That most iconic and best-loved of British cars — the Mini — celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. To help mark the occasion, the Goodwood events in the UK will have a number of Minis of all shapes and sizes at its 2009 Festival of Speed (from 3-5 July) and the Goodwood Revival (18-20 September).
Famous ex-works tarmac-burning Minis are expected to be in action on the Festival of Speed hillclimb, with John Rhodes and Richard Longman scheduled to excite Festival goers in their Coopers and 1275 GTs.
A number of ex-works BMC rally team Minis are also expected to be grappling with Goodwood’s challenging Rally Stage at the Festival, with front-wheel-drive legends such as Paddy Hopkirk and Rauno Aaltonen demonstrating their abilities between the trees. The Cartier lawn will see a number of uncommon Mini-based sports cars in a dedicated class as part of the Cartier ‘Style et Luxe’ car design competition. Mini-based rarities such as the DART, Unipower GT and Broadspeed GT Coupe will be on display.
At the Goodwood Revival in September the Mini 50th birthday celebrations will continue in nostalgic style. The St Mary’s Trophy saloon car race will be dedicated to Group 2 Mini Coopers only of a type that raced prior to 1966, when Goodwood hosted a number of Mini-only races at its motor circuit.
This special saloon car race devoted entirely to Alec Issigonis’ masterpiece will be a one-off for 2009. A full 30-car grid of 1275cc Mini Coopers will contest what is sure to be the most closely-fought race in the Revival’s history. While most of the cars will be identical Coopers, the field will also be dispersed with one or two of the Riley Elf/Wolseley Hornet variants featuring reshaped boot and front grille. The St. Mary’s Trophy continues as a two-part race staged on both Saturday and Sunday, with an aggregate result. Pairing up with the owners once again will be a host of celebrity drivers, many of whom will have raced Minis during their professional careers.
In addition to the above, a tribute parade of 50 Minis or Mini-based derivatives will lap the circuit each day during the Goodwood Revival in a birthday celebration. Unusual Minis will take to the track including ice cream vans, Wildgoose camping cars and bizarre publicity machines as well as more familiar version of the popular car, ranging from the original 1959 Austin Seven and Morris Mini Minor, through to Coopers, Hornets and Elfs, vans and pick-up trucks.
The Goodwood events take place in West Sussex, England and could provide a great activity during a British holiday in the northern hemisphere summer.
