The 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed featured a wide range of spectacular racing and movie cars, including the iconic Mustang driven by Steve McQueen in the Warner Bros classic “Bullitt.”
The 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390ci, which had been lost to history for decades until the beginning of this year, makes its first appearance outside of the U.S. at the famous annual event. It ran on the 1.16-mile Goodwood Hillclimb course driven by owner Sean Kiernan. Alongside McQueen’s steed was the brand new 2019 special edition Ford Mustang Bullitt that celebrates the 50th anniversary of the classic film.
“Nothing captured the spirit and excitement of Mustang quite like that amazing car chase in ‘Bullitt’,” said Steven Armstrong, group vice president and president, Europe Middle East and Africa, Ford Motor Company. “We’ve been honored to work with Sean and his family to bring an absolute icon of motoring history to Goodwood, where we know it will be appreciated by an audience that, like Steve McQueen, has petrol in its veins.”
In addition, another very special Mustang ran during the event that is pays tribute to the U.S. volunteer pilots who flew combat missions over Europe from nearby British airfields, prior to the U.S. entering World War II. Created by Ford Performance and Vaughn Gittin Jr., the Eagle Squadron Mustang GT features a 700-horsepower Ford 5.0-litre V8 with a Ford Performance supercharger, and an RTR carbon-fiber wide-body kit one-off, fighter aircraft-inspired livery.
The ultra-high-performance Ford GT supercar returned to Goodwood driven by Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Team World Endurance Championship drivers Andy Priaulx and Harry Tincknell.
The M-Sport Ford Fiesta WRC car made its Goodwood debut on the Hillclimb and Forest Rally Stage, demonstrated by M-Sport Ford World Rally Team drivers Sebastien Ogier and Elfyn Evans.
Also Ford related, the three-story Ford Performance Stand offered one of the finest views of the Goodwood festival, taking in both Goodwood House and the action on the track.
Visitors to the Stand were able to channel their inner McQueen by recreating the iconic actor’s famous lean in a personalized movie poster and get behind the wheel to star in a 60-second trailer in The Movie Studio.
Celebrating Ford’s partnership with the Team Sky elite cycling team, Ford also is hosted the Team Sky Skills Trackstand Challenge, a standing-stop balance competition.