Editorial

You know how it is, you haven’t seen a genuine Ferrari 250 GTO for a while and then two come along at once. And there’s a Bugatti Royale too, the Kellner-bodied car worth $zillion that’s considered to be the finest-proportioned of all. Needless to say, the backdrop for these automotive rarities was Goodwood House, and the occasion the launch of this year’s Festival of Speed to the world’s press.

All exciting and stirring stuff that, with bright blue skies and a brisk breeze, did a lot to clear the winter motoring cobwebs. Ferraris and Bugatti apart, the McLaren F1 looked and sounded amazing, and the Prodrive-modified Aston Martin V8 Vantage was decidedly quick, while the IROC Chevrolet Camaro Z28, with Jochen Mass at the wheel, hurt onlooker’s ears the most.

Quietly minding its business outside the House was the innovative JCB Dieselmax land speed record car. Pressures of space last week meant I was not able to mention the needle-like streamliner’s appearance in Pall Mall in celebration of the award of the Dewar Trophy from the Royal Automobile Club. Just recognition of the team’s outstanding technical achievement in the automotive world.

It was, sadly, on a flat-bed truck and not under its own 750 bhp, however at standstill it has ‘speed’ writ large, and we look forward to any possible future forays into the bio-fuel and wheel-driven record books.

Finally, one last piece of jingoism, congratulations to Lewis Hamilton on the best F1 debut since Michael took to the Spa circuit all those years ago.

A maiden win this year? Easy.

Steve Wakefield Managing Editor sw@classicdriver.com