Last year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed was certainly a memorable one. The 25th anniversary of the famous car gathering event focused on some of the most influential, game-changing cars in motorsport. It also hosted a special gathering of 70 Ferraris to commemorate the company's 70th anniversary. For the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed, there will be a similar theme as the event will commemorate the 70th anniversary of Porsche’s first ever sports car, the iconic 356.
For the third time, several Porsche’s will adorn the world-famous Central Feature sculpture in front of the Goodwood house for the event. Porsche previously celebrated the company’s 50th anniversary at Goodwood in 1998, as well as the 50th anniversary of the 911 at the 2013 Festival of Speed. This year’s sculpture has yet to be revealed, but we expect it will be a tribute to the 1948 Porsche 356. To commemorate the manufacturer’s 70th anniversary, a “never-before-seen” parade of Porsche cars spanning seven decades will tackle the famous Goodwood Hillclimb, in what should be an incredible spectacle for Porsche fans.
“Porsche has been one of our most loyal and enthusiastic partners, supporting the Festival of Speed since 1995, and the Revival since 2010,” said The Duke of Richmond and Gordon. “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." Among the historic Porsche cars that will feature at this year’s Festival of Speed include some of Porsche’s Le Mans-winning 917s and modern-day GT cars, as well as examples from Formula One, IndyCar and rallying, in addition to many road-going models.
There will also be “models that provide a glimpse into the future” on display. Current production models will also feature at the Michelin Supercar Run. Last year, the Porsche 911 GT2 RS debuted at the 2017 Festival of Speed. “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,” commented Alexander Pollich, Managing Director of Porsche Cars Great Britain. “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.” The 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed kicks off on July 12 through to July 15.
