Each year, the Goodwood Revival begins with a spectacular track opening parade, showcasing some of the most iconic vehicles in motoring history.
These distinguished makes and models converge on the historic Motor Circuit, marking the official start of the event in grand style.
In 2025, the Revival brought together the largest and most varied group of Volkswagen Type 2 Split Screens, including fire engines, ambulances, transporters, and even ice cream vans. This year, the spotlight turns to the Vespa, ready to take centre stage in a vibrant celebration of Italian design and culture.
Goodwood Revival will embrace La Dolce Vita at The Turning Circle by the Gate 2 entrance, brought to life with style and flair.
Eighty years ago, a scooter with a distinctive buzz captured imaginations worldwide. When the first MP6 prototype’s 98cc engine was started up in 1946, Italian industrialist Enrico Piaggio remarked that it sounded like a wasp – ‘Vespa’ in Italian. The scooter was subsequently named by its creator, Corradino d’Ascanio, and the Vespa brand was born.
Vespa emerged as a symbol of possibility, creativity and hope in a nation striving to rebuild after the devastation of the Second World War. Corradino d’Ascanio blended ingenuity with mechanical engineering to create a simple yet innovative vehicle that has stood the test of time.
Over the decades, Vespa has evolved beyond transportation into a lifestyle brand. In the early 1950s, the slogan “Vespizzatevi!”– translated as “Vespa ourselves” – was used in global marketing campaigns, to encourage both personal expression and environmentally conscious travel. By the mid-1960s, the Mod movement in the UK, inspired by Italian style and spirit, embraced Vespa, connecting young people through style, community and mobility, cementing Vespa’s place as both a cultural and practical icon.
In 2026, Vespa will mark eight decades of design, culture, and creativity. Goodwood Revival will celebrate this anniversary with a parade of over 300 pre-67 Vespas, Lambrettas, Ducati’s and many more in every colour and design, showcasing the marque’s legacy of style and innovation and its enduring influence.
Taking place across the weekend, the track opening parade joins a full schedule of fifteen races which are set to run exclusively on sustainable fuel.
Early bird tickets are on sale now at goodwood.com
If you wish to submit a vehicle for consideration to join the 2026 Track Opening Parade, please complete our Vehicle Information Form.
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About the Goodwood Revival
The Goodwood Revival is the world’s greatest historic motor race meeting, and the only sporting event of its kind to be staged entirely in a period theme. More than just an unrivalled weekend of historic racing, it is an immersive celebration of vintage lifestyle, championing exceptional craftsmanship and the enduringly fabulous stories told by second-hand treasures. ‘Revive & Thrive’ is the thoroughly modern message woven through the Revival landscape; a clever stitch with which the old is made new again, it runs through every carefully restored classic car, each beautifully preserved piece of clothing as it is passed from one generation to the next.
It is, proudly, the world’s biggest and most glamorous second-hand event.
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Original post on modernclassicbikes.co.uk and published by Frank Duggan. Frank is the Founder and Editor of Modern Classic Motorcycle News, an independent motorcycle publication covering modern classic motorcycles, roadsters, scramblers, cruisers, electric motorcycles and the wider motorcycle industry.
