The 7 classes of the 2026 Cartier Style et Luxe

Spezial K — Mercedes-Benz Super Stars

Perhaps the most substantial of those anniversaries is the centenary of Mercedes-Benz, and this class will showcase the very earliest years of a marque that has grown to become one of the most famous and successful of all. 

A selection of pre-war, coach-built masterpieces will be laid out on the Lawn for the indulgence of those in attendance at the Festival of Speed. Each a bespoke creation as commissioned by royalty and those at the very highest echelons of society, the cars of this class will all showcase the very best of 1920s and ‘30s craftsmanship. 

With levels of luxury to match the likes of Rolls-Royce and Bugatti, these Mercedes-Benz creations were quickly considered amongst the very best of the time, and we can’t wait to inspect them in person when they’re out on display on Goodwood’s most famous Lawn. 

Need For Swede - Koenigsegg's Hypercar Revolution

In 1994, at just 22 years of age, Christian von Koenigsegg founded his own car company in Olofström, Sweden. He spent the next two years perfecting the design of his first concept car, the CC, which appeared for the first time as a finished entity in 1996. 

The Koenigsegg CC was inspired by the two greatest cars of the time, the Ferrari F40 and the McLaren F1, and ambitiously engineered to surpass their performance benchmarks. An astonishing class of Koenigsegg creations will pay homage to that audacious philosophy on the Cartier Lawn. 

This upstart Swedish marque has come a long way in the 30 years since the arrival of the CC, and the cars on display at the 2026 Festival of Speed will showcase the rapid and game-changing development that Koenigsegg achieved, ultimately helping to shape the modern-day hypercar. 

No More Horse Play — Dawn Of The Motor Car

One hundred years prior to the birth of Koenigsegg, we embraced the dawn of motoring as we know it. In 2026, the Goodwood Festival of Speed will host a collection of the world’s earliest self-propelled vehicles on the Cartier Lawn. 

It was time when the world’s greatest and most creative engineers were pioneering brand new ideas, inventing rather than manufacturing. The era made for countless solutions to the problem of motorised transport, and many of them will be on display for us all to ponder. 

Each the product of intense trial and error, the cars in this class will be mankind’s earliest interpretations of the car, creations that changed the course of history and transformed our lives forever. 

The Long Fork To Freedom — American Choppers

Is there a vehicle more deeply embedded in American culture than the chopper? The ultimate expression of individuality that defined an era of rebellion and eccentricity. A movement that began with the modification of surplus military motorcycles in the wake of World War II, choppers were a statement for those who rode them. 

Visually distinct from all other two-wheeled machinery of the time, their long, raked forks and ‘hardtail’ frames were definitive features that shaped a global institution. The chopper name refers to the fact that these bikes all featured substantial frame modifications, having been cut and welded back together at least once. 

You’ll be able to take a closer look at that intricate engineering when a full class of chopper motorcycles is laid out on display as part of the 2026 Cartier Style et Luxe. 

Top Ghia — The Carrozzeria's Golden Age

Carrozzeria Ghia, an Italian coachbuilder famous for its work on Alfa Romeos, Fiats, Jaguars, Ferraris and more, turns 110 years old in 2026. Recognisable by the breadth of its creations most notably under the watchful eye of Luigi Segre, Ghia’s portfolio is characterised by bold proportions and striking elegance. 

To name just a few of the company’s most acclaimed designs, the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia, Fiat 8V Supersonic, De Tomaso Mangusta and Chrysler Super Dart all incorporate very different approaches while achieving the same glamourous end. 

Each featuring its own intricate details and exquisite lines, the cars that will represent Carrizzeria Ghia on the Cartier Lawn will be a treat for the eyes.  

Miura Miura On The Wall — The Fairest Of Them All

A lot has happened since 1966, and yet the Lamborghini Miura remains one of the most desirable and recognisable cars on the planet. Ever since its eye-catching debut at the Geneva Motor Show, it has been considered by many to be the archetypal supercar. 

The Miura was launched as the fastest production car in the world. It was also the first high-performance road car built with a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive configuration, something that has since become the norm for supercars. 

That, combined with Marcelo Gandini’s timeless design, makes the Miura one of the most revolutionary and celebrated cars of all time. It’s no surprise that an entire class will be dedicated to this glorious machine at the 2026 Cartier Style et Luxe, it’s going to take something special for us to avert our gaze. 

Track & Field — Sportscars Born To Race And Rally

At a time when the world’s most esteemed car manufacturers were hellbent on motorsport success, regulations across multiple disciplines required competition cars to be homologated with a set number of production models. It was an era that became defined by the homologation special, racing cars for the road that would be built in limited numbers to meet the requirements of sporting regulations. 

Whether it was rallying, sportscars or touring cars, the likes of Ferrari, Porsche, Lancia and Ford were busy producing road-going versions of their racing cars in prescribed numbers. Ferrari produced 272 288 GTOs, Porsche built 337 959s, and 207 Lancia 037 Stradales rolled off the production line. 

The Cartier Lawn will feature a class dedicated to showcasing the very best of a remarkable era that saw the production of some of the most extreme road cars all of time. These extraordinarily rare machines with astonishing race-focused technology are going to be fascinating to study up close. 

Tickets for the Festival of Speed are limited. Friday, Saturday and four-day passes are now sold out and Thursday tickets are selling fast. If you’re not already part of the GRRC, joining the Fellowship means you can save ten per cent on your 2026 tickets and grandstand passes, as well as enjoy a whole host of other on-event perks.

Images courtey of Getty Images.

Goodwood photography by Tom Shaxson.