Video: Mighty pre-war Grand Prix cars battle in chaotic conditions

11th June 2020

Laura Thomson

In conditions that would challenge even the most modern of cars, the 2016 Goodwood Trophy race went ahead, with a clutch of pre-war open-wheeled racers taking to the slippery tarmac of the Motor Circuit.

What began as only a slight dampness soon turned into a sodden race, and the primitive motors slipped and slid as their intrepid drivers struggled to keep them on track.

On a couple of occasions, the period-spec tyres lost grip and the vehicles performed magnificent skids, their drivers left wrestling with the uncooperative chassis. With all bar two more than 80-years-old, the unrefined cars require brute force rather than a delicate touch…