John Surtees signs books at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Several hundred fans of John Surtees were able to meet the great man at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and buy a copy of his new book, dedicated and signed by him. 

John had a very busy schedule over the three-day Festival but he was able to fit in a signing session on each day and meet lots of admirers. Every sale of the book, newly published by Evro Publishing, raised money for the Henry Surtees Foundation. Everyone who bought a book seemed to be delighted to have the chance to meet John and share a few words. There were lots of smiles and John had a minute or two for everyone despite being in great demand.

On the Friday there was also a special presentation of a copy of the book to Lord March by Eric Verdon-Roe, Evro Publishing's chairman.

This year is the 50th anniversary of John becoming Formula 1 World Champion and the landmark was marked by a special display of his cars at Goodwood in an area dedicated to the Henry Surtees Foundation. Among the highlight machines on display were a Ferrari 158 as used by him to win the 1964 Formula 1 title and a 1960 MV Agusta of the type that brought John his last 500cc World Championship in motorcycle racing. John's success in winning the 1966 Can-Am series in North America was also represented with a Lola T70 in Team Surtees colours.

There was also a fine cross-section of cars of Surtees's manufacture, for he became a car constructor in his own right in 1969 and built around 100 cars before winding down the business in 1978. Included among the Surtees display was his first Formula 1 car, the TS7 of 1970, and an example of the TS10 with which Mike Hailwood won the European Formula 2 Championship in 1972.