Goodwood | 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.

*Sunday 7.45am – Start/Finish straight before the day’s racing begins*

*No need to be reminded where these photographs were taken*

*Detail of a vintage Bentley badge and radiator grill*

*The Arundell Cup winners’ garland – the 1962 Cooper-Ford* *T59*

For more information and a video about the Porsche 997 at the Members Meeting – click here.

*John Player Special Lotus 97T Formula One car which was driven by the late great Ayrton Senna*

*Gordon Murray Automotive T.50s Niki Lauda*

*The Gordon Murray Automotive commissioned Cosworth 3,994cc* *V12 engine for the T. 50s which red lines at an astonishing 12,100 rpm.*

For more information about Gordon Murray Automotive – click here.

*Waiting for the race to start – the S.F Edge Trophy for Edwardian cars*

*Porsche GT3 R Hybrid from the Intelligence Performance division*

*3.5 litre Jaguar XK120 roadster from 1954*

Click here for more information about the background to the above car.

*Often seen racing at Goodwood the Aston Martin DB4GT ‘lightweight’ driven by four-time Indycar Champion Dario Franchitt*i

Below are links to some other events I have photographed at Goodwood in previous years.

Bugatti Type 35 at the 81st Goodwood Members Meeting

Car details in mono at The Goodwood Revival

Goodwood Revival – the cars and the people

The Silver Arrows at the Goodwood Revival Meeting

Bugatti Type 35 at the 81st Goodwood Members Meeting

Goodwood Motor Circuit was the setting for The 81st Members Meeting which took place over the weekend of the 13th and 14th April 2024. I arrived early, partly to avoid the queues for the car park but principally to capture some scenes without too many people around. There is so much to see and photograph at any Goodwood Motorsport event but the first area I wanted to check out was the paddock. I was soon drawn to one particular area where there was a very fine collection of Bugatti Type 35s on display to celebrate the car’s 100th Anniversary.

The Type 35 which was launched in 1924, was designed by Ettore Bugatti. It was built for racing and was significantly ahead of its rivals at the time. So much so that it became arguably the most successful race car of all time with 2,500 victories and podium finishes over more than 10 years of competition.

Bugatti adopted a lightweight and agile design in the car with a 1,991cc engine which was later enlarged to 2,262cc. Many of its competitors where considerably larger and heavier cars, powered by huge engines.

To any car enthusiast or petrol-head its shape and design are instantly recognizable. From the iconic grill and Bugatti badge, to the distinctive wheels and open cockpit, it would be hard to mistake the car for any other.

I spent a good deal of time looking around, observing the fine details and finding different angles from which to take these images. In total there were 18 Type 35s which later in the day competed in the Grover Williams Trophy. At the bottom of this page there is a link to the race itself on YouTube.

For more information about the history of the Type 35 there are two excellent articles on The Bugatti website.

Bugatti Type 35 – Perfection through Evolution

Bugatti Type 35 – The Making of a Champion

I hope you enjoy the gallery of images below.

Car details in mono at The Goodwood Revival

This selection of six images were taken at The Goodwood Revival earlier this month. I am fortunate to have been to this event on numerous occasions, but in the past the photographs I have taken of these stunning racing cars have largely been from a trackside position and panning with a long lens. Countless images of this type must be taken every year and whilst some can make good action shots, I wanted to get much closer, capturing the wonderful detail and craftsmanship of these fine machines.

In all these shots I have used a wide aperture, giving me a shallow depth of field. The eye is drawn to one particular detail, and whilst other elements are out of focus, they are still important to the overall composition. The conversion to monochrome and the use of high contrast impart a graphic feel and I would like to think the outcome is a more artistic approach to the making of the image. After all these great cars are works of art in their own right and need to be appreciated for their flowing lines, hand crafted detailing, all mixed in with a feeling of raw power.

I have done something differently in this entry by using all six thumbnails to create the featured image. Whether this works or not, I don’t know but the idea is to whet the appetite, and encourage readers to view the whole entry. However to really appreciate each shot, you need to click on a picture to see a larger version, which will open in a new window.

More people at the Goodwood Revival

A couple of days ago I posted an entry with the first selection of people shots taken last weekend at the Goodwood Revival. You can read that post by clicking here.

This second set includes another eight images which I hope you will enjoy. They all try and capture something of the party atmosphere which descends upon Goodwood Motor Circuit every September.

The girls from St Trinian’s School were very much in evidence this year. Originally a cartoon strip created by Ronald Searle in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s, he wrote a number of books and in the 1950’s some films were made which featured Alastair Sim (in drag) cast as the headmistress. Great fun.

A more serious moment as two ‘cleaning ladies’ listen to The Earl of March making a presentation to David Brabham the youngest son of the late great Sir Jack Brabham. A picture of the presentation can be seen below.

All over the motor circuit, stalls and shops authentically replicate the feel and times of the post war era. This shot below of ‘The Old Bicycle Company’ was typical of what can be seen.

Ladies don’t often wear hats these days, so there is always the concern as to whether or not it’s still in place and hasn’t shifted in the breeze.

Another ‘underground’ shot, this time of a young lady framed by two film posters – ‘North by Northwest’ by Alfred Hitchcock and ‘Jailhouse Rock’ starring the one and only Elvis Presley.

An England football fan tries to take my photograph with her old camera, while I try and take a picture of her and her friend, with mine. Somehow I think she forgot to load any film but you never can be sure!

I have written about the Goodwood Revival on previous occasions and there are links below if you are interested.

2012

The Silver Arrows at the Goodwood Revival Meeting

The Characters of the Goodwood Revival Meeting

Goodwood Revival Meeting – the last entry

2014

Goodwood Revival – the cars and the people

2016

People at the Goodwood Revival

There is also a Gallery page featuring the Goodwood Revival, and you can see that page by clicking here.

Do click on any of the images in this post to see a larger version which will open in a new window.