Now in its eleventh year; this event continues to attract unrivalled global attendance from major manufacturers and collectors alike. With exhibits from 33 eminent private collections and cars flown from Australia and the USA this 3 day, all ticket event is a must for any motorsport enthusiast. Every key discipline – F1, Indycar, NASCAR, GT, Touring Cars, Rallying and Drag Racing was respresented as Goodwood ‘04 celebrated 75 years of the Monaco Grand Prix, Ayrton Senna’s dominant decade, 60 years of oval racing and 25 years of the Paris-Dakar Rally.

This year's featured manufacturer was Rolls Royce – celebrating its centenary; it had a display of 60 cars charting the marque’s history from the legendary Silver Ghost’s AX201 and the “Sluggard” through John Lennon’s psychedelic Phantom 5, to the current design prototypes. ”High in the Sky” their contribution to endeavours on land, sea and air was marked by a 3-veined superstructure, attached to which were a Supermarine S6B seaplane, Malcolm Campbell’s Bluebird hydroplane and a replica of Campbell’s Bluebird Land Speed Record car –and as their current road car is manufactured in a factory adjacent to Goodwood’s racing circuit it was a very fitting display.

With 148,000 visitors over the 3 days, people-flow in the grounds of the estate has become a primary concern to organiser Lord March and his team - the new bridge over the hillclimb course’s main straight was a definite improvement, but sadly the excellent Dunhill sponsored art gallery had a poor location at the rear of the House and lacked “foot fall”.

The three established paddocks located either side of the House were split by the entrants of the Cartier "Style et Luxe" Concours. Traditionally this has been a disappointment with a confusing, yet eclectic entry – not so in 2004! The 40 car entry had something for everyone - David Cottingham’s ex-Bill Harrah Ferrari 250 TDF (my vote), Franco Meiner’s Costin-bodied 450 Maserati and FOC Chairman Jack Sears's ex-Forest Lycett Bentley 8 litre were superb entries; however the car that attracted the most attention was the WWI Austrian troop carrier, the Praga - superbly restored it provided a weekend talking point. As the concours is about aesthetics and design rather than condition, the surprise overall winner was Gino Macaluso’s Bizzarini Stradale.

The adjacent supercar display was justifiably a world showroom with current production examples from every manufacturer with the Maserati MC12 (resplendent in “Camoradi” colours and driven by their new CEO Martin Leach) making its UK public debut alongside the ungainly Bristol Fighter and the tasteless Spyker C8. From Ferrari UK came a 612 Scaglietti and an Enzo was demonstrated by historic racer Juan Barazi.

With only 20% of the entry making timed climbs of the 1.2 mile hill the on-track activity is about demonstration rather than outright speed. Someone hadn’t shared this with two of historic motorsport’s hardest chargers: Shell Historic Challenge regular Peter Hardman (in Harry Leventis’s Ferrari P3) and Stoke-on-Trent’s very own “young charger” Justin Law, traded fastest time throughout the weekend with a well deserved victory going to the latter on his last climb in the Jaguar XJR12.

As ever, the Ferrari enthusiast was well catered for – alongside Peter Hardman was Floridian Paul Pappalardo (250GTO), Paul Vestey (250 California) and Chip Connor (Competizione Daytona) whilst regular “Corse Clienti” demonstrators Michael Cullen (F399) and Jonathan Ciener (F187) were joined by Colin McRae (Prodrive 550 Maranello), Scuderia test driver Luca Badoer (F2002) and Frank Mountain’s ex Schumacher F200 - driven on the final day by former Formula 1 World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi. Highlight of the entire weekend for many was Jacques Villenueve’s poignant demonstration of Nick Mason’s Ferrari T3 – a car that was raced in period by Gilles and fittingly, for one demonstration, Jacques wore his father’s helmet.

Five of the current teams in F1 stopped off between Montreal and Magny Cours to have some fun in the Sussex countryside – Williams, McLaren, Ferrari, Toyota and Renault shared the limelight with “smokiest burn-out 2004” going to Williams test driver Antonio Pizzonia. A fitting tribute to Renault’s innovation of the turbocharged F1 engine saw Jean Pierre Jabouille (RE1) and Rene Arnoux (RE30) ascend the hill line-astern.

The well attended Bonhams Auction had something for everyone – an Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 restoration project (£32,775), Arrows FA12 F1 (£41,650), Ferrari 365GTC/4 Coupe (£33,350) and the star lot, the ex-Colonel Giles/Stafford East Bugatti 57TT( £430,500) – the latter selling for nearly three times its estimate. Of equal interest were consignments from the late George Milligen’s collection to be sold at September’s Revival Meeting, which will include an extremely rare and original 1929 Mercedes SSK – watch out for the hammer price, it's likely to run into the millions!!

Celebrating 25 yrs of the Paris-Dakar Rally was a selection of some of the most successful vehicles and bikes to undertake this unique event – demonstrating his versatility, Colin McRae was behind the wheel of his ’04 spec Nissan Patrol GR, multiple class winner Dutchman Jan de Rooy, his 2003 winning 800hp DAF truck and former rally champion and now European MEP, Ari Vatanen’s Peugeot 405T16. Le Mans legend Jackie Ickx and his daughter Vanina each drove a Porsche 959 and former bike courier and Motocross enduro Champion Patsy Quick rode her KTM – using more grass than tarmac.

With a power output of nearly 1500 bhp (in qualifying) the Porsche 917T remains the fastest sports racer of all time and a pretty good bet for the most powerful vehicle at Goodwood this year!.........Nope! Lord March and his selection team like to do things a little differently; hence from the US came 5 “Fuel Altered” dragsters from the 1930s. Running 597 cu. inch V8’s with 2000+ bhp and burning nitro-methanol these were undoubtedly a highlight. With attendant fire crews spraying water on the track surface at designated points; “Pure Heaven and “Pure Hell” along with “Nanook” the "Bradford Special" and “Rat Trap” shook the ground whilst completing burn-outs to the crowd’s delight.

The popularity of the Festival can be seen from the number of famous drivers past and present who relish the opportunity to be reunited with their original charges; this year the Dunhill Drivers' Club welcomed amongst others, Emerson Fittipaldi, Sir Jack Brabham, Sir Stirling Moss, Alan Jones, Phil Hill, Jacques Villeneuve, John Surtees, Damon Hill, Jenson Button, Jochen Mass, Ricardo Patrese, Allan McNish, Jacky Ickx, Derek Bell, Cristiano da Matta, Vic Elford, Brian Redman, Juha Kankkunen, Ari Vatanen and Colin McRae – all of whom helped to make this years Festival of Speed a memorable event.

John Surtees was re-united with the sole-surviving Ferrari 158	Lord March drove the ex-Laffite Ligier JS11	Franco Meiners's Maserati 450S Costin	1954 Fiat Turbina prototipo