82nd Members Meeting | alan frost photography

Two very special cars at the 82nd Goodwood Members Meeting

There were so many wonderful cars to see that it seems inappropriate to choose just two, but I will anyway.

The first is arguably one of the finest and you could say most beautiful racing Ferraris ever built, the Dino Spider 206S.

Introduced for the 1966 racing season only 13 spider versions were manufactured – making this a very rare and valuable car, so to see one racing at Goodwood was a very special moment.

The styling is a scaled down version of the revered Ferrari 330 P3. The 206S has a Formula 1 derived 2 litre V6 engine which revs to 9,000 rpm and has a very impressive power to weight ratio, as the car tips the scales at approximately 660kg.

I make no apology for including a selection of colour images – after all a Ferrari racing car can only ever be in one colour – red.

*Garlands for the two drivers, and the scars to prove it was a tough race.*

The car took part in the Gurney Cup and won in magnificent fashion, coming from 16th place to be the first to cross the finishing line – although it did pick up some battle scars during the race when it rear-ended a Ford GT40.

You can watch the whole race by clicking on the official Goodwood video below.

Goodwood official video of the Gurney Cup at the 82nd Member’s Meeting

For more information about this car you might like to watch this short video by Max Girardo.

The 206S driven by Max Girardo of Girardo and Co

*The Ferrari Dino Spider 206S captured during the practice session.*

The second car is the John Player Special Lotus 97T. I have always loved the black and gold livery and Formula One cars of the 70’s and 80’s. But what makes this car so special is this was the very car driven to victory by Ayrton Senna at the Portuguese Grand Prix at Estoril in 1985. The Member’s Meeting coincided with the 40th anniversary of Senna’s maiden Formula One win in horrendous wet-weather conditions. He finished the race having lapped almost every other car in the field and was over a minute ahead of his nearest rival, Michele Alboreto in a Ferrari. It was a masterclass in car control; racing in conditions which today would almost certainly have stopped the race going ahead. The genius of Senna was established on that day 40 years ago.

It was a privilege for me to stand so close to this car in admiration of the not just the car but one of the all time greats, who sat behind the wheel and demonstrated his unique driving talent to the world.

*Ayrton Senna – one of the greatest racing drivers ever.*

At Goodwood the car was driven around the track by Ayrton’s nephew Bruno Senna.

Official Goodwood video of the Lotus 97T at the 82nd Member’s Meeting

Goodwood have also compiled a video of some of Senna’s greatest drives, which includes his maiden victory at Estoril. Well worth watching.

Official Goodwood video of Greatest Senna drives

If you enjoyed this entry then you might want to read my last post –

Am I a petrolhead? … capturing the spirit of the 82nd Goodwood Members Meeting

The answer to the question is quite definitely yes. Ever since I was a young boy back in the 60’s I have had a passion for cars. From playing with Corgi toy cars on the carpet, to looking forward to the next monthly car magazine. When I reached the age of 17 I couldn’t wait to pass my driving test and then having my own car. I have very little engineering or mechanical knowledge and I greatly admire those that can service and bring a set of four wheels back to life but all cars both old and new appeal to me, more so when their engines come to life and to see them on a motor circuit.

A couple of weeks ago I attended the 82nd Members Meeting at Goodwood. The Festival Speed and The Revival Meeting are world famous events and I have been very fortunate to attend many of these meetings over the years years, however the Members Meeting is a smaller event by comparison. As well as fewer people there is full access to the paddock and sections of the track which are ordinarily out of bounds.

The range of machinery both on display and racing very competitively is quite extraordinary. Enthusiastic spectators watch great car control as they speed around the fast and challenging historic Goodwood circuit. From Edwardian cars in The S.F Edge Trophy to a shoot out of GT3 cars which were raced between 2006 and 2012. There is something for everyone.

Some cars from various eras are truly works of art only to become museum pieces or stored in an air conditioned garages as the owner watches their capital value increase over the years.

Goodwood doesn’t reflect this aspect of car ownership. Cars worth many hundreds of thousands of pounds are raced nose to tail by very skilled drivers. In other words they are still being used for their original purpose and long may this be the case. I am very aware we are entering a time of electrification in the car industry but it would be sad day if these celebrations of automotive history came to an end.

From a photographic point of view there is so much to see. Here are just a selection of images which I like to think capture the feel and atmosphere of the weekend.