Goodwood Softop Sunday PICS!

[Lucky]

Thought I'd plop up a quick whistle-stop tour of the last Goodwood Breakfast Club wot we went to for anyone who's interested. These shows make an excellent start to a Sunday, cos they start early and finish by midday, so you can get on with tedious family nonsense after already having had your motoring fix. And an eye-wateringly expensive coffee and bacon butty. In my case, I elected to take the family along, thus cleverly killing two birds with one stone and also giving me the perfect excuse to spend the rest of the day either sleeping on the sofa pretending to watch the telly or shutting myself in the garage pretending to work on car stuff.

Anyway, as y'all no doubt are aware, each Breakfast Club meet runs around a theme, and on this occasion it was the "Softop Sunday" for any and all cars with a non-fixed roof, from full ragtops to roadsters to targas to veterans. In no particular order, here is some highlights wot I liked;



This is a replica of an Alfa 8C 2900Aero Special. These were basically Alfa's Grand Prix car of the 30s, modified by the Scuderia Ferrari team who ran the GP effort, to have twin seats and then campaigned in road rallies, finishing 1-2-3 in the 1936 Mille Miglia. The owner/constructor of this one was a bit of a dude; not only had he done almost all the work himself, including the one-off-bodywork in converting the car from its original Lenham boat-tail roadster, but he was chilled enough to let the kids sit in it, which made their day.







Of course, give a kid a good idea and you'll tire of it long before they do. Fortunately, most of the owners here are very chilled and happy to chat about their cars, and many didn't even mind Lucky Ver 2.0 and 2.1 rushing up and pleading to sit in their cars. Thus the li'l uns got to experience the surrogate joys of Daimlers (didn't actually get a pic of them in there, much to their annoyance)...







...Frogeye Sprites...



(this Sprite is all owner-customised to feature amongst other things a Ford Zetec married to a fully sequential gearbox. Excellent thing, and apparently a better drive than his Ultima!)



...this one baffled them, though. An Audi TT with a mini electric-powered TT to accompany it! They weren't quite sure what to try to blag a go in first



....and one of my favourite Jaguars (even if it strictly speaking isn't), an SS100. Again, so much kudos to the owners for putting up with us. It's a whole different league being happy to show your car and chat about it and letting some total random strangers grubby urchins clamber about it. I mean, I don't even let my kids in my own car, lol



beautiful, beautiful cars SS100s, too. Just one of the most "right" cars proportionally of any era





The li'l man apparently also managed to blag a go in an classic Begently too, but I was off taking photos elsewhere and missed that. So, moving on from my errant offspring, how about some more cars then? The rarity of the cars in attendance wasn't always limited to great age or value; after all, when was the last time you saw one of these on the road? Just as much designed by a famous Italian carozzeria as any exotic supercar here. What a mix of motors, from li'l French hot hatches;





to sumptuous Teutonic luxury in the form of a gorgeous (and humongous) old 220SE







to Blackpool's finest widowmaker tupperware torpedo and this 350S plotting its next victim!



There were, as you'd perhaps expect, and as seems the LAW at Goodwood, plenty of Ferraris. Guess that's a side effect of the Goodwood membership, really. Some are quite pleasant, the modern plastic ones tend to be less so...although I guess if you have to have one a 458 Italia Spider isn't a terrible starting place...





...it's surprising how many of the new Californias turn up. I'm still not 100% sure about these. Nice interior though, I like the simplicity of the dash now that touchscreens seem to replace mundane and olde-worlde things like heater controls. Leather colour with a hint of Dale Winton!







Rather more to one's taste were the older cars, such as this replica 860 Monza. Ooooh, those curves!





Not the only gorgeously curvaceous replica car by some margin. How about this lovely 550 Spider Porsche?







...and on the subject of Stuttgart's finest, 911s were if anything, even more profuse than the Fezzas. Have a fat-bottomed brown Targa by way of illustration



Austin did offer convertibles back in the day, but to the best of my knowledge, they were on the more executive models and big saloons, not the diminutive A30. The complete lack of any kind of roof on this li'l car implies a home-made one off to me. One of the stand-out cars on the day, I reckon







Cobras are almost always replicas, of course, especially the ones inspired by 427-engined cars which only barely made it into double figures originally. However, there were a couple on the day that I thought might have been original cars. Mainly because they were badged as ACs



and of course, the AC Ace was a model in its own right before the world's fastest chicken farmer got hold of it, and it's nice to see ones that aren't pretending to be anything other than what they are, like this Ace parked in the public parking field



Not sure at all what the hell this is; despite the Scuderia Ferrari decals and alleged Alfa heritage it seems like the illegitimate offspring of many kit car dynasties to me. Answers on a postcard...





The original gentleman's blunderbus express, the Allard J2. Basically as little car as you can get away with to carry as much engine as you can manage





Here's something you don't see everyday...actually, that probably needs a caveat; you DO see Astons most days but they tend to be the vulgar modern ones owned by dessicated old lawyers or gelatinous young footballers... you don't see 1930 Tourers every day. Engine copper plumbing as an artform. This one is apparently called JoJo, too, which goes to show she must be a lady of quality, lol.



















From one of the oldest to one of the newest "cars" on the day... if you can call the motorised bedstead of the Ariel Atom an actual car





Beach buggies always have a place in my heart, as a child of the Seventies. If you can get some metalfalke in there, so much the better!



There's probably a good reason that most people don't convert Beetles into pickups. There MUST be a reason, I just can't seem to think of one just at the moment...





Aha, a small section of the very large Bentley that C-man manged to blag a sit in.



When editing these pics I had no idea what the hell this was. I went with Borgward judging by the badge, but the actual car baffled me since it looks half fifties Chevy, half Morris Minor. Thanks to the wonders of Retro Rides I now know it is, of course, a Renault 4CV. No, me neither



Hmmmm, another California. I like this colour, think that's why I took this one



Apparently the convertible version of the new Camaro was commemorated by serving as the pace car at Indy. But then, that's no guarantee of quality; they've used all sorts of preposterous stuff for that over the years from Cadillacs to deSoto Firedomes! I like how the rallye stripes even extend into the interior trim

[Lucky]

I think this Citroen got the date wrong last time, because it did seem rather out of place at the Supercar Sunday meet. It looked rather more at home today, and I believe was the oldest car here. Built in 1919, it wasn't road-registered until 1922. Not enough cars feature brass nowadays, I often feel...







Aforementioned Cobra replicas were out in force, as always. Here's a tuff-looking one. You wouldn't want to get your fingers in one of those fans...



Ragtop Bentley Continental features light assemblies like Swarovski jewelry.



I have to admit to a sneaking affection for these things, despite the vulgarity of the nouveau riche who seem to be attracted to them like fashion-bypassed magpies. Not quite sure why this patently non-convertible one was here, though



I suppose it's always been this way for certain cars, though. I mean, who in the day would have bought a Rolls Corniche 'vert? Yeah, exactly. Fluffy headlight wipers were just about my favourite thing I saw on the entire day







Awesome C-type is awesome. Honestly, was there ever a time when a single firm turned out so many cars with such beautiful curves as when Malcolm Sayer was sculpting Jaguars?





another one I felt the need to take a fair few pics of now. Yeah, so it's a replica but then I guess the surviving numbers of Aston Martin DB1/2 racers could probably be counted on the toes of one Norfolk flipper, so we'll excuse it for that. And just look at the damned thing; it's gorgeous!











Proof of my earlier Jaguar assertion, if it were needed, another couple of Sayer's iconic creations. The unmistakeable profile of the D-Type, complete with preposterous cockpit rear fairing fin thing. What a treat to see not one but two of them in one day!













Another of my perverse confessions of eccentric motoring affections now; I have a sneaking bit of lurrve for the humble 2CV. Leaving aside why if you need it explaining to you why this car is such an astonishing piece of engineering then you probably wouldn't understand anyway, I spent a fair few miles in my youth crammed into one of these with a lady friend who owned one, and I've had a sort of love/hate/terror relationship with them ever since. Can't remember the last time I saw one as tidy as this. Can't remember EVER seeing one as tidy as this, come to that!





Always have a bit of time for a nice Elan, and not just because of those Diana Rigg fantasies. The word iconic is often over-used when describing great cars, but in this case it probably fits. I love the one with the MX-5 sitting in the background; you can really see where Mazda were coming from when they even decided to make the rocker covers echo the Elan's famous Twin Cam. Not so much a plagiarism as almost-religious homage, maybe









And of course MX-5s have finally thrown off both the Elan's long shadow and the "hairdressers" image to become a performance choice in their own right. Especially when, as in this one painted in homage to the Le Mans-winning 787B, they have the very neat Brodie Britain Racing turbo conversion. Grey one is here because I love the wheels (albeit Rotas, I suspect) and because it shows that MX-5s also just look nice!









There are always a good number of bikes who make the pilgrimage to the Breakfast Clubs. Perhaps because it's the best way to beat the ever-increasing queues to get in as popularity grows. Anyway, when I was first harbouring a swelling and grotesque fetish for two-wheeled transport, the Moto Guzzi Le Mans was one of THE bikes to have. Yeah, compromised in many ways, not least the shaft-drive reaction. but this shape is etched into my mind (and the mind of anyone who loved the Joe Barr Team) as one of the defining motorcycle profiles





Unless you can get a long way away (which I couldn't) it's often very hard to take photos of bikes without them getting all confused and losing the overall shape. So here instead are a couple of details of a Ducati 1098; the cam-driven head that includes the marvel of engineering that is a Desomdromic valvetrain (valves are positively both opened and closed by rockers with no need for springs) and the reason for that defining rattly noise they make at the lights; the open clutch basket for the dry multi-plate





Here's another one you don't see every day. In fact, I'm not sure I remember ever seeing one before. A Bond Equipe (yeah, the same Bond who made the rather more famous Bond Bug). Based on a Triumph Herald if I remember right







Jaaaaaaaaag. Always an E-type, wherever you go



One of those small-volume garden shed specials that Britain excels at; the Evante. The firm moved from restoring Elans into making what they saw as their own improved version, based around the excellently-named VeganTune Ford Kent modified engines





Another of those vulgar modern Ferraris, a 430 Spider.



Bit of Yank nostalgia; a Ford Fairlane Sunliner (which was a posh name for "convertible", not to be confused with the epic "Skyliner" which boasted a powered metal roof that folded into the trunk under the auspices of eight hydraulic pumps and several thousand feet of electrics)





A '49 Chevy Fleetline showed off startling new paint, but I love that whoever restored it was true to the age of the car and kept things like the faded, cracked and dinged trim and hood ornament





I don't know why I took this. Maybe it was that I've never noticed that convertible Glofs have a rabbit logo... weren't they called the Rabbit in America? Maybe it was the car-bra thing.... like, really? It was in the car park rather than the show, too. Car bras. They upset me on a profound level I'm actually slightly bemused to try to explain



TVRs always make a good showing, and today was no exception. The Griffith is perhaps the defining hairy-chested beast from Blackpool, rather an unusual sight nowadays amongst more modern versions







Plenty of Big Healeys on the day; this line-up is a photographer's dream. Even someone as helpless and random as me can't fail to make a good pic out of this, lol



This one is a very high-quality conversion. I'm sure Donald himself would approve. What sets it apart is the understated quietness of it; you could walk past thinking "neat Healey there" and never notice the fact it's got 350 cubic inches of Chevy grunt stuffed into it.

[Lucky]

One of the strong points of Goodwood is that because entry is by application, the cars are vetted before the event and you really just don't see any crap motors here. I haven't taken pics of all because there are just too many, but every single car would make you look twice if you pulled up next to it at the traffic lights. With that said, even in this illustrious company there are some cars that stand out and make you go "OMG"! Usually they can be spotted by the huge crowd around them that make them bloody impossible to photograph well. Grrr. Anyway, this 1919 Hispano-Suiza H6B is one such vehicle. Whether you're into veteran classics or not, I think most people will appreciate the pioneering craftsmanship that goes into something like this even if they're blind to the beautiful artistic touches such as probably the most elegant bonnet mascot ever made. And if not then take away this thought; this car has just over a six-litre engine. And it's a six-cylinder. Think about that. Now imagine the noise it makes when fired up...













Another such car is a rare survivor from a British marque that, like so many, has been in and out of existence several times over the years. Invicta have recently been resurrected for the third time to produce the excellent S1 sports coupe (and died again, for the fourth time) but originally they were producing excellent sportsters for the gentleman enthusiast dilletante racer. They prided themselves on their flexibility; designed to accelerate to warp speed (for the day) from walking pace in top gear, they were genuinely a car you could drive to Brooklands on your day off and compete in clubman races. No feeble veneers here, either, just good old-fashioned hewn slabs of wood!











One of the weirdest examples of the aforementioned British love for cottage-industry cars has to be the Lomax. Based on a 2CV, it is a kind of Morgan-alike three-wheeled thing with the defining 2CV twin-pots sticking out either side of the nose. Odd in the extreme, not least that for part of its life at least it was produced by Mumfords (not the modern popular beat combo currently using Dexy's Midnight Runners' old costumes) who were most famous for offering convertible versions of that most sporting, capable and desirable of British icons, the Morris Marina. Weird **** is weird





And here's another piece of weird French-based weirdness. To my eternal shame, I have to confess that I googled this one. Although how the hell was I to know there was something as bizarre as the Citroën Méhari in the world? Apparently these were named after a fast-running dromedary camel used by the Armée d'Afrique and originally designed by an ex-World War II fighter pilot. It is a 2CV-based plastic-bodied SUV that like all the best and weirdest Citroëns, is brutally efficient at what it does.



Alright, enough Gallic hallucinogens then; in contrast, the original and arguably still the best; the first true SUV. The Willys Jeep is now such an expensive proposition and genuinely collectible that anyone who's seen those post-war surplus "Buy a Jeep for a dollar" adverts must be wishing for a time machine



Before the MGB was unleashed to sell zillions of cars and become the one schoolboys doodled on their books when asked to draw a sportscar, there was the MGA. Imaginative nomenclature has always been a defining feature of British car manufacturers, after all. The styling might have been slightly more... well, challenging.... than her younger sister, but it certainly sits well. This one was such a bright hue that it looks like a clever retouching job, though I assure you it really was this prominent!







Another replica, this time of a 1953 Maserati Barchetta. Apparently this is one of only two made by Auto Restorations of New Zealand. Despite the two-year construction time of the car (admittedly delayed by a couple of earthquakes during its gestation) and the 11 months it took to get it SVA approved, plus the no doubt considerable amount of money it must have cost, the owner has apparently treated it as the Maserati brothers would have wanted, competing it in events like Crystal Palace







It's nice that we can segue from that to something that pretty much defines mass production like the original MR2. I have to ignore my prejudices here, blighted by MkII ownership, and remind myself that everyone who's tried one says the original Midship Runabout is a totally different (and much better) car than the abortions that came later. Zany 80s interior is zany





There were a few vintage Rollers on the day, which I wouldn't presume to know much about but I do like looking at. Sadly, this first one was rammed with people having a nice long chat and my definitely-not-inexhaustible patience ...well, kinda ran out... so you'll have to be content with pics of the immense engine. Ludicrous carburettor is like a prop from a black and white sci-fi film





This 1934 boat-tailed tourer was slightly more accessible, though not much, and I still don't know much about it. Lol







It seems that Honda owners have a thing for superchargin which I find a bit odd because the turbo power hit would seem more in-keeping with the high revs vTec kicked in y0 nature of their power delivery. However, when they're as neatly installed as this centrifugal setup by TTS, they're a fairly compelling argument. In fact, so much so I completely failed to get any exterior shots of the car. But then, you all know what a HAhhhhna Two Thouuuusahhhhnd looks like





Rivalling the earlier convertible Camaro, just as has been the case for around six decades now, was this natty Mustang. Tuned and kitted by Saleen, it's interesting to compare the two. To me, the Chevy still looks like a performance car whereas the 'Stang looks more like a boulevard cruiser. Also, the Mustang betrays its Ford origins very badly with the nasty, cheap-looking and plasticky interior, whereas the nacelled clockset of the Camaro looks a far nicer place to be sitting behind







If it were me, though, out of the two I'd take this one;



because the only thing better than an open-top Yank V8 is an open-top Brit V12. Probably it'd even seem like an economy bargain compared to my FD too, lol. Anyway, moving on. This must be a pretty rare model, I don't know that I've ever seen a convertible Scimitar before



This is another rare beastie, even amongst Lamborghinis. Apparently only thirty-odd are thought to still exist. The Silhouette was only made for three years in the 70s, based on a Urraco platform with a targa roof and aluminium transverse v8, it was hardly a common thing even in its day. Epic rear wheels gave me severe trouser damage











As I've mentioned before, such is the quality of the entrance ticket that even wandering around the parking fields can yield some incredible cars. For example, the lovely old SL pagoda ragtop we parked besides...



...and one of my top three cars of the day, a Bristol 403 just sat basking in the grass. I absolutely love these cars, from the smoooooooooth aerodynamic shape to the lovely wood and upholstery and most of all, the wonderful art deco clockset









and speaking of smoooooooth curves, the unmistakeable shape of a Speedster leaving the scene;



Bonus SS100 looks just as right in black as the earlier red one



This next car splits my own opinion rather, dunno about the general public. One thing that always upsets me is people putting the wrong marque badges on their car; it's kinda like wearing a tour t-shirt from a concert you weren't at or pretending you always supported a football team even when they were shite. And to be honest, a Smart Crossblade is probably enough of a wacky and attention-grabbing thing in it's own right that it ought to be celebrated for what it is rather than plastered in fake Ferrari badges. Stop it. It's wrong







And just to prove that modern cars really are rubbish, I present you with the Chevrolet SS-R. I try to find something positive to say about every car, but some just defeat even the best of intentions. A crossover SUV-pickup-convertible thing, it is so ugly that ... actually, it's so ugly that words fail me. I like to think I've a fairly decent vocabulary but there actually isn't anything in the English language to put into words the effect this monstrosity has on me. Face like a plasterer's radio. Hideous

[Lucky]

Alvis ...errm...Alvises? Alvii? errrr... have always had a reputation for amazing levels of engineering prowess, and the fit and finish on this TD21 drophead certainly seemed to back this rep up. Just look at the delicate curlicue in the boot handle, for example. They could have just used a British Leyland standard pushbutton but they decided to figure in a Rene Macintosh-quality artform instead





Couple more British badges now. First up, is it just me or does anyone else have the problem when seeing this that they have Philip Glenister's voice in their head shouting "a Stag! It's a STAG!"



and a Tiger. Grrrr!



There were a whole heap of Bugatti Teal replicas wedged over out of the way by the fence. Seemed a very civilised affair with thermos and sandwiches



The exit road is a good place to stand and watch the cars leave, you get to see plenty you missed or didn't have time to get to. The last couple of meetings the display has been parked right along the circuit, out way past the Super Shell building onto the Lavant Straight. Last time I made the trek out there but many of the cars had packed up and gone already, and this time I was a bit hampered by the kids too, so I didn't bother. Loitering by the exit gates is the next best thing, plus all the considerate drivers give it the beans through the tunnel for a bit of aural gratification, too. Here's a couple of rods (although the '32 manifestly isn't a softop)





This was great to see, this TR3 drove up with the guy's son in his kiddie seat beside the proud parent. It was heartwarming to hear the next generation of petrolhead as the dad asked if they should go and get a bacon sandwich and the lad replied he wanted to go and look at the cars first. Good lad!





and as befits a celebration of open-top motoring in the UK, there were other examples of Standards' finest around too





In many ways the Trans Am is a caricature of itself, but as I've said before, you have to respect Pontiac for sticking with the brutal musclecar ethos long after all the other big American marques had thrown in the towel. Yeah, it might be the absolute epitome of eighties cheese, but at least it's a big cheese, lol. This one is a tenth anniversary model with unique chicken decal







Of course, the Trans Am may now have a lengthy and occasionally glorious heritage, but one American marque can trump all others... in fact is now the longest-running sportscar on the planet. Funny really! The C2 second generation of the Corvette is maybe the most enduring aesthetically, helped no doubt by the beautiful split-window coupe version. Of course, this being softop day, we have here a couple of 'verts for your appreciation and delight









We saw a lovely sporting Aston earlier, so I suppose we ought to remind ourselves that they're still in the game today. Hmmm. I wonder what made the owner of this V12 Vantage specify this particular colour out of the entire pallette on offer? Funky LED lights are cool though



Rather nicer was the arrival, fashionably late, of a DB6 Volante, complete with the little Lady of the Manor in the poshest kiddie seat you'll ever see! Superb car, really lovely.







More TVR lunacy in the shape of a rather nice Tuscan. I always liked Tuscans, and not just because they have a giant willy sculpted into the bonnet. And as any schoolkid will tell you, willies are funny. They just are





More bike stuff. This, believe it or not, is what we used to call a Cossack bike back in the day. It is genuinely a Russian bike,made by Ural Moto and derived from war capture based around the WWII-era BMW R75 flat-twins that were a mainstay of the Wehrmacht's donkeywork. Yeah, it's a 70-year old design still in production today. Ahhh, those crazy, fun-loving Germans, eh? always going around predicting the future. Cool dog treats the sidecar as his own personal kingdom and doesn't like anyone getting too near to it, lol





This big, wide, fat custom certainly had some presence as well as a lot of one-off touches. I like the world's tiniest mirrors, the streetfighter levers and the used .357 Magnum cartridges adorning bars, rests and fuel caps







I spent a while trunking around this Z8 trying to discover the hidden flap that holds the guided missiles, but disappointingly I couldn't find any. But they must be there, right? That's the only possible reason for MI6 selling out all our national heritage by giving our spy gadget contract to the enemy? Lol. Nice li'l coupe though, innit, even if they were ridiculously overpriced when new.







OK, as regular readers of these threads will know, my old Granny insists I should always end on a song. And the song for this week is NIИ's "Closer". Ahhhhh.... probably not safe for work then, that one...

Errrm, maybe just go out on a high then. Mine's a Purple Om, cheers. While we're digesting that, maybe have a look at this daft thing



yeah, in all honesty whether you think supercars are an irrelevant piece of ego-fellating tinsel to assuage the pointlessness of the academically rich, or a breathtaking expression of the dizzying heights to which humans can push their engineering prowess... or somewhere in between... you can't help but take a few minutes to poke around a Pagani Zonda S Roadster should one present you with the opportunity. My personal feeling on Zondas is that I love the shock and awe they pack into every inch, although overall I find the shape slightly disquieting and this is only exacerbated by the roof being cut off. But they are undeniably an amazing thing, if not exactly outright beauty. Incredible car; sounds awe-inspiring, looks amazing, goes like yo momma. What's not to like? And for your gazillion dollars, you even get little Pagani logos machined into the wheelnuts. In fact, you get Pagani logos machined into almost everything. Just on the chance that by some miracle there is a member of the audience who just returned from two decades on the International Space Station and hasn't heard of one before...



















that's it then from me, until the next time. Cheers for looking in as always!

Now, go away

[re japi]

Great pics and cars Thanks for sharing

[A7RXY]

dibs

[spirit r]

Lucky (our Photo junkie) you think about the thermal stress on your digital camera

Thomas

[KiwiDave]

That Chev SS-R What an abortion of a thing!! You can kinda see where they are going with it, harking back to the whole yesteryear thing but it's all so tasteless and wrong. The Japanese did the 'it's old but new' thing as a fad thing in the 90's ... even their worst attempt was better than that.

Cool pics by the way Nik.

[codge]

Thanks Nik. Fab car shots as always.

[ian65]

Car porn