What is the Peter Collins Trophy?

07th November 2025

Adam Wilkins

Sportscar racing has always been a significant part of the action at Goodwood, both in the 1948-1966 period and during the Revival and Members’ Meeting era. The Peter Collins Trophy celebrates just that, it brings together a field of cars from the first half of the 1950s for a grid that evokes the spirit of the Goodwood 9 Hour races that run into the night.

Looking back at previous winners gives a sense of the variety of cars that typify the Peter Collins Trophy grid, since there’s no single dominant model of car. First-place finishers have included a Maserati 250S, a Lister-Jaguar ‘Flat Iron’, a Jaguar D-type and a Cunningham C4R. Varied machines that are united as a cast of being curvy, big-hearted, front-engined two-seaters. Close racing is always a promise, too, which is why the sharp end of the grid differs for each running of the race.

Members' Meeting

The Peter Collins Trophy

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Peter Collins started his racing career in single-seaters but had much success as a sportscar racer. He claimed victory at the 1952 Goodwood 9 Hours with Aston Martin, and also won the RAC Tourist Trophy race at Dundrod, County Antrim, in 1953.

Further career highlights came at the Le Mans 24 Hours with two second-place finishes in 1955 and ’56, and he also won the 1955 Targa Florio before being signed to Ferrari. It was while racing for the Italian team that he lost his life while battling for the lead of the 1958 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. In his time, he was up there as one of the great British racing drivers alongside Stirling Moss, Mike Hawthorn and Tony Brooks.

The last running of the Peter Collins Trophy was at the 81^st Members’ Meeting, where we were treated to close battles throughout the field. The race win was set to go down to the wire with Richard Wilson (Maserati 250S) and John Pearson (Jaguar D-type) in a close fight with much exchanging of the lead. In the end, Pearson retired with a mechanical fault, leaving an easy win open to Wilson.

Collins’ legacy as one of the era’s most proficient sportscar racers is marked by the Peter Collins Trophy, which returns to the race card for the 83^rd Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport.

The 83rd Members’ Meeting presented by Audrain Motorsport takes place on the 18th & 19th April 2026. Tickets are on sale now for GRRC Members and Fellows.

You can sign up for the Fellowship now. Click here to find out more.

Photography by Jayson Fong and Amy Shore.