Pioneering Greats

The ‘Pioneering Greats’ class

Pre-World War One leviathans thundered and blustered up the Goodwood hillclimb course on the final morning of the 2012 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The ‘Pioneering Greats’ class honoured these multi-litre racers, Louisa Collings braving her 1903 Mercedes 60HP which won that year’s Gordon Bennett Cup when driven by Belgian ‘Red Devil’, Camille Jenatzy. Hugely-enthusiastic American George Wingard also took to the hill aboard his mighty 1911 Fiat S74. This 14.2-litre, four-cylinder-engined monster was raced new by aviation and speedboat pioneer Caleb Bragg. He led the 1911 US Grand Prix only to drop out after the car developed an oil leak. He claimed honours the following season.