For all four days, the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed was showered with sunshine and the Caerbont Automotive Instruments (CAI) team were busy talking to prospective and existing customers. At this year’s event, more people than ever visited the CAI stand.
Positioned on the front of CAI’s stand was initially one Grand Prix Mugello 375F Grand Prix from Devalliet, which became two during the event. The Mugello 375F pays homage to the world of racing cars from the 50s and 60s, through the legendary circuits and drivers of the era with a contemporary and retro-inspired design.
The Mugello 375F showcased bespoke gauges designed by the CAI engineering design team in conjunction with engineers from Devalliet. The gauge set included a tachometer, speedometer, fuel and temperature gauge, and also a clock. All the gauges were designed to reflect the styling of the roadster while incorporating the Devalliet logo.
The stunning cars proved to be a magnet for visitors with Herve Valliet, founder of Devalliet and one of his most enthusiastic customers proving to be a fantastic addition to the team – thank you!
This year the Goodwood Festival of Speed celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Formula One World Championship. On display were legendary racing cars including the 1978 Lotus-Cosworth and the 1972 Emerson Fittipaldi John Player Special. Many of the classic Formula One racing cars featured Smiths branded gauges, heralding the rich history of Smiths Instruments and motorsports.
The Goodwood Festival of Speed always provides the perfect platform to see Smiths gauges in both classic and new cars and motorcycles. Smiths branded gauges could be seen in classic cars including the Jaguar D-Type, Jaguar E-Type, GT40, and Mini. As well as CAI’s standard range of Smiths gauges there were many examples of CAI’s more recent bespoke customer projects including CAI designed gauges commissioned for the Singer Re-imagined Porsche 911, with gold-plated tachometer and matching gauges. CAI designed and manufactured CAN gauges also featured in the some of the EV vehicles present at Goodwood such as the electric Roadster from RBW Electric Cars.
Over the four days, many owners and restorers of classic cars and motorcycles visited the stand to talk about classic Smiths gauges. Smiths instrumentation is present in the dashboards of many classic cars such as the Land Rover, Mini, MG, and Jaguar, to name only a few.
The refurbishment of classic vehicle gauges has become increasingly difficult and costly, with a fall in the number of suppliers and a depletion in the skills required to carry out the work. Mechanical gauge refurbishment has become particularly challenging. In some cases, the cost of refurbishment now exceeds the cost of purchasing a replacement Smiths gauge.
Many visitors to the stand did not realise that CAI continue to build Smiths gauges, both mechanical and digital, in the UK at their manufacturing facility in South Wales. Smiths gauges are built using the original drawings and tooling, ensuring the appearance and fit of the gauges matches the originals.
In particular, there was interest in gauges for classic Land Rovers, including the Series I, II, IIA, Defender and Td5; Jaguars, especially the much-loved E-Type; the classic Mini; and MGs such as the Midget, MGA and MGB. In addition, CAI’s range of replacement gauges for the Porsche 911 and 356 proved particularly popular.
“This year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed was one of the warmest and busiest we have ever experienced,” said Gavin Roberts, CAI’s Managing Director. “The event exceeded all our expectations and gave us the perfect platform to speak with motoring enthusiasts from all over the world.”
“It was a real pleasure to have Herve from Devalliet on the stand. The two Devalliet Mugello 375F roadsters drew a lot of people to the stand. Having the cars on display provided us with the perfect opportunity to showcase the bespoke gauges in the dashboards of the two roadsters.”
“There was a lot of interest in our classic Smiths gauges and many classic car owners and restorers were surprised to learn that we continue to manufacture these instruments in the UK, both as traditional mechanical and also new digital designs, using the original drawings. It was interesting to hear that refurbishing old gauges was often more expensive than purchasing replacement gauges.”
“And thank you to all our team for their enthusiasm and energy throughout the four days, despite the heat. It was a fantastic four days.”
For more details on classic Smiths gauges or to discuss new projects, please contact us:
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Phone: +44 1639 732200
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