The Silver Arrows exhibition races at the 2012 Goodwood Revival were held 14-16 September at the 2.4-mile Goodwood Motor Circuit in West Sussex, England. For the first time since the 1930s, the legendary pre-war Silver Arrows Grand Prix cars were reunited on-track, marking the 75th anniversary of their first appearance in the UK.
The Silver Arrows demonstration runs at the 2012 Goodwood Revival offered visitors a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse of the sights and sounds of these legendary machines, running in anger, side-by-side and evoking one of the greatest ages of Grand Prix racing. These crushingly dominant, silver-liveried Grand Prix titans were campaigned by the Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union factory teams from 1934 to 1939.Three quarters of a century since this technical arms race was cut short by World War II, they were reunited in Great Britain and joined by a typical grid of competitors from their day – Alfa Romeos, Bugatti, ERAs and Maseratis.
With the full support of Mercedes-Benz Classic and Audi Tradition, the 2012 Goodwood Revival offered a unique demonstration of these fabulous machines, including examples of the Mercedes-Benz W25, W125, W154 and W165, and Auto Union Type C, Type D and the (newly acquired) Type D Dual Compressor.
Piloted by experienced, world-famous drivers, the Silver Arrows staged a breathtaking demonstration on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, providing all the spectacle of a real race, but without risk (thankfully) to these priceless and irreplaceable pieces of motor sport history. Behind the wheel for the demo runs at Audi included Formula 1 legend Jacky Ickx, five-time Le Mans winner Frank Biela and Nick Mason, while Jackie Stewart and his son Paul led the team driving the Silver Arrows from Mercedes-Benz.
Senior Photographer Tim Scott documented the 2012 Goodwood Revival, including the following pictures from the Silver Arrows exhibition races. To see more from Tim, visit fluidimages.co.uk.
Goodwood Revival 2012 – Silver Arrows Race Photo Gallery
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[Source: Goodwood; photo credit: Tim Scott / Fluid Images]
To say its beautiful or breathtaking would do injustice to Tim because it leaves you breathless, especially if you’re a Merc Silver Arrow freak like me. It’s like hopping into a time capsule and being at a late 30’s GP with these awesome machines doing battle. A swear I could smell those exhaust fumes and hear the battlecries. Long they live my beloved Mercs and thanks again Tim for letting us mortals who could not attend on living history.