What is the Glover Trophy?

This is a race that brings together a field of high-revving 1.5-litre Formula 1 cars that raced between 1961-65, tributing the rich heritage of the Glover Trophy that was awarded in period.

The original Glover Trophy ran every year at the Goodwood Motor Circuit from 1950 to 1963. It’s named after D.M. Glover of United Lubricants, who sponsored the prize money for the contest. The £500 fund was split between the top six finishers, with £200 for the winner. That was significantly higher than any other prize money at the time and secured 40 entries, plus eight reserves for the first Glover Trophy, the biggest Formula 3 race of its time.

In its later incarnations, the Glover Trophy evolved into a non-Championship Formula 1 race. Roy Salvadori was the first winner of this new version in 1955, with competition coming from Stirling Moss among others. Over the years, the Glover Trophy entry list was a who’s who of drivers, with Graham Hill, Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart all competing.

The 1962 running of the Glover Trophy was notable for all the wrong reasons, as it was that Easter weekend that Stirling Moss suffered the crash in his Lotus that ended his career. A year later, the final Glover Trophy was run with Innes Ireland taking the win.

The Glover Trophy returned to the Motor Circuit for the first Goodwood Revival in 1998 and has been contested ever since. Drivers battle it out in Formula 1 cars from the likes of Brabham, Lotus and Cooper, just like in the original editions.

These ‘Swiss watch’ machines are the definition of less is more. Being so small, light and nimble, they reward deft driving which results in some close and competitive battles on track. You can almost get two abreast through the chicane, too, as competitors go flat out with the hope of lifting the same trophy as world famous drivers of the 1950s and ’60s.

A golden era of Formula 1 is reborn with the Glover Trophy; it’s always dazzling to see these beautiful cars display their speed and agility.

Photography by Jayson Fong, Toby Whales and Tom Shaxson.

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