Ford's 100th Birthday At The Goodwood Festival Of Speed (2003)

Ford has chosen this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed to mark its Centennial, with its biggest birthday celebration outside the US.

Ford plans to fly in an exciting line-up of its most famous racing cars from around the world for the tenth annual Goodwood Festival of Speed in July, as well as showcasing many well known models from the firm’s 100 year history and unveiling the thrilling new GT for the first time in the UK.

One of the highlights of the Festival is always the central display outside Goodwood House and this year promises to be the most spectacular. Ford will create the tallest structure ever seen in front of the 300-year-old stately home on the Sussex Downs - a massive work of art depicting one of the proudest moments in Ford’s motor sport history, the 1,2,3 GT40 win at Le Mans in 1966.

Ford is hopeful that Edsel Ford, great-grandson of company founder Henry Ford, will fly over for the event in July.

The Ford Engineering Graduate Group based at the Ford technical centre at Dunton, Essex, will be designing and building Ford’s entry in Goodwood’s popular soapbox race.

The majority of competition cars at the Festival have always been Ford-powered, and this year Ford and Goodwood will be joining forces to bring some very special racing machinery to the event from the USA, Europe, and further afield.

Ford’s specially constructed infield exhibition site will feature a double stand – one showing contemporary and concept vehicles, while the other will feature 100 Years of Ford, a display of landmark vehicles from the company’s first century.

Ford will again sponsor the three giant TV screens that let Festival spectators see all the action right to the top of the hill throughout the weekend, and will provide the Festival organisers with a wide range of vehicles to help with event administration including Focus RS models which will be seen on the hill helping the Clerk of the Course’s team keep the event running to schedule.

Ford was one of the original sponsors of the first Goodwood Festival of Speed which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year.

Ford Chairman Roger Putnam said: “It is fitting that we have chosen the Goodwood Festival of speed for our biggest Centennial celebrations outside the US and I would like to congratulate Lord March and his team on the Festival of Speed’s tenth year. They have not only created a splendid event, but have managed to improve it every year.”