It seems like The Festival of Speed was only yesterday, and already the next iteration of Lord March's is on the horizon, with only eight weeks to go until the 20th Goodwood Revival Meet, taking place between September the 8th to September 10th, time to step into your pre 66' finery and enter the halcyon days.
As a highlight of this years event, a tribute to Ecurie Ecosse the legendary Scottish racing team will be performed daily on the race track.
Now we are no stranger to Ecurie Ecosse, earlier this year we got up close and personal with the Clive Beechams Jaguar D Type at the City Concours - the most original of its kind, famed for racing in the 24 hour Le Mans. Over the course of the 1950s and 1960s, David Murrays Edinburgh based team massed a huge amount of success.
This year Goodwood Revival celebrates the Ecurie Ecosse success by exhibiting and racing many of there single seater race cars and sports car, taking to the track celebrating the much loved and prestigious Ecurie Ecosse.
David Murray, motorsport enthusiast and businessman founded Ecurie Ecosse in the 1950's, and there success soon spread. The team was distinctively known by each Jaguar D Type wearing blue metallic paint with a flag displayed on there cars, and at the end of 1951 ran Cooper and Connaught machinery in no less than 3 British Grand Prix events held at Silverstone for himself, Ian Stewart, Jimmy Stewart (The brother of three-time World Champion Jackie Stewart) and Leslie Thorne.
Most famously towards the latter half of the 1950's Ecurie Ecosse hit the international headlines when in Le Mans 24 Hour they took back to back victories its Jaguar D-Types, driven by Ron Flockhart, Ivor Bueb and Ninian Sanderson, leaving there rivals astonished. Three of the 11 original D-types which ran at Le Mans were by Ecurie Ecosse, now, be prepared as they will return once again, driving in formation, taking a lap of the Goodwood Circuit. Returning to the glory days and adding an element of nostalgia for some as they are reunited just as they were in 1956-‘5. This is sure to capture the attention of any classic car and Jaguar enthusiast.
A host of other Ecurie Ecosse vehices are set to appear at Revival this year these include:-
· Lea Francis-engined Connaught A-type F1
· Jaguar-engined Tojeiro (raced at Le Mans in 1959)
· Cooper-Monaco (entered for the French enduro in the early 1960s)
· Austin-Healey Sprite
· Tojeiro EE-Buick
These are just some of the highlightsand there is plenty more being unveiled!
Brief run down of the weekends schedule:-
On the Friday and Sunday a whole host of cars will take to the Goodwood Circuit for high speed runs.
On Saturday Ecurie Ecosse will feature a parade of cars, to a Pipe-band accompaniment - many of the original team will be involved and present on race day including:-
88-year-old works and Ecurie Ecosse mechanic Ron Gaudion
The fabulous Selby Howgate-design and finally the Falkirk-built double-decker Commer transporter used by Ecurie Ecosse in period will also be in attendance to wow the crowds.