Fans of high horsepower headed to the stand of Mercedes-Benz dealer Rossetts Commercials at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed, for its launch of the New Actros heavy truck range.
The Festival of Speed is one of the most exciting events on the calendar for car and motorcycle enthusiasts. Rossetts' attendance meant the crowds thronging the grounds of Lord March's stately home, near Chichester, West Sussex, were also able to see at first hand the very latest in truck and van technology.
It was a perfect setting for Rossetts' launch of the reigning International Truck of the Year - the manufacturer's dealer for Sussex and Surrey presented three examples from the range, which sets previously unseen standards for comfort, driving dynamics and efficiency.
Rossetts Commercials' Sales Director Brian Phippen commented: "We had a huge amount of interest in New Actros over the weekend. Visitors were extremely knowledgeable and, of course, many of them wanted to view the engines; in fact, we had so many requests that in the end we just lifted the cab on our 510hp GigaSpace model and left it up for the duration of the show."
Priceless Mercedes-Benz racing cars from down the years were once again among the star attractions at Goodwood. And Rossetts picked up on this theme by presenting a fire-breathing Vito Sport-X Dualiner with a '722' number for the day, matching that of the Mercedes 300SLR driven by Goodwood favourite Sir Stirling Moss to his legendary Mille Miglia victory in 1955.
With its 224hp V6 engine, 18-inch alloy wheels and dynamic Brabus body styling, the Sport-X was also a big hit with many of the motorsport enthusiasts attending this year's Festival.
Brian Phippen continued: "As well drawing admiration for its sporty good looks, the Sport-X won praise for its everyday practicality. With comfortable seating for five, a spacious cargo area for carrying bicycles, camping equipment, and the like, and a great towing capability too, it's a perfect working and leisure vehicle rolled into one."
Other attractions on the Rossetts stand at this year's Festival included:
A tractor unit and trailer combination in the striking colours of the Bloodhound Land Speed Record attempt team, which the dealer sponsors;
An all-terrain Unimog, widely acknowledged as the ultimate off-road vehicle;
A zero-emission Vito E-CELL, the world's first battery-powered light commercial vehicle to be built on line at a mainstream production facility, and with entertainment from The Spinnettes, a three-girl group who recaptured the music of the 1940s, '50s and '60s in a series of performances, and stunt cyclists from the Animal Relentless bike tour, Rossetts played its part in helping to make it a weekend to remember.
A leading member of the Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicle network, and a two-time winner in recent years of the manufacturer's prestigious Dealer of the Year title, Rossetts Commercials has headquarters in Worthing, and other outlets in Aldershot, Crawley and Eastbourne.