Hasta La Ideas

Vatican Ferraris, other gorgeous mid-century cars and more at the U.K.’s biggest vintage car show

The annual vintage car show at Goodwood is so much more than that. With races, air shows, thousands dressed in period costumes and even a working ’50s-era supermarket, the event provides a playground for those in love with bygone ways of life. As the guest of Veuve Clicquot, it was hard not to also be taken with the scene, arriving in high vintage style in Pierre le Gloahec-Hénanff’s gorgeous (and appropriately champagne-colored) Jaguar E-type. The MoMA-approved aggressive bonnet and beautiful wood interior make it easy to understand why so many are such big fans of the car—Pierre’s driving (he used to race Jaguars and now spends his days at Le Petit Hôtel des Hortensias in Brittany) didn’t hurt either.

We knew we were off to a good start when stopping for gas along the way, we ran into friends of his who brought a Vatican Ferrari (the manufacturer used to give the Catholic city cars). The pair, dressed in full vestments, caused a passerby to pee her pants from laughter.

Proceeding to the plot of land known as Goodwood, we started seeing vintage planes zip across the sky. The open airspace is just one of the impressive features of Goodwood, which dates back to 1697 when the first Duke of Richmond established it as hunting grounds.

At the Revival, you have your choice of activities—shopping, eating, visiting the recreated Tesco—but we headed to the space Veuve hosts near the track to watch the races. When the vintage race cars aren’t speeding around what has been called the most beautiful track in the world, you can go check them out in the barracks.

There, you have the chance to see some of the most famous winning models, a vintage car-lovers dream. It’s tough to pick a favorite, but the 1956 Ferrari 860 Monza is definitely up there.

Of course, just a year older, the Type Ferrari 250 TR57 is stunning too.

Fast-forward to 1961 and you have Ferrari’s 250 GTO SWB “Breadvan.”

Following that year, Ferrari made this yellow-and-green 250 GTO.

But not all the stunners were Ferraris. For a futuristic vision that dates back to 1954, there’s the Mercedes Benz 1196 Streamliner.

This ’57 Aston Martin DBA1 also caught my eye.

And the blue 1951 Maserati A6GCM, as well as its little brother from 1953, are both Richmond Trophy-winners.

Bugatti’s 1947 Type 73C has the distinction of having earned a Goodwood Trophy.