The 6 most beautiful cars to see at the 2023 Goodwood Revival | GRR
The Goodwood Revival approaches once again, as we ready ourselves for another celebration of Goodwood's golden era of motorsport from 1948 to 1966. And what could such a gathering of cars be all about if not beauty? Great racing, great drivers and great atmosphere of course. But we have all that to come. Here, we want to celebrate some of the more stunning examples of car design you can expect to see, and highlight a select few beautiful cars not to miss at Revival 2023.
1. Bizzarrini P538
We open with a proper rarity, the Bizzarrini P538. With those telltale nostrils, it couldn't be anything other than a child of Giotto. Just three were built in period, but this is one of just two that remain. A Lamborghini V12 and Chevrolet V8 were used in these cars, with one taking to Le Mans in 1966. You'll see one in action at Revival 2023 in the Whitsun Trophy, battling hordes of Ford GT40s, Lola T70s and McLaren M1s.
2. Ferrari 330 GTO
The GTO body style's Bizzarrini-honed beauty goes without saying, but even on a grid of Colombo V12-powered perfection at this year’s Revival, the 330 GTO is unique. Less than five were built, specifically for a special class of big-banger racers for long-distance competition at the likes of Le Mans, the Targa Florio, Nürburgring and Sebring. It quite unbelievably makes the very similar 250 GTO look a little common. Hear its howl in among a symphony of 250s, with their 3.0-litre V12 engines, racing in the Lavant Cup presented by Sky Cinema. A rarified sight the likes of which we may never catch again.
3. Maserati 250F
One of the most iconic F1 cars of all time is one often seen racing in front-engined classes at historic events the world over, most notably at Goodwood and the Monaco Historic. That makes it no less special to see this beauty race, with its straight-six engine singing through an intestinal exhaust that snakes from the block down the side of its panel-beaten bodywork. A legend it may be, but these cars get raced hard. You’ll see it pushed to the limit at Goodwood in the Richmond & Gordon Trophies.
4. Ferrari 246 SP
Another rare Ferrari that’ll be an utter delight to see in attendance and racing at the Goodwood Revival is the 246 SP. This has a very special place in the history of Ferrari, being the first sportscar to come out of Maranello with its engine sat amidships. Powered by the Jano V6 that saw recent use in F1, the 246 SP was a light, lithe sportscar that saw success right from the off, leading its first race for three hours and only missing out on the win due to an incident. It took victory quite happily at the 1961 Targa Florio and again in 1962. Count a full six decades later and Ferrari has channelled its talents in its first V6-engined road car, the 296 GTB.
5. Jaguar E-type Lightweight
There’s no getting away from it. It might be the most obvious choice, but ask anyone and they’ll tell you, an E-type has to be up there as one of the most beautiful cars ever made. So how could we leave one out of this list? If you ask us, they look even better in wider-set ‘Semi-Lightweight’ spec, up on their tiptoes on the way through Madgwick, which you’ll be able to catch during the Revival’s premier race: the RAC TT Celebration.
6. Porsche 911
The 911 on the other hand isn’t often lauded as an objective beauty, but when you have a grid of 1964 and 1965 originals singing around Goodwood, it’s hard not to marvel at their grace. That’s what we’ll be doing when 30 of them battle it out at the Revival in the Fordwater Trophy, driven by a list of drivers that includes Mark Webber. When you really look at the early 911, you discover its curves are underrated. Massaging the Beetle into something so pretty has to be the work of artisanal hands.
Image credits: Bizzarrini P538: MrWalkr, Ferrari 330 GTO: Nick Dungan, Maserati 250F: James Lynch, Jaguar E-type: Nick Wilkinson, Ferrari 246 SP & Porsche 911: Motorsport Images.