Past Events
Goodwood 2005
Goodwood 2005
Goodwood Festival of Speed and Honda
“Honda is our longest-standing partner.” As Lord March, organizer of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, has said, Honda is the longest continuous participant in the event among Japanese automakers. Here is the background on how Honda became involved in the Festival of Speed.
Honda, mainly through its U.K. base Honda UK, had participated in the first Goodwood Festival of Speed in 1993. It brought in around 10 NSXs, which had already won high acclaim around the world, and had them driven by local British journalists, as well as exhibiting a booth to introduce Honda. However, the Festival of Speed is an event where historic machines are the main attraction, and the NSXs were brought to the event for only two years, until 1994.
In Japan at the time, Honda opened the Honda Collection Hall, which collects and restores Honda products from the past, at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan (completed in March 1998 at the now Twin Ring Motegi), In addition to exhibiting past Honda products, the Honda Collection Hall was also vigorously preparing for the “50th Anniversary Thank You Festa” event (held in October 1998), in which racing machines from the past would be brought back to life.
A Honda UK associate learned of these developments, and informed Lord March that Honda was working to run historic machines and introduced him to Nobuhiko Kawamoto, then president of Honda, who was a true fan of motor sports.
Since the first appearance in 1999, the Honda booth has been the only exhibit with a red carpet, attracting the attention of spectators.
Kawamoto was such a motorsports enthusiast that he raced historic machines in private. Sir March and Kawamoto developed a rapport in no time, and agreed to Honda becoming the first Japanese automaker to participate fully in the Festival of Speed.
“We're going all out [participating in the event] starting in 1999!” So Kawamoto declared to the Honda Collection Hall staff. Yoshihiko Aoyama, then director of the hall, was worried that the cars would successfully run again, but responded to Kawamoto’s call, saying, “We'd love to do it.”
Racing machines are basically made to last as long as the races they participate in. Even starting the engine of a race car or bike from decades back is a huge challenge. The Honda Collection Hall staff’s goal for the 50th anniversary event was to reproduce the exhaust sound, or “Honda music,” as it was called. And, to make that Honda music resound at the Festival of Speed.
After successful completion of the 50th anniversary event, the Honda Collection Hall staff sent the racing machines by air cargo to the United Kingdom after further restoration work. Upon arrival, however, they found that most of the metal parts had rusted due to condensation caused by the sudden changes in altitude. Their first Festival of Speed was hectic, due to their lack of experience.
Even on the day of the event, the staff was still struggling to figure out what to do. The officials who volunteered to participate in the event were very kind and took care of the Honda staff. While they frantically prepared for the event, a spectator called out:
“Welcome back, Honda!”
This was unexpected, and moved the hearts of the staff. The phrase “Welcome back” was testament to Honda’s long history of participation in European motorsports. And, although it was only one motorsports fan, it could not have said without affection for Honda. That, was what moved the staff.
Demonstration of the RC149's exhaust sound. The high-pitched Honda music was loud, but the applause that followed was just as thunderous.
When staff were warming up the engines amidst the crowd at the Honda booth where the machines were lined up, they would rev the engines to play the Honda music, and suddenly cut the throttle, to the delight of the crowd who were enjoying the sound of real engines, without covering their ears. Suddenly, there was silence. The crowd, some with big smiles on their faces, while others looked on in amazement, all burst into applause.
Honda’s exhaust sound has a special, high-pitched tone that is unique among the many famous marques in the world, which can be heard both near and far on the racing track. This is what people called Honda music. Since the first participation in 1999, people applauding the sound of an engine applause for the exhaust note is said to be unique to the Honda booth. This fact is a testament to Honda’s passion for motorsports.
Honda’s racing machines and distinctive exhaust sound have been a part of the European motorsports scene since the Isle of Man TT race in 1959 and F1 in 1964, and they will remain in the hearts of European motorsports fans. It is a natural part of European motorsports history that Honda was invited to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and has been welcomed by the fans.
