For motorsport history buffs, however, the primary attraction should be all of those Mercs. "Never before in the world will so many examples of the marque have been seen in action together," says Widdows, "from the mighty Mercedes-Benz W125 through to the McLaren-Mercedes MP4."
To celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500, Widdows says, "a great collection of Indy 500 cars will be here in celebration. Bobby Unser (re-united with his Indy-winning 1981 Penske PC9B), Bobby Rahal (in his capacity as Team Principal and CEO of Jaguar Racing), and Danny Sullivan will be here too."
In an example of the kind of novelty Goodwood can create, the winner of the first Indy 500 in 1911, the Marmon Wasp, will make its first ever appearance outside America.
Widdows notes that "The distinctive black and yellow Edwardian monster is believed to be the first racing car to use a rear-view mirror after Indy winner Ray Harroun decided to compete without a riding mechanic. His rivals protested that he wouldn't be aware of cars overtaking him and so he fitted a mirror."
To celebrate Ford's centenary of racing, 25 Ford and Ford-powered legends will blast up that famous hill driveway (with hay bales separating the cars and the fans) in celebration.
Ten Ford-powered Formula One cars will spearhead the group, Widdows reports, from Lotus 49 to the current Jaguar R2. " Joining them will be a rich reminder of Ford's accomplishments on the track from Indy stars of the '60s to Le Mans heroes, and legends of TransAm and NASCAR."