Porsche Celebrates 30 Years of the Goodwood Festival of Speed

Special Occasion

As is the case with every year, 2023 is special for a number of reasons. In the world of the automotive enthusiast, it marks the 30th anniversary of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which has grown into a compelling showcase of amazing machines brought out to the UK each year by manufacturers themselves, along with other entities. Porsche always has a major presence at Goodwood, and this year was no exception, as it went all-out to celebrate this special occasion. 

Photos: Porsche

Double Celebration

Given the fact that this year also marks the 75th anniversary of the Porsche 356 - the automaker's very first sports car - the time was certainly right to do something, well, extra special. "We're delighted that Goodwood gave us this brilliant opportunity to share our passion with enthusiasts, Porsche fans and owners here in the UK," said Krishan Bodhani, CEO, Porsche Cars Great Britain. "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, host of the Festival of Speed.

Special Array

Thus, Porsche brought out some heavy hardware to both show off and charge up Goodwood's legendary hill climb, including its very first-ever sports car - the 1948 356 No 1. It was joined by the brand new 718 Spyder RS, 911 GT3 RS, the 911 Dakar, the latest version of the mid-engined 718 GT4 RS fitted with circuit-optimised Manthey Kit, and the new Cayenne S.

Amazing Display

In addition, Porsche also brought out a host of static and immersive displays for attendees to check out, including a bespoke structure designed by London-based Gerry Judah. Made from 50 tons of steel, this amazing piece included six cars representing Porsche's 75 years - a 1951 356, the 1960 718 Formula 2, the 1990 962C, the 2009 911 type 997 Sport Classic, the 963, and the latest 911 type 992.

Porsche Experience

At the Porsche Experience stand, fans could check out the new Mission X concept, along with the debut of the Vision 357 Speedster, the 356 Art Car, a display from Porsche Classic, a Porsche shop, a café, a children’s play area, a DJ, and an exclusive parking area for members of the Porsche Club GB, as well as the "labyrinth" - a colorful realization of the Porsche 75 Years logo through which visitors could walk.

Historic Machines

Of course, Goodwood wouldn't be Goodwood without an amazing array of racers and other historic machines, and Porsche had plenty of those to show off as well. This list included the 917 driven by 1970 Le Mans winner Richard Attwood, the 935/76, 919 Hybrid, the experimental 928 "Trigema" racing version from 1983, the Cayenne Transsyberia, a 959, a 911 "Type 993" Turbo S, and a very special 911 "Type 991" which was the millionth 911 produced

Memorable Weekend

Even high winds on Saturday - which led to the first cancellation in the festival's history - couldn't stop the party, as the Porsche Heritage and Museum and Porsche Cars Great Britain PR department teamed up to bring 15 cars - and a tractor - to the media base at West Dean College, where the press were able to drive these special machines. And if that isn't the perfect way to cap off a memorable weekend, we don't know what is.

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