Rolls-Royce was one of several luxury marques exhibiting at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Image credit: Rolls-Royce
Luxury automakers, ranging from British icons Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin to upstarts such as McLaren, made their presence known at the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed in an effort to reach motor enthusiasts.
The 26th annual Festival of Speed, considered the world’s largest automotive garden party, welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors from July 4 to 7 to Goodwood House. This year’s theme was “Speed Kings – Motorsport’s Record Breakers,” while automakers looked to the past and future for their Goodwood celebrations.
“Luxury automakers routinely participate in events centered around art, yachting and other categories of interest to the affluent,” said Chris Ramey, president of Affluent Insights, Palm Beach, FL. “The Festival of Speed is their event to own and to teach the love of motoring.”
Racing ahead
The festival was officially opened by the Duke of Richmond, who drove a prototype of the Land Rover Defender up Goodwood Hill.
While the Defender silhouette was apparent, the test vehicle remains wrapped in a camouflage pattern, as it is scheduled to be fully unveiled later this year (see story).
The Land Rover Defender at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Image credit: Goodwood
Britain’s McLaren premiered its GT at Goodwood, as the model took part in Supercar runs alongside the automaker’s 720S Spider, 600LT Spider, P1, Senna and new Senna GTR. The GT and Lego McLaren Senna (see story) were among the vehicles exhibited at the event’s McLaren House.
McLaren also hosted discussions with its STEM ambassadors, adding an educational element to its Goodwood efforts. The representatives spoke to students and parents about careers at McLaren involving science and engineering.
German automaker BMW teased upcoming models at Goodwood, with the United Kingdom debut of two high-performance cars, the BMW M8 Competition and BMW X4 M Competition.
Three BMW cars – the V12 LMR, M3 E30 and a 1940 328 Mille Miglia Touring Coupé – also participated in Goodwood’s hill climb.
German automaker Audi similarly focused on its high-performance models, as it unveiled its R8 LMS GT2 at Goodwood. The fourth model from Audi Sport is now available for orders, and is priced at 338,000 euros, or $379,253 at current exchange.
The McLaren GT made its debut at Goodwood. Image credit: McLaren
Britain’s Rolls-Royce Motor Cars displayed a Phantom and Cullinan at Goodwood, alongside the automaker’s Black Badge vehicles. This included a red Starlight Headliner, in its global debut, and a dark green Wraith Black Badge.
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of its first race at Goodwood Motor Circuit, British automaker Aston Martin showcased six unique Vantages from its bespoke service, each inspired by notable cars from the marque’s history. Only 60 “Vantage Heritage Racing Editions” will be made, and customers will be able to choose out of the six designs for their sports cars.
Automotive evolution
Although automakers focus on performance and speed at Goodwood, the participants are also ramping up investments supporting electrification.
BMW is keeping driving enthusiasts in mind as it continues to invest in an electrified future.
As automakers increasingly incorporate more electrified and automated features into vehicles, this can dilute the driving experience, particularly for those who enjoy driving sports cars. Through its BMW Vision M Next concept, the marque aims to introduce new innovations for its high-performance vehicles without sacrificing the thrill in the driver’s seat (see story).
Jaguar Land Rover is showing its commitment to the United Kingdom with plans to produce a new series of electric vehicles at its Castle Bromwich plant.
The company is bringing together all elements of electric production in the U.K., including battery creation, electric drive units and vehicle manufacturing. Jaguar Land Rover plans to launch electrified options for all of its models by 2020, looking towards battery-powered cars as the future of driving (see story).
“Manufacturers are increasingly using Goodwood to celebrate their brand, as well as to introduce new products,” Mr. Ramey said. “Luxury marketers understand the paradox between standing out at a large event and serving best affluent clients with a private experience.”