After a speech by Lord March likening the "beauty and function" of Gerry Judah's 22-tonne masterpiece to the car it commemorates, a thunderous firework display penetrated the crisp night air of the Goodwood estate. Despite the meticulous planning, the ceremony's impact was soon outdone - by Richard Attwood pulling up outside the house in his 1970 Le Mans-winning 917 (appropriately sporting a tuxedo...), only to be greeted by long-time comrade Hans Herrmann. It's moments like this that add weight to the claims of Goodwood being the pinnacle of the world's automotive gatherings.
Goodwood's 2013 sculpture pays tribute to the Porsche 911
A spectacular firework display on the eve of the 2013 Festival of Speed inaugurated the physics-defying 911 sculpture, in turn celebrating 50 years of Porsche's magnum opus.