Beautiful ’60s sportscars at the 2023 Revival | Sussex Trophy

10th September 2023

Adam Wilkins

Is the Sussex Trophy the most underrated race of the Goodwood Revival? Beautiful cars from a magical period of sportscar racing with a field of cars made up of Lotuses, Listers, Ferraris, Maseratis, Coopers Jaguars and more. It also helps that it takes place at a time of day when the sun is low enough to glisten quite spectacularly off of the sleek bodywork of these gorgeous cars.

The 25-minute sprint sees all manner of late 1950s and early ’60s sportscars fighting wheel to wheel, and the racing is always close. The entry list for 2023’s Sussex Trophy features no fewer than nine Lotus 15s and a range of Lister-Jaguars in Knobbly, Flat Iron and Costin forms. There’s also the Maserati Birdcage with its wonderfully intricate tubular chassis and Cooper Type 49 Monacos. And there many more cars besides, meaning that every spectator will find a car to get behind.

The race itself was an entertaining affair, with plenty of on track battles, particularly when it came to the fight for the lead. We had a brave move around the outside of St. Mary’s by Oliver Bryant in his Lotus 15, and an equally audacious but altogether less successful lunge into Woodcote by Julian Mazjub in his Sadler Mk2.

There is one downside to the Sussex Trophy, however, it more often signals that we are coming to the end of the Goodwood Revival. It’s a sad realisation, but when the racing is this good, we can overlook it.