
There was also a late model Clubman – probably far rarer than the Minis that are 20 years older!
MORGANA “classic” Morgan – a Plus 8 model.
PEUGEOTThe 404 – a Farina styled car that appealed to the French Bourgeoisie in the 1960s, but which was always rather too costly to sell in volume in the UK.
PORSCHEPlenty of early 911s at the show, and this was one of them.
There were a few later 911s, too, such as this 993 model.
RENAULTI have to confess that I did not recognise this car and had to sneak a look at the badge to identify it.
ROLLS-ROYCEThe latest Phantom Coupe was parked up, doubtless a reminder that the factory is only just down the end of the road, However, it was the early Silver Shadow that my camera sought out, and here are a couple of examples.
ROVERThis lovely Rover 12 dates from just prior to WW2, I think.
There was also a P3 Model 75, with its successor the P4 in the background.
Several of the rather stately P5 models were also at the event.
SAABAn early model, a 93, which had a 3 cylinder 750cc 2 stroke engine.
STANDARDThis is a Flying 9 – a small car aimed at competing with the Ford, Austin and Morris cars of the day. There were a couple of these at the event, but only one seems to have been near my camera.
STUDEBAKERA styling triumph of Raymond Loewy, was this, the Hawk model, though by the time this version was on sale in the late 1950s, the writing was on the proverbial wall for this once respected Indiana maker.
SUNBEAMAlways overshadowed by the Triumphs and MGs of the era, the Alpine sports car was just as worthy, and when, like this car, it had the Ford V8 engine shoe-horned under the bonnet, it went like the proverbial….. this is, of course, a Tiger.
TOYOTAThis Crown Custom Coupe dates from 1972, and was attracting a huge amount of interest. Far more, it has to be said, than when the car was new, as in those days, the Crown was seen more as a quirky sort of oriental gew-gaw rather than a serious contender in the luxury car class.
TRIUMPHLots of classic Triumphs, with the TR series particularly well represented.
There were also a few Spitfire sports cars, of course, and its fastback relative, the GT6.
This Renown was a not very successful large saloon from the late 1940s, precursor to the Standard Vanguard.
TVRA Vixen from the early 1970s.
VOLKSWAGEN
A couple of Karmann Ghia models were the highlights for me, though there were also some Type 2 ‘Buses that seem to have eluded the camera.
This Beach Buggy was Beetle based.
VOLVONow with real cult classic status, the “Amazon” model 121 from the early 1960s.
In all, a splendid event, and it is free of charge to attend. Well worth the very early start from home to get there for 8:30! There’s a full program of events every month right through to December – details on the Calendar.2010-03-07 19:01:08
