Hidden in plain sight: the greatest show at Goodwood Revival

Focused on the thrill of the funfair dominating the Over the Road area, the classic car parks of the Revival Car Show are often overlooked by visitors who are arriving on public transport, taxis or modern cars. Once you are Over the Road, it’s merely a scan of your ticket and a two-minute walk away.

Unlike the main event, deliciously rich with noise and the scent of fuel, the Revival Car Show provides two calm display areas. Pre-’66 caters for motors registered before 31^st December 1965, while Tax Exempt hosts classics registered from 1966 up to January 1^st 1977.

The rows of gleaming classics further than the eye can see offer a tantalising step back in time to when British models dominated car markets across the globe. A car show aficionado might quibble they’ve seen it all before, but recent years have brought out the creme de la creme of classics, including many vehicles where the remaining examples are down to double or even single digits.

For the motoring enthusiast who prefers overseas offerings, there are plenty of courageous motorists who drive their classics over from Europe for this annual gathering. In previous years there have been lesser-spotted Panhards, a Delage, and a handful of pre-war Peugeots which have braved the miles and inclement weather to be at the event.

Harking back to Britain’s golden age of motoring, we’ve also seen the Pre-'66 offer up cars which haven’t been commonplace on the roads of Britain for many decades. Pre-war Humbers have sat proudly alongside Morgans, sleek Triumph sportscars and early Minis.

For those with a taste in finer motoring, there is usually a keen gathering of Aston Martins, Rolls-Royces and Bentleys, all nestled in amongst the everyday classics of yesteryear.

Although parked slightly further back, you would be foolish to overlook the Tax Exempt area, representing the dawn of a new age of motoring, where foreign marques challenged the self-assured confidence of British manufacturers and new names start to take dominance.

We’ve enjoyed brilliant line ups of Rootes group motors including Sunbeams, Singers and Hillmans, a quality handful of names which were regrettably lost in the Chrysler buyout. It is in this car park where you’ll see the rise of Ford, while Japanese marques such as Datsun have begun to appear as the tax-exempt band widens.

The past couple of years have also offered ‘what is that?’ moments with kit cars such as the Rochdale Olympic making an appearance. There have been all sorts of ‘flash in the pan’ names such as Frisky-Meadows appearing, which is why it’s so exciting to visit the car park; it’s almost impossible to leave without spotting something you’ve not seen before.

Put simply, there are so many classics on display it rivals the biggest classic car shows in the country. As you gently peruse the vehicles, the atmosphere created by visitors in their vintage finery provides a time travelling experience which cannot be rivalled, turning what was once a ‘car park’ into a motoring spectacle which has arrived by perfect accident.

So, at this year’s Revival carve a bit of time in your busy day to step away from the main event and slip into the slow lane at the Revival Car Show. Whether it’s a walk down memory lane or a golden opportunity to inspire the younger generations within your party, this magical trip back in time is simply unmissable.

Saturday tickets and 3-Day passes for the Goodwood Revival have now sold out, and Friday and Sunday tickets are limited. 

If you’re not already part of the GRRC, you can sign up to the Fellowship today and save ten per cent on your 2026 tickets and grandstand passes, as well as enjoying a whole host of other on-event perks.