Bentley Celebrates at Goodwood

When Bentley invites you to the 80th Members’ Meeting at Goodwood as part of the company’s 20 year celebration of its 2003 Le Mans winning Speed 8, alongside a Heritage Collection highlight reel, it’s practically impossible to say no, barring the loss of a limb, and even then we’re pretty sure we’d still make the effort. You drop what you’re doing, you put on your fanciest driving gloves and you pop along. If seeing the Speed 8 at full chat on track at Goodwood with a Continental GT from the esteemed Le Mans Collection for company wasn’t enough then the inclusion of a carefully curated cornucopia of hand-picked models from Bentley’s cherished and venerated Heritage Collection on display in the Chicane Paddock to boot was the icing on the cake.

Not to brag but this isn’t our first encounter with Bentley’s Heritage Collection. Our YouTube channel viewers will already know that we popped along to Crewe at the tail end of last year to have a little peek at the cars that make up this prized compilation and also have a chat with Mike Sayer, the chap who is enviably responsible for them. It’s a fascinating insight into the reasons for the collection and its function, as well as providing a closer look at some of the wonderful cars that can proudly call it their home. If you haven’t already watched it then we would suggest grabbing a cuppa and doing exactly that, but for us, to revisit the cars and catch up with Mike five months later at Goodwood, it was an opportunity we simply couldn’t pass up.

You see, the great thing about Bentley’s Heritage Collection (aside from every single car contained therein of course) is that its a working entity. These cars get used, they get driven. They get to be exactly what they were designed to be. From Tim Birkin’s 1929 4 ½-litre Blower to the Turbo R featured in the video above, they all get to stretch their legs on a regular basis and driving them in convoy to Goodwood at the weekend is one such example of this wonderful understanding of a machine’s raison d’être. As Mike so eloquently puts it in the video, “a car that you can’t drive is no longer a car, it’s a machine without a purpose”. Our thoughts exactly, Mike.

And in those five short months since we visited Bentley HQ the group has further expanded with a number of additional models joining the ranks having recently progressed from non-road-legal, ‘static’ assets to fully registered, taxed and tested cars; including a 2005 start of production Flying Spur and a 2009 Arnage Final Series – cars that have literally been parked in a warehouse since they were built. But not anymore because the collection is constantly growing and being tweaked in order to best represent the company and its rich heritage. And that heritage is clear to see when the collection hits the road. We were lucky enough to be handed the keys to the Turbo R mentioned earlier on the way to the track and a beautiful Mark VI on the way back and as the cars rolled out one by one to begin their journey it was incredible to be able to physically see the evolution of design when in convoy. It was quite the spectacle, something that was firmly substantiated by the sheer amount of waves and thumbs pointed skyward we received from passers by.

Once at the track the cars were parked side by side and remained on display for the duration, attracting crowds of fans from the off but as we said earlier, the main event for Bentley on the day was parading its 2003 Le Mans winning Speed 8 on track. Actually, thinking about it “parading” probably isn’t the right word as that particular verb implies a somewhat sedate shuffle, something the Speed 8 is simply incapable of. The Speed 8 is motorsport royalty and to see it storming around the Goodwood circuit was a sight to behold. For those that missed its flying laps with the Le Mans Collection Continental GT in tow Bentley also exhibited both cars next to each other on the lawn in front of the aerodrome, allowing fans to get up close and personal with these incredible machines, a gesture that was clearly very much appreciated.

Devised by Bentley’s in-house personal commissioning division, Mulliner, the Continental GT Le Mans Collection is a series of specially designed, limited edition coupés that showcase Mulliner’s exquisite craftsmanship, inspired by and celebrating Bentley’s famous sixth victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2003 where the Speed 8 dominantly secured both first and second places. The celebrations at Goodwood were a fitting tribute to both Bentley as a company (now in its 104th year) as well as its rich and illustrious motorsport legacy that we were glad to be a small part of for the day. Long may its Heritage Collection flourish and continue to be driven and enjoyed.

Photos by Jonathan Fleetwood