Fast Car – September 2019

020 http://www.fastcar.co.uk

OUT THERE Words: Daniel Bevis Photography: Jules Truss & Daniel Bevis

Players Classic 2019

Honestly, we don’t know how those Players guys doit. Every year,

without fail, the Players Classic at Goodwood is bathed in glorious sunshine.

You might assume that’d be a gimme in June, although these days you can’t

predict anything; add in the fact that it was slashing down with rain for the

whole week leading up to the show, and it was looking distinctly iffy. But the

sun always shines on the righteous, and of course the 2019 Players Classic

was an absolute scorcher. How could it be anything else?

We always say this, but only because it’s indisputably true – this is by far

one of the best shows on the UK calendar. The ‘Classic’ name is a bit of a

curveball, as it’s not exclusively a show for older cars and retro stuff; think of

it as a combination of the Nathan Barley definition of the term (as in ‘oh my

days, you absolute classic’) and a counterpoint to the annual Players North

Weald show that, given its location at the historic Goodwood Motor Circuit,

allows for a certain focus on classic cars. There’s still a whole bunch of

modern modded rides there too – think of it as a sort of greatest hits of car

shows; a jack of all trades, but a master of all too.

This event’s been growing in stature for a while, and the move to make it

a two-day event a couple of years back means that now it’s better than ever

• the first day sees all sorts of track action and drifting shenanigans, while
  the second day is more of a chilled-out display sort of vibe. Throughout the
  weekend you’ll find the cream of modified cars from across the UK and
  beyond into Europe, with thousands of people making the pilgrimage to
  West Sussex... and lots of boys and girls now using the event as a target to
  finish and debut their fresh builds.
  Naturally we were there, slathered in factor 50 and with knotted hankies
  on our heads, and we were frankly blown away by both the variety and the
  quality of cars on show. We’ve pulled together a bunch of our favourites here


• and if you were there, you’ll know how hard it was to narrow this down!

A picture that (almost) sums up

the Players Classic ethos