The Goodwood Festival of Speed starts its 25th anniversary edition today. Mercedes-Benz brings fabulous pieces of its history at the Silver Jubilee of the world’s biggest automotive garden party.
Every single summer since 1993, the Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place in Chichester, in the south of England, with Mercedes-Benz Classic as a regular guest of the famous event on the country estate of Duke of Richmond. To mark the special edition of the event, the brand with the star is presenting remarkable racing and record-breaking automobiles from the company’s own collection. The legendary cars will be piloted by Mercedes-Benz racing drivers and brand ambassadors Klaus Ludwig, Jochen Mass and Bernd Schneider.
One of the stars of the event will be the Mercedes-Benz T 80 from 1939. The car is being displayed for the first time since it underwent a special restoration procedure at the Mercedes-Benz Classic center. It is set in motion by an outstanding V12 aircraft engine DB 603, showcasing an insight of the technology that it was equipped with and that propels it to a breathtaking top speed of 650km/h, setting the absolute world land speed record.
The frame, restored on the basis of the original drawings, is accompanied by the cockpit with leather steering wheel, pedals, instruments and driver’s seat covered in the authentic fiber, fully preserved in original and by the wheels. The car has been a part of the permanent exhibition at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart.
The record-breaking W 125 from 1938, that hit 432.7 km/h on the autobahn between Frankfurt and Darmstadt, driven by the legendary Rudolf Caracciola, will also arrive in Goodwood, for a total of five historic Mercedes-Benz Silver Arrows present at the Festival. The Mercedes-Benz W 25 from 1934, the W 154 and the 300 SLR of 1955 will complete the list of iconic automobiles in Goodwood.
