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Festival of Speed tribute to Sir Stirling Moss

The legendary Sir Stirling Moss, who passed away at Easter 2020, will be commemorated at Goodwood’s headline motorsport events in 2021. It was at the Goodwood Motor Circuit that Moss took part in, and won, his very first motor race, on 18 September, 1948, a day after his 19th birthday.

In the years that followed, Moss contested 56 races at Goodwood, winning 21 of them and finishing on the podium a further 13 times.

Goodwood was the scene of four of Moss’ seven Tourist Trophy victories; two for Ferrari and two for Aston Martin, including clinching the British marque’s world championship title in 1959. Tragically, it was also the scene of his career-ending accident on 23 April, 1962. 

One of the founding patrons of the Festival of Speed, and a regular competitor at the Revival, it’s little wonder that Moss became a favourite of the fans, who christened him ‘Mr Goodwood’. Given his racing record – winning in almost everything he drove – it is fitting that Moss should be remembered at the 2021 Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, the theme for which is ‘The Maestros – Motorsport’s Great All-Rounders’. 

This weekend marks the anniversary of the 1955 Mille Miglia, which Moss won with the invaluable help of co-driver Denis ‘Jenks’ Jenkinson. The daring duo completed the epic 1000-mile race in 10 hours, 7 minutes and 48 seconds, at an average speed of 99mph – a record which will stand in perpetuity.

Honouring this achievement at the Festival of Speed, Mercedes-Benz will be displaying the fearsome 300SLR ‘722’ in which the pair competed, and which is rarely seen outside the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart. Mercedes-Benz will also be bringing a W196 Formula 1 car of the type Moss used to win his first Grand Prix, at Aintree in 1955.

The Goodwood Revival in September will host perhaps the largest ever gathering of Moss’ competition cars, celebrating his life and career in a way that sadly wasn’t possible in 2020. Returning for the parade will be ‘722’ in what will be one of its last public outings for many years. Assembling on the track with it will be the Lotus 18 in which Moss defeated the mighty ‘Sharknose’ Ferraris at both Monaco and the Nürburgring in 1961.

Returning to Goodwood will also be the Rob Walker Racing Ferrari 250 GT SWB which Moss drove to his last Goodwood win, at the Tourist Trophy in 1961.

Many of the Moss parade cars will also be racing in earnest again during the Revival, including the Aston Martin DB3S in which he finished second at Le Mans (in the Freddie March Memorial Trophy), and the Nürburgring 1000km-winning DBR1 (Sussex Trophy).

Also invited to compete in those two races respectively will be his Reims-winning Jaguar C-type and Cooper T49, while a real rarity, the Ferguson P99 four-wheel-drive Grand Prix car which Moss piloted to victory in the International Gold Cup in 1961, will join the grid for the Richmond Trophy.

The Revival will also be the setting for the second running of the Stirling Moss Memorial Trophy. Formerly the Kinrara Trophy, this race was renamed for Goodwood SpeedWeek presented by Mastercard in 2020 and will now become a permanent fixture on the Goodwood calendar. Contested by Jaguar E-types, Ferrari 250s, Aston Martin DB4 GTs and AC Cobras, this has been described as ‘the most beautiful race in the world’, taking place as the sun falls on the Friday night of the Revival weekend. 

Finally, the 78th Members’ Meeting in October will see the third running of the Moss Trophy for GT cars of a type which raced up to 1962 – a fitting way to keep the Moss name alive at Goodwood’s most exclusive race meeting. 

The Duke of Richmond said: “Stirling and his wife Susie were such an important part of the Goodwood family for so many years. All of us here felt his loss especially keenly as we weren’t able to commemorate his incredible life as we would have wanted last year.

“We hope that fans at our events around the world will join us in celebrating his racing career and bidding farewell to ‘Mr Goodwood’ in 2021. Stirling’s supreme skill and love for his sport will continue to be remembered at Goodwood for many years to come.”

Mazda MX-30

By Bill McCarthy

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The first thing to say is that the Mazda MX-30 doesn’t look like an electric car, having the look of the other SUVs in its stable, which are arguably the most stylish on the market.

Mazda’s first production electric car has many unique features, but the business end is the combination of the electric motor and a lightweight 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery with a claimed range of around 125 miles.

Not the greatest EV range, but Mazda is slightly ambivalent about the future of electrification and overall CO2 reduction savings being offset by battery production costs and remains firmly committed to cleaner, ever more efficient combustion engines like the high-tech SKYACTIV petrol compression combustion engine.

However, the firm describes this battery as ‘right-sized’ for most buyers, where average daily journeys are between 25 and 30 miles.

It comes with a Type 2 AC charging cable and a socket for DC rapid charging, which allows for charging from 20 to 80 per cent battery in around  36 minutes and with and has a competitive starting price of £25,545, inclusive of the government OLEV grant.

As with most electric cars it also delivers rapid acceleration for an engaging driving experience, zero tailpipe emissions and low running costs in the form of road tax and benefit in kind taxations bands.

 There are three trim levels, SE-L Lux, Sport Lux and GT Sport Tech with the entry level including 18-inch alloys wheels, black door mirrors and grille, single tone paint design with a choice of five colours, LED daytime running lights, cruise control, navigation, head-up display, an eight-speaker sound system and reversing camera.

The range-topper driven here adds front wiper de-icer and a power and tilt sunroof, while inside a heated steering wheel and 12-speaker Bose surround sound and a 360-degree view monitor.

“A fine car but will this new model be the starting gun for a full electric range?”

In common with SUVs it is also hugely practical and features spacious freestyle doors previously seen on the Mazda RX-8. The front doors open forward, while the rear doors open backwards, to offer what is supposed to be easier access both in and out of the vehicle, but I found it slightly awkward. Also, frustratingly, the rear door cannot be opened before the front doors.

However it does look good with the contrasting three-tone paintwork option on the tested model and with what the firm describes as its Kodo design language. It has a sleek, yet muscular look with SUV trim additions like wheel arch cladding, slim grille with LED headlights and a coupe-style profile tapering to the rear.

The interior has a premium feel, only offset by cork-lined centre console trays and inner side door handles which also incorporate fibres from recycled plastic bottles, which although admirable for their sustainability, cheapen the look somewhat. 

The features are a nod to the firm which was founded as a cork producer 100 years ago.

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Otherwise it has a more familiar look a with large information screen behind the multi-function steering wheel, central screen which controls infotainment, navigation and connectivity and operated by a central rotary controller on the central console and separate climate control screen, just behind the gear drive selector.

On the road, it is an engaging drive. The lighter battery allows swifter acceleration and enhances the handling characteristics. On a challenging and twisting 50-mile circuit the car felt agile and sure-footed through bends with the nicely-weighted steering providing plenty of feedback.

Acceleration is brisk, in electric car style, racing away from a standing start on to a top speed of 86mph. The 140PS electric motor sends power to the front wheels while also delivering 199 lbft of torque.

Paddles behind the steering wheel, normally used for gear changes, increase or decrease the level of energy regeneration.

As an SUV it is practical with good boot space of 366 litres, which, with the rear seats folded increases to 1,171 litres.

 All Mazda are safe and the MX-30 is no exception with a raft of active and passive kit which earns it a new Euro N-cap five star safety rating.

A fine first EV for Mazda, but will it be the starting gun for a full electric charge?