Motoring art: Charles Goddard

“I’m happy doing anything before they started putting stickers on,” says Goddard, “but it’s the pre-war subjects that really push my buttons.

“As a kid I was taken to  VSCC Donington  and that started it all, but my artistic streak goes back to my grandmother, who was a talented old-school painter.”

A Land Speed Record match race between aero-engined greats, Mephistopheles and Babs

Goddard’s creative ambitions weren’t encouraged at school, but following a foundation course at Warwick he studied graphic design at Ravensbourne College.

In his spare time painting cars remained a passion, and he eventually held his first exhibition at Loton Park hillclimb.

Since then the commissions, many from racing families, have kept him busy in addition to his day job.

Subjects have ranged from the Brooklands giant Mephistopheles, for former owner Ernest Eldridge’s grandson, to a portrait of Reg Parnell for a family Christmas card.

Clockwise from top: a digital sketch of Duncan Pittaway’s Curtiss-engined Monarch; pencil drawing of the Mercedes-Benz W25 team; Reg Parnell sketch

When not at the easel, Goddard helps his father with his pre-war  MGs : “His  F-type  has been around all my life, and we now share a P-type that he hillclimbs and I race.

“My argument is that racing is better for the car."

“Among the highlights have been a great event at Oulton Park and a wet outing at Cadwell.”

Fast-drying acrylics have been Goddard’s preferred choice for automotive subjects but recently he’s been trying oils again, which he’d previously only used for landscapes.

Marcel Renault looks on before the start of the 1906 French Grand Prix

He has been learning digital techniques, too, but during lockdown chose to take a more traditional route by ordering a set of wood-cutting tools: “That classic printing style with the grain of the wood really suits early subjects.”

While at art school, it was the expressive  Der Blaue Reiter  (The Blue Rider) group that inspired him, but away from fine art it’s the work of the talented Frederick Gordon Crosby that Goddard most admires.

“Crosby’s paintings of the pioneers have wonderful drama,” he explains, “with wheels buckling and riding mechanics almost falling out."

“His loose style gives liveliness to the compositions. I’d love to go to the Louwman Museum to see the art collection.”

Charles Goddard’s poster for the SF Edge Trophy at Goodwood

After 12 years in the publishing world as a designer, including art directing  Total 911 , Goddard spotted a Goodwood motorsport team recruitment post on Twitter in 2013.

“I had no experience with events, but my love of cars seemed to impress and I started with the first revived  Members’ Meeting .

“My interest in pre-war machines helped develop the Edwardian race and the Varzi Trophy for ’30s GP cars.”

Goddard has yet to race at Goodwood, but unsurprisingly the events continually inspire his art.

For more, see  the-racing-line.co.uk  or email  mr.cgoddard @ gmail.com

This was first in our June 2021 magazine; all information was correct at the date of original publication