MG centenary celebrations take centre stage at the 2024 Festival of Speed

Where better to start than that Central Feature? In prime position outside Goodwood House, the sculpture, designed by Gerry Judah highlights lightweight design and clever engineering as it captures the essence of the ‘Horseless to Hybrid’ theme, showing both MG’s past and future on the Festival’s unmissable landmark.

The Central Feature was the site of the MG Opening Parade on Thursday morning, kicked off by The Duke of Richmond. The Duke opened proceedings by taking to the Hill in his grandfather’s 1931 Double 12-winning MG Type C. The showstopping MG Celebration Moment followed in the afternoon, complete with fireworks and a troupe of drummers to capture the attention of all in attendance.

The Festival of Speed is all about the machines, however, and MG have a plethora on display, including the global debuts of both the Cyber GTS Concept and the new HS.

Joining them is the incredible EXE181, a concept art piece designed by a team led by Carl Gotham. It's inspired by the original MG EX181 which broke small-engine speed records in 1957 and ’59, and the land speed record in 1957 at Bonneville Salt Flats, where legendary drivers Sir Stirling Moss and Phil Hill hit a whopping 245.64mph.

Nicknamed the ‘Roaring Raindrop,’ the car showcased the power of the 1.5 litre MGA Twin Cam engine, which could produce 294PS (216kW) at 7,300rpm MG say the EXE181 “reimagines what an electric MG land speed record would look like today,” with its white and blue colouring a nod to the salt flats and the open skies as another tribute to the Moss-Hill car.

It's been a thrill to take in all of the MG happenings thus far, and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the 2024 Festival of Speed holds for the iconic British marque.

The 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed is underway, and you can watch every moment of the action on our live stream right here on GRR!

Parade photography courtesy of Peter Summers