Expanding the Base of the Ford Motorsports Pyramid
The Goodwood Festival of Speed is a unique experience.
Every summer, for one high-octane long weekend, this peaceful 300-year-old country estate echoes with the roar of a century of racing engines — and in more recent years, the fizz of high-performance electric motors.
There are few other events where fans can relish in so much motoring heritage, passion, and knowledge while getting so close to iconic vehicles that make their pulses race like pistons. For me, Goodwood is what heaven will look like if I am lucky enough to get there.
It’s not only enthusiasts who love the Festival of Speed. This is a weekend for anyone who is excited by innovation and witnessing firsthand the pursuit of pushing the limits of what’s achievable.
That’s a given for the drivers and the hardcore fans, but there’s something for everyone. Whether that’s claiming a long-sought-after autograph, turning your gaze skywards for an incredible aerial display, or seeing the humble van transformed into a motorsports Tour de Force — five times over.
“For me, Goodwood is what heaven will look like if I am lucky enough to get there.”Jay Ward, Director Ford Performance Communications
We’ve been connecting with enthusiasts at Goodwood for 30 years. For someone like me — a motorsport fanatic lucky enough to have enjoyed a 26-year career at Ford — it’s long been clear that the festival and the company I love deliver experiences with a lot in common.
SuperVan Generations
Our SuperVan lineup is the perfect example.
Unique. Rich with heritage. Fueled by passion and knowledge.
All five generations of SuperVan are appearing together for the first time at this year’s event.
Only Ford could have merged the seemingly unconnected worlds of vans and motorsport through more than half a century of SuperVans because only Ford has such celebrated history in both.
SuperVan 1 was based on the first generation of our iconic Transit, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year.
A huge factor in Transit’s early success was that it drove like a car, unlike any other van at the time. That driving experience was no accident. We’ve tuned how our vehicles feel to drive using knowledge gained from racing since day one.
In fact, it was winning the famous “Sweepstakes” race in 1901 that helped Henry Ford raise the support needed to found the Ford Motor Company two years later.
The first SuperVan was also powered by the same V8 engine that took our GT40 race cars to legendary wins at Le Mans.
SuperVan 2 used a 590 PS Cosworth V8 engine from our C100 racing car.
SuperVan 3 was powered by a screaming 650 PS Cosworth engine shared with F1 cars of the time.
Fast-forward to 2025, and our newest iteration of the fourth generation SuperVan — SuperVan 4.2 — features a different kind of powertrain, but also with no shortage of power.
With up to 2,000 PS from four electric motors, this incredible creation won the Goodwood Shootout last year — becoming the fifth-fastest vehicle ever to take on the event’s famous Hillclimb.
Seeing a van travel at that speed, with an electric soundtrack like something from a sci-fi movie, is an experience I’ll never forget, but these vans have always been about more than just showcasing raw power.
Racing to Learn
We build vehicles like our SuperVans to test new technologies and stretch our understanding of what’s possible.
Every time we push SuperVan 4.2 to its limits, we discover something new about electric motor capabilities.
Or about battery performance.
Or about capturing and using real-time data — exactly the kind of data our Ford Pro customers are relaying from their hard-working Ford vans to power the FordLiive and Ford Pro Telematics1 services that help them boost productivity.
Similarly, when we squeeze every drop of performance from our Raptor T1+ truck at the tortuous Dakar Rally, we discover ways to improve our next-generation trucks, pickups, and SUVs so drivers can do more off-road — whether for work or play.
At this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, enthusiasts will see put to the test not just our SuperVans and Raptor T1+, but also our F-150 Lightning SuperTruck, Mustang GTD supercar,2 our new electric Puma Gen-E,3 and its competition cousin — the Puma Hybrid Rally1 WRC car.
The connection between all of these vehicles runs far deeper than a Blue Oval badge. They’re developed with learnings from each other.
In my role at Ford, I’m privileged to have a front-row seat as we write new chapters in our motorsport story.
Events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed remind me exactly why we do it. To share our love of everything automotive with equally passionate communities.
Jay Ward is director of global Ford Performance motorsport communications.
1Ford Pro Telematics is available complimentary for one year from the warranty start date, and then on a subscription basis, subject to agreement to Ford Smart Mobility terms and conditions, and provides a comprehensive suite of features in addition to vehicle health including location and mapping, driving behaviour, fuel/energy usage, multi-make capabilities and a companion app for drivers to interface with fleet managers. Fleet customers can contact the Ford Pro Software Command Centre at softwaresolutions@fordpro.com for information about these Ford Telematics products. Data availability subject to data connectivity and access to vehicle data.
2Officially homologated fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions will be published closer to on-sale date. In accordance with the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP).
3Up to 376 km driving range based on full charge of Puma Gen-E. Estimated range using Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). Figures shown are for comparability purposes and should only be compared with other vehicles tested to the same technical procedures. Actual range varies due to factors such as temperature, driving behaviour, route profile, vehicle maintenance, lithium-ion battery age and condition.
