2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed Preview: A Jaguar-fest

Goodwood Festival of Speed 2011 Preview Jaguar

Yasmin Le Bon and the original E-Type Roadster at Goodwood FoS Preview

The 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed had its press preview at Goodwood, with Jaguars featuring front and centre. And an ageless Yasmin Le Bon

It’s a cold, wet and miserable day and feels more like November than March. So it’s hard to think in terms of the sun shining on the Goodwood Estate, and cars roaring up the Hillclimb, as you stand with a cold beer in hand and soak up the atmosphere.

But despite the weather it’s time for Goodwood to present to the 2011 Festival of Speed to the press, and yesterday’s preview turned in to something of a Jaguar spectacular.

To see one of the original 1961 Geneva Motor Show E-Types was to be expected as Jaguar have been busy rolling out ’77 RW’ at the drop of a 50th Anniversary opportunity. But there was lots of new stuff from Jaguar too.

We had Jaguar’s Mike Cross taking the very new – and in this case, very white – Jaguar XKR-S enthusiastically up the Hillclimb, and ex-Le Mans and BTCC racer Anthony Reid piloting an XFR in a cloud of smoke, garnering himself in the process the TAG Heuer ‘Most Spirited Getaway’ award.

Also on hand were Yasmin Le Bon, and daughter Amber, to pose by the E-Type and XFR-S at the front of the main house with Lord March. And you have to take your hat off to Yasmin Le Bon, who looked elegant and beautiful in a long evening dress despite the weather (Charles March needed an overcoat and scarf to join in).

We’ve also concluded Yasmin’s got a picture in her attic.