Paul Jolly: Why classic super cars will stand the test of time

Goodwood Motor Racing circuit in Sussex holds three major events annually. 

The Revival in September, The Festival of Speed in June, and the Members Meeting in April. 

It was this latter event that I have just returned from which still features period racing cars from the Edwardian era right up to the 1970’s. 

Open to members only, it is a much less crowded event than the Revival and has been moved to April to prevent another Beast from the East disrupting the weekend as happened in March 2018.

On the way, I called in on my cousin who sells cars at the Ferrari dealership in The New Forest to learn about current offerings. 

For around £450,000 you can buy the latest hybrid SF90 sports supercar with around 1000 bhp and sub 3 seconds to 60mph. 

It achieves this with a twin turbo V8 petrol engine and three electric motors with batteries. 

Despite this, it only weighs around 1600kgs thanks to extensive use of carbon fibre. Ferrari comes into the modern EV world!

With values in excess of £450,000 each and competing all weekend at Goodwood, were a pair of 65-year-old Aston Martin DB4s.  

One owned and driven by Adrian Newey, the famous Formula One designer now at the Aston Martin F1 team. 

This incredible machine was having real door banging racing with the other DB4 driven by IndyCar driver Dario Franchitti. 

Undoubtedly the race of the weekend, it showed just how fabulous these cars were when new at £4000 in 1960, equivalent to £115,000 today. 

Other highlights were the tiny Minis hounding larger more powerful Lotus Cortina’s like a train of wasps tethered to their target. 

This was a David and Goliath moment demonstrating power to weight advantages of these diminutive little racers. Smaller cars are quicker in corners, need less power and can slip stream down the straights.

But the big question is, will the Ferrari still be around in another 65 years or might its complexity render it obsolete? Will EV Supercars last the course to 2090?

I’ll put my money on the Astons still being around then.