Can you believe it? It’s the week of the 78th Goodwood Members’ Meeting. We don’t know whether to say “finally” or “already?” because we’re not long out from the Revival in September... Regardless, it’s here and we’re excited, so it’s time to start talking cars. Here are some touring cars to look out for at the Members’ Meeting.
Starting with the Alfa Romeo Alfasud, Alfa’s Giugiaro-penned family hatch that pre-dated the Golf. In the Gerry Marshall Trophy this car will see racing action once again after something of a hiatus. Its story is fairly spectacular, having been built up for racing in 1981 from a five-year-old road car with 90,000 miles by its owner. Every bit the grassroots racer and not to be missed.
On the other end of the scale to the 1.3-litre Alfasud yet inexplicably on the same grid, because Group 1, is this monster Chevrolet Camaro Z28. Unlike the Alfa, we’ve seen it in action many times at Goodwood and as always, it will promise to be one of the very loudest cars on the grid. Not alone in bringing the V8 thunder, though, for these Camaros are legion in the Gerry Marshall Trophy.
Unlike the BMW 530i in the spectacular UFO Jeans livery, as ever to be expertly driven by Goodwood legend Nick Padmore. Unlike Camaros, of which there are four in the Gerry Marshall Trophy, this singing BMW is alone, not just on the grid but as a BMW at the entire event. There’s nothing quite like that straight-six and needless to say, Padmore knows how to pedal it.
In a sea of Fords, this Plymouth Barracuda will stand out to say the least. Especially if it goes on a date with the Chicane wall as it did at the Revival in 2019… A thundering V8 doesn’t make it unique to the Pierpoint Cup grid but Duncan Pittaway at the wheel does. He’s a hotshoe and willing to push, as the Revival incident demonstrates…
The Mercury Comet Cylone is another standout in a crowd of Fords in the Pierpoint Cup on its own. Nevermind the fact that Le Mans legend and Goodwood favourite Emanuele Pirro will be the man to escort it around the Motor Circuit, alongside owner Roger Wills. It absolutely dwarfs the Mustangs, is about on par with the Falcons but is slimmer than the Galaxies, so with Pirro at the wheel, it could be the compromise to topple the Blue Oval.
Enough Ford bashing because we do love them, especially the Datapost Fiestas that made their Goodwood debut a couple of years ago. And it’s o-so good to see them back, especially sharing grid space with Mr Mustang himself, Bill Shepherd, in a Boss Mustang. Just Gerry Marshall Trophy things… Anyway, the good thing about the Fiesta isn’t that it’s unique, it’s that there’s a pair of them. Don’t miss these white, blue and orange wonders in the Gerry Marshall Trophy.
Don't forget, if you're a GRRC member or Fellow you can watch the whole of the 78th Members' Meeting right here, for free, on GRR.
Nick Dungan, Jayson Fong, Drew Gibson, Steve Tarrant and Motorsport Images.
List
78MM
Members Meeting
Ford
Fiesta
Chevrolet
Camaro
Alfa Romeo
Alfasud
BMW
5 Series
Mercury
Plymouth
Barracuda
Gerry Marshall Trophy
Pierpoint Cup