The early days of Breakfast Club | Axon’s Automotive Anorak

As I was due to begin working at Goodwood less than a month after that first meeting, so I took the opportunity to drive down to West Sussex, giving my shiny new Saab 9-3 Aero Convertible company car one of its last airings. When I arrived at the Motor Circuit to check out this exciting new initiative, I was greeted by a smallish (by today’s standards) group of fellow enthusiasts with an impressive and varied selection of cars and motorcycles, none of which complied to any particular theme, as the first few Breakfast Clubs catered for all-comers.

By the time the second Breakfast Club meeting took place in June I had been part of the Goodwood team for five days, so saw the event from a different perspective.  As the Motorsport Communications manager, part of my new role was to help promote this free new event to motoring enthusiasts, and before long I was more actively involved in helping to shape the regular first Sunday Breakfast Club meetings, choosing the themes and selecting the vehicles for each gathering, as well as reporting on the highlights.

Predictably, over time word spread and the monthly gatherings grew into something of a large but friendly giant. This ultimately necessitated the need to control and restrict the number of suitable themed vehicles permitted to park up on site.

In time, I appointed a knowledgeable and diplomatic car and bike enthusiast to stand at entrance and politely select which vehicles could be permitted entry into the event and park up on the grid, with other visiting enthusiasts arriving in less ‘interesting’ or theme-appropriate machines invited to conveniently park up just over the road to walk in to the event.

Thankfully, disrespectful and discourteous owners were very rare exceptions. The vast majority of participants and spectators are pleased to enjoy an interesting and pleasurable free morning out, admiring a huge variety of vehicles and chatting with their proud and enthusiastic owners and get a taste of motorsport at Goodwood.

 This thriving Breakfast Club community is connected by a shared passion for motoring culture, frequently with the opportunity to see and admire a rare and priceless road-going machinery. Over the previous decades, a wealth of Breakfast Club experience has proven which event themes are always popular, Super Sunday being a prime example.

In this 20^th anniversary year, Super Sunday will return on 31^st May, so be sure to get in early for your free entry into this crowd-pleasing event. Ahead of this however, Sunday 3^rd May will see the first event of 2026 focus on the year’s landmark occasion. The 20^th Anniversary Breakfast Club kicks off the festivities the unique twist: the theme was selected via a public vote. The winners of that vote was the Italian and Vee Power themes, and a celebration of the '90s, Hot Hatches, Soft Tops and Japanese icons.

Tickets are now available for this particularly special Sunday gathering, which is also supporting the Aldingbourne Trust, so make sure to grabs yours now. 

The other remaining events for the 2026 Breakfast Club season will include the GRRC Sunday on 26^th July, a morning devoted to the Members and Fellows of the Goodwood Road Racing Club with the wonderfully varied taste of the Members making for a collection of cars and bikes on show one of the most intriguing of the year.

It can turn out unexpected delights that make this an unmissable occasion, so if you haven’t already, now’s the time to sign up to the Fellowship and ensure your spot at this exclusive event.

Sunday 2^nd August closes out this 20^th anniversary Breakfast Club year with Classic Sunday, a morning dedicated to vehicles registered before 1^st January 1986. Some of the most significant and beloved cars take to the forefront on this Sunday morning at an event that has grown year on year.

So, 20 years on, the Goodwood Breakfast Club remains the original and best of all the now many Sunday morning vehicle get togethers. I look forward to seeing you at one so that you can join in the fun.

To find out more about registering your car for display at Breakfast Club, click here. Car registration will close six weeks before each event.

All attendees require a pre-booked entry ticket, which is free of charge. Sign up for ticket alerts so you don’t miss when tickets become available.

Main image courtesy of Getty Images.