The 5 coolest cars in the RAC TT Celebration

Jaguar E-type lightweight ‘low drag’ coupe

An increase in pace was the aim of the Jaguar E-type’s ‘low drag’ makeover. The improved grace was merely a by-product. The Coventry firm had already devised the lightweight version of its 1960s sportscar, its deleted bumpers and sound deadening making it better suited to motor racing. In the pursuit of greater performance, Malcolm Sayer penned the low drag bodywork to help the car slip through the air better. And it worked: drag is reduced by 16 per cent when compared to a conventional E-type roadster fitted with a hardtop.

Only twelve cars were converted with low drag bodywork, and Gary Pearson’s car – which he will co-drive with Romain Dumas during the 2024 RAC TT Celebration – was the only car to be reconfigured at Browns Lane. Owner and German Jaguar importer Peter Lindner commissioned the conversion, and at the same time a George Buck six-branch exhaust manifold upped power to 340bhp. '4868 WK' subsequently became the only E-type to be fitted with a 200mph speedometer.

The tweaks weren’t to play out as hoped at the Le Mans 24 Hours, the German driver being forced to retire. Tragically he was killed a few weeks later in an accident at the Montlhéry 1,000km race. The car was impounded by French authorities for many years. On its release, it was rebuilt using as much of the original bodywork as possible. It is, therefore, one of the more storied cars on the grid this weekend.

Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray

Let’s be honest, the Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray makes this list on looks alone. It could have a single-cylinder engine from a Honda C90 and it would still make this list thanks to its appearance. Thankfully, there’s an all-American V8 under the long bonnet so owner-driver Craig Davies and his professional co-driver Darren Turner won’t be left floundering in the RAC TT Celebration field.

The C2 Corvette was introduced in 1962 and enjoyed a five-year production life. As is the way with American cars, it received annual updates. By the time this 1965 example came off the production line the distinctive split rear window of the earlier cars had been dropped (in aid of rearward visibility) and various mechanical improvements had been incorporated. Better brakes and steering were accompanied by, for the first time, the option of a big block V8 engine. The Davies Sting Ray is one of two on the grid at the 2024 Goodwood Revival.

Bizzarrini 5300 GT

Sometimes good things come from less than ideal circumstances. It was a falling out between Giotto Bizzarrini and his then-boss Enzo Ferrari that led him to leave his employer and set up on his own. He had an ambition to put his name on the motorsport map, and persuaded local industrialist Renzo Rivolti to assist him with his lofty ambition. The result? The Iso Grifo A3C, which was renamed Bizzarrini 5300 GT after the partners went their separate ways.

With its Chevrolet V8 engine mounted far behind the front axle line and its clean but aggressive Giorgetto Giugiaro-penned lines, the 5300 GT was a thinly-veiled racing car for the road. In fact, in Corsa trim (as opposed to Strada and America) it was a racing car. At the 1965 Le Mans 24 Hours, the Bizzarrini won its class and set the fastest top speed on the Mulsanne Straight. After its success on track, it was driven back home to Livorno, Italy, by Giotto Bizzarrini.

The Italian machine will be adding to the chorus of American V8s at the Goodwood Revival, driven by James Thorpe and Matt Neal.

AC Cobra

There are no fewer than nine AC Cobras (and one Shelby) on the entry list for the RAC TT Celebration at the 2024 Goodwood Revival, so we had to pick one for this list. The one that made the cut may not necessarily be the fastest, but is arguably the most visually arresting thanks to its one-off snakeskin livery. Many assume that it’s not a period livery, so it’s a chance to put it on the record again: this is how the car looked when it raced in the 1960s. The bulk of the car’s racing was completed in 1965 when it competed in Sports Car Club of America events. 

These days the car is owned by Bobby Verdon-Roe who bought the car in 2022 in order to make his return to racing at Revival after a hiatus of several years. At 2024’s fixture, he’ll be sharing the car with Andre Lotterer. 

Cheetah

It’s a story of unfulfilled potential. The Cheetah was Chevrolet’s bid to topple the all-conquering Cobra, but when FIA regulations changed, calling for 1,000 road cars, rather than 100, for homologation, Chevrolet lost its nerve and pulled the plug. At the time, the corporation was reeling from the publication of Ralph Nader’s book, Unsafe at Any Speed. Only around ten of the Bill Thomas-conceived Cheetah were built, and Duncan Pittaway’s example, which he’ll be sharing with Abbie Eaton in the RAC TT Celebration, was the first.

Having been underdeveloped in period, the Cheetah has occasionally wayward handling that Pittaway is on a mission to tame. As it slides and yaws its way around Goodwood, its distinctive appearance means it cuts a unique dash. The tiny overhangs, rearward cabin, exaggerated rear wheelarches and tiny, wide-set headlights all conspire to make the Cheetah look unlike anything else in the field.