25 supercars to celebrate 25 years of FOS

Everyone’s favourite supercar seems to be here. From the star of 1993, the McLaren F1, through generations of Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Porsches, Astons and Jaguars to  the birth of the hypercar – all have had their place in the FOS spotlight and all are presented at the special jubilee display. 

Old names – Spyker, Invicta, Bristol, Bugatti – have been reborn at the Festival of Speed and new car companies have taken their first steps here, with the rise of companies like Koenigsegg, Pagani and McLaren. 

Under evocative FOS slogans – from Decades of Power and Viva Veloce to Peaks of Performance and Full Throttle – with their equally evocative poster artwork, the display provides a fascinating snapshot of previous festivals. The cars, the heroes – some sadly no longer with us –  and the dreams are all perfectly summed up.

At the first festival in 1993, an estimated 25,000 people turned up  to watch cars be driven quickly up the driveway of the then-Earl of March. It had been 57 years since the Earl’s grandfather, Freddie March, first held a hillclimb in front of Goodwood House. BRM V16, Maserati 250F, and Ferraris, Coopers and Brabhams all roared up the hill, with drivers including John Surtees, Ron Dennis, Roy Salvadori, Tony Brooks, David Piper and future F1 world champion Damon Hill.  

The FOS of 1993 was an instant hit and established a format that has got bigger and better every year since – here’s to the next 25 years!