Lord March on opening FOS 2017 in the Ford GT

“The Ford GT was at Goodwood two years ago as a concept and it’s fabulous to have it back – ever since I saw it it’s been among the cars I have most wanted to drive,” Lord March told GRR. 

At 216mph it is the fastest road car he has ever used to open the Festival. “It’s going to be fun. The Moving Motor Show is about exciting new production cars and the Ford GT really sums that up.”

But he added: “Yellow is probably not my colour.” 

With 650bhp and a sub 3.0 seconds 0-60 time, the Ford GT is a fitting hero of this year’s Moving Motor Show, a barely-changed street version of the Le Mans winner that follows in the tyre tracks of the great Ford GT40. It is the first time the GT has been seen in action in the UK. Only 500 of the sensational looking machines are being made and they all sold out long ago.

The GT – along with Ford’s other big news for FOS 2017, the all-new Fiesta at the other end of the performance scale – will be here all weekend. One of its drivers is the racer Billy Johnson who accompanied Lord March up the hill for the debut run. 

Billy – fourth in the GT at Le Mans last year – has been instrumental in the car’s development and testing. ”I have done thousands of miles in the new GT and it is a fantastic car. My advice to Lord March? Have fun!

“The street GT is the closest to the GTE Pro racing car you can get. It even has the FIA roll cage in it. But it is also a very easy car to drive on the road. One of my favourite things is the hydraulic steering. The car will understeer or oversteer if you tell it to. It is one of the best driving cars about.”

Billy, along with Ford Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell, will be taking the very yellow GT up the hill at regular intervals all weekend, as well as the new Mustang GT4 racing car.

Photography by James Lynch