In the 1950s, sportscar racing was as popular as the very best of the single-seater action. Race fans simply loved the works entries from Aston Martin, Ferrari, Jaguar and Maserati, and this is a celebration of the cars that contested the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1960.
SEP 07th 2016
Revival Revealed – Sussex Trophy
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Goodwood hosted the final round of the World Championship in both 1958 and 1959 and alongside the factory thoroughbreds were purpose-built racers from small constructors, including Lister and Tojeiro, usually powered with engines from Jaguar if from this side of the Pond, and V8s from Chevrolet if from the United States.
However, it was Aston Martin that took the honours in four-hour races in both 1958 and 1959, with Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks first to the flag in 1958, albeit being too far behind Ferrari on points to prevent their Italian rivals from winning the title.
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In 1959, Moss won again, once more in a DBR1, this time partnered by Jack Fairman and Carroll Shelby. The British marque’s win was enough to give them the title by two points ahead of Ferrari and Porsche. It’s always intriguing which cars from the past are afforded the honour of legendary status, and Jaguar’s victories in the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1955, 1956 and 1957 with the dorsal-finned D-type are sure to have brought extra fans through Goodwood’s gates.
Aston Martin fans will no doubt vote for the DBR1 – also a Le Mans winner before the decade was out. For sportscar fans who attended races at Goodwood in period, their memories are just as likely to be filled with images of brutish Listers, as campaigned by popular British hero Archie Scott Brown.
Photography by Adam Beresford and Jochen Van Cauwenberge.
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