Goodwood focus for Porsche 70th 13 | 02 | 2018
PORSCHE WILL CELEBRATE its 70th anniversary by partnering up with this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, which runs from July 12-15. The celebrations will focus on Porsche’s first-ever production car, the 356. (Related: New £5m Peter Vardy Porsche Centre for Perth)
Porsche cars will adorn the world-renowned Central Feature for the third time in the manufacturer’s long relationship with Goodwood.
Previously the German marque has celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1998 (pictured immediately below) and the 50th anniversary of the legendary 911 in 2013 (bottom) at Goodwood. This year’s Festival will showcase the full range of Porsche’s achievements in a dedicated batch on the Goodwood Hillclimb, with other examples of the marque's rich heritage also displayed around the sell-out event site. (Related: Scots group opens classic site)
Announcing the 2018 partnership, Charles Gordon-Lennox, the Duke of Richmond, the Earl of March, owner of Goodwood House and founder of the Festival of Speed, said: “This year Porsche will become the first manufacturer to create the central display at the Festival for the third time, underlining the huge contribution from this iconic manufacturer of world-beating racing cars and road cars.
“Porsche has been one of our most loyal and enthusiastic partners, supporting the Festival of Speed since 1995, and the Revival since 2010.”
The news was also welcomed by Alexander Pollich, managing director of Porsche Cars Great Britain,.
“We thought long and hard about how best to celebrate the 70th anniversary of our sports car, and how we could share this with enthusiasts, Porsche fans and owners here in the UK,” Pollich said.
“The Goodwood Festival of Speed will be the perfect setting – allowing the cars that, over seven decades, have made Porsche so unique and so special, to be seen, and heard, in action. Watching a 917 twitch and weave its way past the flint wall is a highlight that I’m very much looking forward to this July.”
With over 100 class wins to its name, including an unprecedented 19 overall victories, Porsche is best known for its successes at the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race, but its pedigree runs much deeper and across all disciplines of the sport.
Alongside a strong GT and Prototype contingent, Goodwood will pay tribute to Porsche’s many successes, with examples on display from its history in Formula One, IndyCar and rallying, in addition to a number of road-going models.
The Festival is renowned for attracting the rarest and most exciting road and race cars and bikes ever created and the 2018 running of the event will be no different. A never- before-seen parade of Porsche cars that have helped define and guide the company's vision over the years – be it on circuits or road cars – will feature in action on the Goodwood Hillclimb alongside static exhibits and the incredible Porsche Experience Centre. “
Porsche road cars and will be joined by models that provide a glimpse into the future. Visitors will be able to enjoy an exhilarating ride in the all-new Cayenne as well as race cars virtually via simulators.
Related: New Porsche 911 Carrera T
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Jim McGill