
Gearing up for Goodwood

Adorning the centre of our stand will be our latest publication, Lotus 18 – the autobiography of Stirling Moss’s ‘912’ by Ian Wagstaff. The thrilling story of the 1961 Monaco Grand Prix, which the great driver won at a canter with no side panels, is told in exquisite detail, together with its many other races and life as a collectors’ prize. We could not have wished for a better subject to take our acclaimed series into double figures. If you’re visiting the show, we look forward to meeting you!
As we prepare for what is always a fun weekend, however, we must spare a thought for the head of the Goodwood estate, who founded the Revival in 1998. Charles March became the 11th Duke of Richmond and Gordon last Friday upon the death of his father, assuming a title that was created when Charles II conferred the dukedom on one of his six illegitimate sons, by his French mistress Louise de Keroualle. The 10 dukes have together made Goodwood one of the most historically interesting, beautiful and thriving country estates in Britain. The oldest existing rules of cricket were drawn up for a match between the 2nd Duke and a neighbour, Mr Brodrick, in 1727; the 3rd Duke founded the Royal Ordnance Survey and features in George Stubbs’s painting The Charlton Hunt, commemorating the great run of 57 miles in 1739; the 4th Duke was one of the original backers of Thomas Lord of Lord’s cricket ground; and the red and gold of the MCC have been the ducal racing colours since 1801. The late duke was responsible for reviving the estate’s horse-racing tradition in founding Glorious Goodwood, high on the South Downs behind the house, and it was his father, the 9th duke, who introduced the motor-racing element. A Bentley mechanic and successful racing driver, the 9th Duke turned a Second World War airfield into a motor circuit, laying the foundation for the Festival of Speed and Revival. The new Duke of Richmond is a scion of an illustrious family, and as his grounds fill with classic cars and skilled drivers this weekend, we can be thankful that this wonderful venue is in such good hands.
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