18 Classic & Sports Car September 2019
GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED
PORSCHE 908/
Perhaps it’s because the
Porsche 917 has been grabbing
the headlines this year, perhaps
it’s the fact that it holds so
many stories of Sicilian roads,
perhaps it’s because of the
model I have seemingly always
had; but the Porsche 908/03 is
always a joy. Tiny beside 917s
and the 935 – despite it being
the 2.0 ‘baby’ 935! – it is a pure sports-racer that
totally encapsulates ’70s sports car racing. JPBRABHAM BT
This is where it all began for
Williams, yet most preferred
the modern cars beside. More
important, surely, than ‘Red
Five’ that was breaking records
at Bonhams (The marketplace,
p207). The talented Piers
Courage claimed second place
at Monaco in 1969 in this, the
team’s second GP start. Dark
blue with white nose fins and V8 poking subtly
out of its tail, it looks as good as it went. JPBENTLEY SPEED SIX
Making a rare outing from
Germany to join the Bentleys
that were displayed on the
Cricket Pitch was the rakish
1930 Speed Six Gurney Nutting
Weymann Sportman’s Coupé.
‘Bentley Boy’ Glen Kidston
entered this in the Rallye
Monte-Carlo but crashed it
early in Scotland. After fixing
the Speed Six, Kidston roared on, determined
to set the fastest time to the Riviera. MWVOISIN C
The Voisin centenary class in
the Cartier Style et Luxe
concours presented a
wonderful tribute to the
maverick designer. Contrasting
with the pre-war Gallic
coachbuilt marvels was Philippe
Ladure’s 1958 Biscooter
prototype. This ingenious 125cc
microcar features many brilliant
details: magnetic bonnet catch, special cylinder
head, tubular steering wheel and wicker seats.
The perfect 21st-century city transport? MWBUGATTI TYPE 53
In the search for more traction,
Bugatti built the Type 53, a
four-wheel-drive, supercharged
5-litre monster (C&SC, March
2004). Entered into the 1932
Monaco Grand Prix, big Albert
Divo gave up in practice
claiming it was undriveable and
reverted to the T51 for the
remainder of the event. The T
did, however, win La Turbie hillclimb in 1934 in
the hands of the experienced René Dreyfus but
was retired shortly afterwards. JMOUR FESTIVAL PICKS
Grand Prix, plus the Cooper T
that began the rear-engined revolu-
tion. Close by was a celebration of
125 years of road racing, where
pre-war Fiats, a Cisitalia 202 MM
and an Alfa Romeo 6C-
showcased just how rapidly car
development moved in such short
spaces of time. Dotted among were
also Ferraris such as a 308GTB,
365GTB/4, plus 250s GTO, SWB
and MM to mark 120 years of the
Tour de France Automobile.
Though most interesting was the
166MM that had nobbled its radia-
tor somewhere and somehow. A car
still to be used, it seems.
The latest products of the world’s
biggest car manufacturers took
over the usual centre fields, where
Mini created a small cobbled square
complete with John Cooper Works
Garage (shielding the 1964 Monte-
Carlo winner), sweet shop and
Austin Se7en showroom stand
amid not-so-mini BMWs. Honda
placed its original tiddly Civic back
to back with an original Insight to
show off its innovation credentials,
while Jaguar Land Rover displayed
what will be the next to carry the
flag for the Defender moniker –
albeit hidden under camouflage.
It’s busy, almost uncomfortably
so with more than 200,000 people
reportedly attending across the
weekend, and impossible to take in
fully, but traipsing round Good-
wood each year never fails to
deliver treat after treat.From top: Hotchkiss
record car had an eventful
weekend, including a spin
on the hill; Renault
unveiled the restored
‘Tank’ record car – with
Mille Miglia-winning BMW
behind; Schumacher’s
Benetton B194 with Hill