The world's richest race

The opener for this year’s Goodwood Revival featured perhaps the most valuable grid ever assembled, racing flat out into the sunset

GRAND TOTAL: £119.75m*

It’s an odd feeling, getting a sort of snow-blindness seeing the entry list. On any other grid something like a Ferrari 250 SWB would stand out like a sore thumb, but when there’s 10 of them, a GTO or two and a swathe of Aston Martins, Jaguars, Cobras and everything in between, it can just be a bit surreal.

The Goodwood Revival organisers threw the kitchen sink at the Kinrara Trophy grid this year, and what they assembled was truly special. Initially it was quite an intimidating race, because I’d never sat in the car before and it is a pure, original E-type. We couldn’t compete against the cars with racing pedigree, so it was more about trying to make some progress, staying out of the way of the quick boys and not doing anything stupid.

The start was regardless frantic. You become very aware of the proximity of other cars, not so much of their value because the cost to buy is very different to the cost to repair – it’s still going to be an expensive repair, but not as much as buying one.

Once the race settled down and you could get into a rhythm and enjoy driving such a special car, that was when the Kinrara really delivered the special moments that you only get as a driver. Being on this grid allowed me to appreciate how different each model looked and sounded first-hand. When the leading Ferrari Breadvan and the top E-type came past me it was a little distracting because you suddenly have the best seat in the house to appreciate such fine machinery. It was truly special.

_{*Values supplied by expert auction house and don’t take account of individual histories. As such many are conservative estimates and some cars may be worth considerably more.}