If you go down to the (Good)wood today…

Each year, around about this time, a strange edifice appears peeking over the trees near Chichester, in West Sussex. As you drive around the area, you can just catch a momentary glimpse of it; a flash of steel caught in the sunlight, a regular form against irregular foliage and the rolling downs.
It must be time for the annual Festival of Speed.

The joy that is the Goodwood Festival of Speed

The edifice in question is different every year, but never fails to strike amazement and awe in all who view it for the first time. You see at each Festival, which is held in the grounds of Goodwood House, a massive, and I do mean massive, structure is erected in front of the house to celebrate a motoring or motor sport anniversary of some sort. It is usual for a number of full-size vehicles to be attached to this structure, high, high above the ground, so that even from a short distance away one has to strain the neck muscles to gaze up at them.

I wasn’t joking!

We’ve had some amazing specimens, as well, from a row of Porsches attached to poles, swaying gently in the breeze, to a massive ‘feather’ adorned with Renaults, and one depicting the three winning Fords from the 1966 Le Mans race, complete with ‘rain’ and operating wipers. All this, I remind you, perched high up in mid-air. Every one is an engineering and artistic masterpiece.

The Le Man winning Fords

This year Audi will be the featured marque, as the renowned Ingolstadt-based company turns 100 years old. The feature outside Goodwood House to mark this occasion is claimed to be one of the most ambitious and striking sculptures ever constructed for the Festival.

Audi’s recent and historic Le Mans success will form part of the marque’s celebrations at the Festival of Speed, harmoniously linking in with this year’s Festival theme of ‘True Grit – Epic Feats of Endurance’. The Le Mans-winning Audi R10 TDI will be on show at Goodwood, as will this year’s third-placed Audi Sport Team Joest R15 TDI, fresh from its Le Mans podium position.

This wonderful Audi will be there as well

In addition to Audi’s Le Mans competition machines, other important competition cars representing the Ingolstadt marque’s successful motor sport history will be on show. These include the innovative quattro rally cars – which will be seen being put through their paces on the Goodwood Forest Rally Stage – and the legendary Grand Prix Auto Unions, forming part of a comprehensive celebration of the 75th anniversary of the pre-War Silver Arrows racers.

This car did over 200mph….

Audi is also erecting a stunning brand ‘showroom’ display in the Festival exhibition area, where a number of important new Audi models will be making there UK debut, including the A1 concept car, the A5 Cabriolet, the TT RSand the R8 V10 supercar.

And as you drive down the country lanes towards Goodwood House this weekend, look out for that magnificent piece of Audi-inspired architecture towering over the trees in the distance…

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