Boutique Porsche specialist becomes the first small marque honoured with the Festival’s central sculpture as Mark G Whitchurch reports from a hot and dusty Goodwood

Singer Vehicle Design became the first boutique car maker to be honoured with the Goodwood Festival of Speed’s central sculpture as the 2026 event placed specialist manufacturers alongside some of motorsport’s biggest anniversaries.

The Californian company, best known for reimagining the Porsche 911, was chosen for the sculpture in front of Goodwood House, a position previously reserved for major marques including Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Lotus, Alfa Romeo and McLaren.

Its sweeping white structure rose above the lawns and framed the front of Goodwood House, making Singer the most visible presence across the four-day Festival.

The company also appeared in the Supercar Paddock and ran cars up the Hill, while its stand occupied a prominent position outside the Stable Yard.

Goodwood said the decision reflected the growing influence of specialist manufacturers whose reputation has been built through design, craftsmanship and engineering rather than production scale.

Singer, founded in 2009, was joined by Gordon Murray Automotive, Pagani, Lanzante, Praga, Kimera and Apollo as smaller manufacturers took a prominent place across the paddocks.

The Festival unfolded in relentless heat, with dust rising from the Hill and hanging above the estate as crowds gathered around the track and paddocks.

Gordon Murray Automotive showed the T.50s Niki Lauda, T.33 Spider VP12, S1 LM and Le Mans GTR XP1.

The Cosworth V12 in the T.50s Niki Lauda produced one of the weekend’s most distinctive sounds during its runs up the Hill, while the company’s display focused on lightweight construction and driver-focused engineering.

Pagani displayed Huayra and Utopia models, with their exposed carbon structures and hand-finished interiors drawing crowds in the Supercar Paddock.

Lanzante launched a road-going version of Bugatti’s Bolide and gave the 95/59 its dynamic debut. The Bolide was originally developed as a track-only hypercar, while the 95/59 commemorates Lanzante’s management of the McLaren F1 team that won Le Mans outright in 1995.

Praga showcased the Bohema alongside engineering displays including its steering wheel, overhead control interface, pedal box, headlamps and engine decklid.

Kimera, meanwhile, brought the K39, a development of the company’s work on modern interpretations of Group B machinery, while Apollo showed the IE and Evo prototypes.

The combination of exposed carbon, unusual aerodynamic forms and hand-built machinery made sections of the Supercar Paddock resemble a design gallery as much as a conventional motor show.

The wider Festival carried the theme The Rivals – Epic Racing Duels, with celebrations spanning Formula 1, endurance racing, motorcycles and pre-war competition.

One of the most significant gatherings marked 60 years since Ford’s 1966 Le Mans victory, when GT40 MkIIs finished first, second and third. The three cars involved – chassis P/1046, P/1015 and P/1016 – appeared together on the Hill through the Miller family Automobile Foundation. Their reunion brought together the cars from one of endurance racing’s defining contests, when Ford defeated Ferrari after years of increasingly fierce competition at Le Mans.

Ford also marked 125 years of racing activity, with machinery from different periods appearing throughout the event.

Romain Dumas won Sunday’s timed Shootout in a Ford Super Mustang Mach-E, setting a time of 41.98 seconds. It was his fifth outright victory in the competitive element of the Festival of Speed.

F1 legend Damon Hill returned to Goodwood to mark 30 years since his 1996 Formula 1 world championship and was reunited with the Williams FW18 that carried him to the title. The car, restored by Williams F1 Team Heritage, ran up the Hill in its blue-and-white livery before Hill appeared on the balcony of Goodwood House on Sunday.

The Festival also marked 50 years since James Hunt’s 1976 Formula 1 world championship, with his title-winning McLaren running on the Hill. The presence of Hunt’s McLaren and Hill’s Williams placed two of Britain’s best-known championship-winning cars within the same anniversary programme.

Ferrari celebrated 75 years since its first Grand Prix victory at Silverstone in 1951 and 20 years since the launch of the FXX programme. The Amalfi, 296 Speciale A and 849 Testarossa made dynamic debuts, while FXX and FXX K Evo cars ran in commemorative liveries. Ferrari’s Corse Clienti machinery included the F300, F1 2000, F2007 and SF21, charting several generations of the company’s Formula 1 development. The 499P Modificata, a track-only version of Ferrari’s Le Mans Hypercar, also appeared.

Audi Tradition brought the recreated Auto Union Lucca, a streamlined Rennlimousine linked to record attempts during the 1930s.

Mercedes-Benz ran the W125, reviving the pre-war rivalry between the two German manufacturers.

The W125’s supercharged straight-eight engine could be heard across the track as the two cars returned to the Hill, recreating machinery from a period of intense aerodynamic and mechanical development.

Motorcycle racing formed another major part of the anniversary programme. Ducati marked its centenary with appearances from Carl Fogarty, Casey Stoner, Troy Bayliss and Shane Byrne. Goodwood continued its year-long tribute to Barry Sheene with a display of Grand Prix motorcycles from his career. John McGuinness was honoured for 30 years of participation in the Isle of Man TT, where he has recorded 118 starts and 23 victories.

Lando Norris drove McLaren’s new World Endurance Championship entry and appeared on the balcony of Goodwood House.

Valentino Rossi made his first Festival appearance since 2015 and joined Norris during a Monster Energy celebration on Friday, drawing one of the weekend’s largest gatherings around the House.

Adrian Newey drove the Red Bull RB17 up the Hill. The car is his first hypercar project outside Formula 1 and attracted considerable attention during its run.

Away from the Hill, the Cartier Style et Luxe concours featured seven classes covering machinery including Mercedes-Benz models, Koenigsegg hypercars and Italian coachbuilt cars.

The Forest Rally Stage brought World Rally Championship machinery into the woodland, while the Off Road Arena and Goodwood Action Sports arena hosted further demonstrations.

Future Lab, presented by Randox, featured exhibits on robotics, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, space travel, underwater habitation and future health diagnostics.

Astronaut Tim Peake returned as ambassador, while Formula E made its Festival debut with the new GEN4 car.

Mission 44, founded by Lewis Hamilton, was the Festival’s official charity partner.

Goodwood also announced the Goodwood Road Race Company of America, a new venture intended to stage Goodwood-style events in the United States.

A 2027 event at Willow Springs was confirmed, alongside plans for more than 100 events across the US in the same year.

The Americana Celebration, presented by Bank of America, marked 110 years of the Indianapolis 500, 110 years of Pikes Peak, 60 years of Can-Am and 60 years of Trans-Am.

Guests included Aaron Shelby, Al Unser Jr, Dario Franchitti, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti and Travis Pastrana.

Mark G. Whitchurch is a seasoned motoring journalist whose work—covering road tests, launch reports, scenic drives, major races, and event reviews—has appeared in The Observer, Daily Telegraph, Bristol Evening Post, Classic & Sports Car Magazine, Mini Magazine, Classic Car Weekly, AutoCar Magazine, and the Western Daily Press, among others. He won the Tourism Malaysia Regional Travel Writer of the Year in 2003 and is a member of The Guild of Motoring Writers.

READ MORE: To Green Hell and back: my Porsche pilgrimage to Nürburgring. Motoring editor Mark G. Whitchurch swapped the familiar July pull of Le Mans and Silverstone for a road trip to the Nürburgring, where the Michelin 12 Hours, public laps and Europe’s car culture make a powerful – and at times terrifying – case for taking the road less travelled.

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_{Main image: Singer Vehicle Design took centre stage at the 2026 Goodwood Festival of Speed, where its central sculpture stood outside Goodwood House as historic cars including the Alfa Romeo Tipo B appeared on the Hill. Composite image, The European/Belters News. Credits: Singer celebration, Mark Feetham; Alfa Romeo Tipo B and Singer centre stand, thetravellingginga.}