When Driving Classic Jaguars On The Legendary Goodwood Motor Circuit Is All The Magic A Motorhead Needs

by Jamie Nonis

Photo: Drew Gibson

Goodwood. Ah, a name that stirs up nuanced emotion in many a motor racing enthusiast. A name synonymous with two things: Speed and the apex of automobile luxury. There’s the Goodwood Festival of Speed, hailed as “the greatest motor show on earth”, where the worlds of Formula 1, MotoGP, endurance racing, and more come together like nowhere else in the English countryside of West Sussex each summer.

Now, a stone’s throw from the most incredible celebration of motorsport is, ostensibly, also where the most significant name in automotive history assembles its coveted fleet of impeccably hand-crafted limousines. And right next door to the Rolls-Royce headquarters is the Goodwood Motor Circuit. The latter is where this story begins.

A historic pilgrimage

It’s certainly both a privilege and a pilgrimage to visit the Goodwood Motor Circuit, which was once the epicentre of British motor racing between 1948 and 1966. The 2.4-mile track is steeped in history, built on land that formed part of the Goodwood Estate, which has been owned by the Dukes of Richmond for over 300 years.

During the Second World War, the site was donated by the 9th Duke to assist with the war efforts and used as a military airfield that served as a Battle of Britain base. It was later converted into a motor racing circuit after the war, opening in 1948 by the Duke, a renowned amateur racer, Freddie March. The circuit opened to much acclaim as the British public had been deprived of the joys of motor racing during the war and held the first professionally organised post-war motor racing event in the United Kingdom the same year.

Its illustrious 18-year chapter in British motor racing history eventually ended when the circuit, where Sir Jackie Stewart earned legend status, closed its gates to competitive racing in 1966, continuing only as a testing and track day venue.

Sir Jackie Stewart at the 2023 Goodwood Revival. (Photo: Dominic James)

Decades passed before the circuit was resurrected and restored to its former glory. It reopened on September 18, 1998, exactly half a century to the day it first opened, by the 9th Duke’s grandson, the present Earl of March.

This time, it was not a yearning borne of war that prompted its comeback, but a desire to rekindle an appreciation for the kind of classic cars that had so gloriously raced here in the past. Thus, the Goodwood Revival was born in conjunction with the relaunch, conceived to celebrate the halcyon days of motor racing once again as rare and priceless classic cars compete for the most coveted trophies in historic motorsport.

On-track action at the Goodwood Revival. (Photo: Jayson Fong)

Standing on the circuit today, it’s as if time stood still. The circuit had been painstakingly restored down to the very last detail to look just as it did in its heyday, I’m told, and the original wartime buildings still stand, providing an authentic backdrop for the now-annual, world-famous Goodwood Revival — the only historic motor race meeting to be staged entirely in a period theme — and other drive events.

A dream come true for classic car enthusiasts: The supremely elegant fleet of classic Jaguars from the 1950s and 1960s on hallowed ground that is the Goodwood Motor Circuit. (Photo: Jaguar Land Rover)

Besides reliving the golden era of British motorsport with Revival racing in classic saloons and GTs from the 1950s and 1960s, you can also experience a similar thrill virtually on the simulators, drive your car and test your mettle on one of the world’s fastest and most challenging historic circuits known for its famously long and demanding sweeps and curves, sit in on an exhilarating hot lap in a BMW M4 piloted by a Goodwood racing instructor for some high-octane, passenger princess fun, or learn how to drift “Initial D” style and channel your inner Jay Chou.

You can even embark on an off-roading adventure in a classic Land Rover from the 1960s and navigate tricky trenches, steep descents and mud traps — all without modern technology! Now, that’s as quintessentially British as a plate of fish and chips.

A classic Jaguar C-Type Continuation of the model that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1951. (Photo: Jaguar Land Rover)

Now, what else is quintessentially British? Classic Jags, of course. Of which we were thoroughly chuffed to have a crack at driving at Goodwood. And what an exquisite fleet it was. There were delightful Jaguar Mark IIs (or Mk2s), Jaguar XJCs, Jaguar XJSes, and a 1961 Jaguar E-Type, which cemented its icon status as part of the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection in New York.

We were also thrilled to be given passenger rides in two additional exceedingly rare models: a Jaguar C-Type Continuation that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans on its first attempt in 1951 and a Jaguar D-Type Continuation that also won the iconic endurance race for three consecutive years in 1955, 1956, and 1957.

Beloved by true aficionados, the Jaguar Mark II was as much an icon in the 1960s as it is today. (Photo: Jaguar Land Rover)

Did we feel like a princess in these latter two rides? Certainly not. But as we whizzed along in these sports cars of yore so wonderfully mechanical with questionable suspension and analogue speedometers blithely fluttering away, a certain romanticism washed over us, and we found ourselves yearning for a time we had never even known.

Another icon of the ages is the 1961 Jaguar E-Type, which cemented its legendary status as part of the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection in New York. (Photo: Jaguar Land Rover)

It was a time when throwaway culture had yet to flourish into the scourge of our times, and such treasured possessions were built to last a lifetime. A time that woefully no longer exists, and that is the magic that Goodwood provides.

This story was originally published on The Peak Singapore.