Luxury Maison brings its timekeeping heritage to one of the world’s most important international automotive events with a five-year partnership.

Every summer, Goodwood plays host to the internationally famous Festival of Speed Presented by Mastercard, one of the most iconic events in the British sporting and social calendar that brings together the most renowned and accomplished drivers in the world’s rarest and most spectacular machinery. This year from June 29th to July 2nd 2017, Montblanc lends its timekeeping expertise to the greatest celebration of car culture in the world today. As the Official Timing Partner of the Festival of Speed for the next five years, Montblanc will draw on its Minerva legacy and the presence of its chronographs at some of the most defining moments in 20th century automotive history.

Racing has always been closely tied to the evolution of the chronograph, and the history of competitive driving and performance timing could not exist without the other. With the technology to record elapsed time, Minerva chronographs paid witness to some of the greatest racing moments. Founded in 1858, the Minerva manufacture became an exclusive workshop where high-quality instruments for measuring brief intervals of time with remarkable precision were created. Minerva instruments became the reference in the field of horological timekeeping innovation, with numerous patents registered over the years in the domain of precision timers including the renowned “Rally Timer”, a stopwatch created to time motor racing with the utmost precision in 1960. 

With its presence at the Festival of Speed Montblanc will be putting a spotlight on the inextricable bond between exhilarating motor races and the instruments of victory that timed them with the greatest accuracy.  Furthermore, the Festival of Speed coincides with the much-anticipated market launch the new TimeWalker collection that captures the spirit and adventure of the early racing drivers seeking victory, their magnificent racing machines, and the passionate officials who meticulously timed them using Minerva’s precision instruments. These timepieces encapsulating the Minerva heritage through superb technology, masculine energy, highest performance and the design cues that evoke the glory of winning.

“Goodwood is the ultimate celebration of the traditions and achievements of automotive racing over the past century, while Montblanc’s heritage is closely tied to the chronographs used during the glory days of motor racing”, says Nicolas Baretzki, Montblanc CEO. “This partnership brings together two great traditions – one focused on pushing boundaries in the field of automotive innovation and racing, the other on innovating in the field of timekeeping performance.”

Goodwood has been the seat of the Dukes of Richmond for over three centuries and has become England’s greatest sporting estate. The tradition of the Festival of Speed goes back to the summer of 1936, when the then Duke, better known as racing driver and Brooklands winner, Freddie March, staged a private hill climb for the Lancia Car Club on the winding driven in front of Goodwood house. In the winter of 1992, his grandson, the present Earl of March, recreated that motor sport event and the following summer the Festival of Speed was born and entered the British social and sporting calendar. Today the largest and greatest celebrations of car culture in the world, the Festival of Speed, uniquely supported by the current F1 teams, attracts the most celebrated drivers to compete up Goodwood’s legendary 1.16-mile hill climb.

The theme of the Festival of Speed in 2017 is “Peaks of Performance – Motorsport’s Game-Changers”, celebrating racing machines that were so fast, powerful and complicated that the rules had to be changed to rein them in.  As a Maison driven by the pioneering spirit with many innovations of its own disrupting the status quo, Montblanc will present the ‘Game Changers’ collection of 10 cars that best epitomise disruption in motor racing from the 1920s to the present day. Each car will carry a ‘Game Changers Presented by Montblanc’ plaque detailing the magnificent history of each one of these iconic automobiles. These spectacular cars will tackle the fabled Goodwood hill climb throughout the weekend. 

In addition to its presence as the timing partner at the races providing the live results across the event trough a specific timekeeper on the starting and finishing line, Goodwood and Montblanc will launch ‘Speed and Style’, a new digital channel that will tell the Montblanc story at the Festival of Speed and feature an exclusive collection of the most exceptional cars, objects of desire that are admired and revered around the world because of their unique combination of style, speed and performance.

The partnership between Montblanc and Goodwood kicks off on April 10th 2017 and the Festival of Speed takes place at Goodwood from June 29th to July 2nd 2017.

Tickets are for the Festival of Speed are selling-out fast with Saturday and Weekend tickets now sold-out. Hospitality packages are still available across the weekend. Find out more at www.goodwood.com/tickets or by phone 01243 755055.

 (ENDS)

EDITORS’ NOTES:

The Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard will take place from 29 June to 2 July 2017.

Staged every summer since 1993, the Goodwood Festival of Speed is the world’s largest automotive garden party; set against the spectacular backdrop of Goodwood House in West Sussex, UK. Over 600 cars and motorcycles spanning the phenomenal history of motoring and motor sport take part with some of the most legendary figures from the sport as well as international celebrities regularly attending. Highlights will include the Moving Motor Show, Forest Rally Stage, Michelin Supercar Paddock, Michelin Supercar Run, F1 paddock, Drivers’ Club, GAS Arena, Cartier Style et Luxe Concours d’Elegance, Aviation Exhibition and Bonhams Auction.

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