Past Events
Goodwood 2005
*Caution: The content on this page reflects the cultural, social, and political norms of the time it was first published. Reader discretion is advised.
Goodwood 2005
*Caution: The content on this page reflects the cultural, social, and political norms of the time it was first published. Reader discretion is advised.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is the world’s largest and most exciting historic motorsports event.
In 2005, Honda becomes the first Japanese manufacturer to become the host car manufacturer for the event. In this role, Honda has the honor of creating a huge monument to be placed on the main stage in the center of the venue.
For the people of Europe, the birthplace of motorsports, Honda is a long-established manufacturer with a long history of racing. Honda was honored to receive a courtesy call from Lord March of England, the organizer of the event, to play the role of host car manufacturer.
2005 marks the 40th anniversary of Honda’s first F1 victory. In this special year, Honda is playing a special role in the 2005 Goodwood Festival of Speed, held from Friday, June 24 through Sunday, June 26.
About the Goodwood Festival of Speed
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is an historic motorsports event created by Lord Charles March in 1993.
The event attracts all kinds of racing machines from every corner of the world, as well as famous race riders and drivers of the past. The event is also an opportunity for visitors to enjoy countless culturally significant events, such as riders/drivers and their fully restored racing machines from a past era charging through the course at full speed.
In addition, numerous cars of significance are on auction, nearly 100 stores sell miniature cars, books, parts, and other gems are open for enthusiasts, and talk shows by some of the most famous figures in motorsports history are conducted. The Goodwood Festival of Speed is truly an event for motorsports fans that must not be missed.
With such great appeal, the event attracts around 140,000 visitors over its three-day duration, despite being a relatively young event in its 13th year, approaching the level of F1 popularity. Crowds are so large that good spots need to be secured well in advance to see the historic racing machines up close. However, it is not uncommon to find famous racers such as John Surtees or Takuma Sato standing close by. In this way, visitors have a chance to meet world-famous riders and drivers, and they can get a close-up look at the exhibited machines. Admission is 77 pounds (15,000 yen) for the three-day event, or 42 pounds (8,000 yen) for Sunday entry.
The event is held on a vast hillside in southern England owned by Lord March, an English nobleman who founded the event. The site includes the Goodwood Circuit, established in 1948 by Lord March’s grandfather and reopened in 1998 by Lord March himself, a racecourse, a golf course, a resort hotel, and a nature park.
The most spectacular part of the event is the hill-climb course (a single track running through the vast grounds), where famous racing machines from all over the world gather to race along the course. The track side is lined with straw barriers instead of modern sponge barriers, and rope stretched behind the barriers provide a close-up view of the machines as they race by.
In the 2004 edition, many famous vehicles appeared, including cars that competed in the 1849 Paris-Rouen Trial, which is said to be the origin of automobile racing. The extensive variety of vehicles included formula cars, touring cars, and even camions. Racing cars driven by Ayrton Senna, 10 years since his passing, also raced, including, of course, his Lotus Honda and McLaren Honda. Not only automobiles, but racing bikes were also very popular, with machines from Honda’s racing history were ridden by riders of yesteryear up the hill-climb track, to the delight of the large crowd.
Although the event’s main attraction is seeing the historic vehicles, modern racing machines are also on track, but with a twist: modern machines are required to perform in some way, to differentiate with the restored century-old machines that have difficulty driving along the course, let alone at speed. Last year, Takuma Sato received a huge applause from the crowd when he spun donuts in his B•A•R Honda 005 F1 car on the narrow course.
Honda as Host Car Manufacturer for 2005
Lord March pays a courtesy visit to Honda’s Aoyama headquarters
Since it became the first Japanese automaker to be invited by Lord March to participate in the motorsports event with such rich heritage in 1999, Honda enters its seventh year at the event in 2005.
This year, however, Honda is participating as the host car manufacturer. At the request of the Lord March, they were given the prestigious role of host. Furthermore, in March of the same year, Lord March paid a courtesy visit to Honda’s Aoyama headquarters in person. At that time, he also met with Honda President Takeo Fukui for a friendly chat. Lord March commented, “After all, my number one hobby is driving.”
Lord March asked Honda to host the event because the company is a “well-established” manufacturer that has made a significant impact on the hearts and minds of Europeans through its long history of motorsports activities. In fact, 2005 marks the 40th anniversary of Honda’s first victory in F1 at the Mexican Grand Prix in 1965, before racing became popular in Japan.
For Honda, it was nothing short of a blessing and an honor to be asked to play host to an event that has made European motorsports history so spectacular.
As host of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the host manufacturer has the opportunity to erect a huge monument in front of the Goodwood House, Lord March’s residence, located at the center of the venue.
The 2005 Goodwood Festival of Speed will be held from Friday, June 24 to Sunday, June 26.
