This is the big one! One of those events that not only every Ferrari owner should attend, but every car enthusiast must attend, at least once. I’m a little disappointed to say that it will in fact be my first appearance at Goodwood FOS, but better late than never. And what better way to make my first entrance in a Ferrari 360. The tickets I had were for Thursday and Friday which (was actually rather nice as it gave me the weekend to cruise around and see some friends, it also) allowed me to experience the Moving Motor Show in addition to the famous hill climb.
This was actually the middle weekend in what has been my busiest period so far with my 360, as last weekend was my brothers wedding and that obviously meant not only was I a major player in that but so too was my car. And whilst it’s traditional for the best man to ensure the groom makes it to the wedding, there just wasn’t enough seats! It was also the first time many of my extended family were able to see her in the flesh and not as just a photograph. With my brother living only a few miles from Southampton, it made sense to leave the Ferrari at his for the few days between his wedding and the Festival of Speed.
Back to the Goodwood Festival of Speed: what a fantastic couple of days I had (despite the early morning starts)! Obviously there were many great cars and bikes—both new and old—as well as a field of planes and helicopters. What surprised me most was that it wasn’t as big as I was expecting, in terms of number of cars and trade stands, yet at the same time everything was nicely spaced out so as not to feel overcrowded. It was perhaps because of this that I actually managed to work my way around much of the site on the Thursday morning (although on this first pass all I really did was take numerous photographs and make a note of where everything was). As I continued to wonder around I slowly found some of the more tucked-away hot-spots and spent more time chatting to owners, sellers, and just about anybody else. I spent time talking with Tesla, Shell, Audi, and Porsche. I even managed to sign myself up for the Audi Off-Road Experience, in a Q5. However, after two days the most significant thing I managed to come away with was sunburn; the forecast for cloud and rain was massively wrong! That said, it was still great fun, and as I wondered through the Supercar Paddock, I found myself in awe, which as a Ferrari owner I wasn’t expecting but it just goes to show that even us regular Ferrari owners can still be greatly impressed.
As I mentioned above, the FOS was the middle weekend, and next week I am already looking forward to something a lot closer to home: an open day at local showroom, whom I actually spent a good half-hour chatting to at Goodwood. It should be a good BBQ, with a chance to meet other local owners (who I might not already met at the Ferrari Owners Club meetings in London), and watch the British Grand Prix qualifying—hopefully the weather will be good, for us all…
