2026 Royal Automobile Club Historic Awards Nomination

The Royal Automobile Club Historic Awards are free to enter. You can nominate yourself or your company/event/restoration etc., or you can nominate another person or company/event/restoration etc.

All nominations can be made via the form on this page and eligibility is based on achievements made within the period between 24 September 2025 and 23 September 2026. Nominations close on 23 September 2026.

If you have any questions about making a nomination, any other queries about the awards, or if you wish to be notified when the finalists or results are announced, please email karen.coe@royalautomobileclub.co.uk

Name

Please give your first namePlease give your last name

Email

example@example.com

Phone Number

Area CodePhone Number

Want to remind yourself of the individual category descriptions? Tick the box below to view them before scrolling down the page to make your nomination.

CATEGORY DESCRIPTIONS

COMPETITIVE EVENT

This award seeks to celebrate the very best of the events that have a strong competitive element, from motor racing meetings and hill climbs to navigation and stage rallies, regularity trials, and hot rod and drag races. Historic racing series are also eligible, as are individual races if they are spectacular enough to form an 'event' in themselves. Eligible events must have taken place within the UK, or have had a significant part taking place within the UK. Please note, Royal Automobile Club events are not eligible.

Winner 2025: McRae International Rally Challenge
Winner 2024: Roger Albert Clark Rally
Winner 2023: Castle Combe Autumn Classic
Winner 2022: Rally the Globe Generations Rally 2022
Winner 2021: The Longstone Tyres Light Car Race
Winner 2020: HSCC Legends of Brands Hatch Super Prix
Winner 2019: Chateau Impney Hilllclimb

MOTORING ART

Brand new for 2026: we’re putting out the call for new and inspiring paintings, drawings and sculptures that capture a unique essence of cars, driving and motoring. What will our first Motoring Artist of the year create and enter? We anticipate a wide variety of new works from among the many imaginative talents working in numerous media, and in a dazzling array of styles. What qualifies us as critics? Well, the Royal Automobile Club is, by several measures, the home of motoring art in this country. Our clubhouses feature many exceptional paintings and artworks and, each November, we hold the Art of Motoring exhibition as a highlight of London Motor Week, unique in its scope and ambition. We look forward to judging this unpredictable and exciting new category. All works must have been created by UK-based artists in the 12 months leading up to the Awards closing date of 23 September.

MOTORING SPECTACLE

This award recognises the stunning range of classic and historic car events that take place around the UK throughout the year. Potential nominees must have no significant element of timed competition. Eligible events include concours d’elegance, tours, classic vehicle shows and club gatherings. Judges will be looking for events – big or small – that have displayed a true sense of spectacle. Eligible events must have taken place within the UK, or have had a significant part taking place within the UK.

Winner 2025: Salon Privé
Winner 2024: Senna 30 Year Legacy at Silverstone Festival
Winner 2023: MG & Triumph 100
Winner 2022: Austin Seven Centenary Celebration
Winner 2021: Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional
Winner 2020: Classics for Carers
Winner 2019: The Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace

MUSEUMS, COLLECTIONS & EXHIBITS

Publicly-accessible displays of important and interesting cars are shop-windows on the historic vehicle sector. And nobody showcases them quite like the British – whether in a museum or collection setting, or a one-off temporary show to highlight a specific aspect. Our past winners have amply demonstrated the verve and imagination of Britain’s motoring museums; now we’re also including smaller ‘pop-up’ settings and stagings at, for example, leading events, shows or festivals. To be considered for this category, all we ask is that the curated content has been made easily accessible to the general public, and has added something special to the historic motoring movement in the UK during the eligibility period. This category is all about informing the wider audience – as well as diehard enthusiasts – and rewarding creativity for putting on a memorable show.

Winner 2025: British Motor Museum
Winner 2024: National Motor Museum
Winner 2023: The Dunsfold Collection
Winner 2022: Sammy Miller Museum
Winner 2021: Silverstone Interactive Museum
Winner 2020: British Motor Museum
Winner 2019: The Jim Clark Motorsport Museum

OUTSTANDING JOURNALISM

This award will be presented to the author of what the judges deem to be the best written or broadcast feature that has appeared in a British publication, TV/radio/film/broadcast media or digital platform within the twelve-month judging period. The feature can cover all aspects of the historic motoring world.

Winner 2025: Dan Cogger: 'Lucky Number 13' (The Automobile)
Winner 2024: Damien Smith: Prost (Motor Sport)
Winner 2023: Karl Ludvigsen: Pom (The Automobile)
Winner 2022: Mark Dixon: Preferred Carrier (Octane)
Winner 2021: David Tremayne - Donald Campbell, the man in the shadow (Magneto)
Winner 2020: Gary Pusey - The Wildlife Conservation Pioneers (Land Rover Monthly)
Winner 2019: Nick Trott - Helter Skelter (The Road Rat)

PERSONAL ENDEAVOUR

This award seeks to recognise any individual who has made a truly outstanding contribution to heritage, historic motoring or historic motorsport during the judging period. The winner can come from any part of the British historic motoring world - private enthusiast, club organiser or perhaps a specialist who has achieved something remarkable.

Winner 2025: The late Julian Grimwade
Winner 2024: Angela Hucke
Winner 2023: Tiggy Atkinson
Winner 2022: Simon Diffey and Sarah Jane Adams-Diffey
Winner 2021: The Rev. Adam Gompertz
Winner 2020: Janice Pitchforth
Winner 2019: Paul & Andrew Wood

RESTORATION

The Restoration award will be presented for a restoration that results from not only impressive technical expertise but also a significant amount of research and sensitivity to the vehicle and its history. The judges will be looking for evidence of a dedication and determination to learn as much as possible about the subject’s provenance, and for an immaculately-documented research and restoration process, combined with world-class skills, resulting in a sensitive restoration that is entirely appropriate to the vehicle concerned. The restoration must be UK based. It can have been started at any point but must have been completed during the year ending 23 September 2024.

Winner 2025: 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C ‘Boulogne’ - Simon Kidston/Jonathan Wood Ltd
Winners 2024: 1927 Bentley 3 Litre with Boat Tail body (Julian Parker Ltd) & 1939 ERA E-Type GP2 (Tip Top Engineering)
Winner 2023: 1937 Bugatti Type 57S by Corsica: Clark & Carter Restorations & Ivan Dutton Ltd
Winner 2022: 1931 AEC Regent 486 bus (Transport Museum Wythall)
Winner 2021: 1979 Aston Martin Bulldog (Classic Motor Cars/Phillip Sarofim)
Winner 2020: 1948 Land Rover JUE 477 - Ineos Automotive & Julian Shoolheifer
Winner 2019: 1967 Jim Clark Lotus Type 38 Indy car - Nick Fennell and Classic Team Lotus

YOUNG ACHIEVER

Aimed at rising stars aged between 30 and under who are going above and beyond and building their future in Britain’s historic motoring world. This is a vibrant industry and it’s vital that future generations who are making an exceptional contribution within their organisation are recognised. There is a wide remit for this category - from apprentices to club officials through to event organisers, journalists, photographers, restorers and classic car dealers. Think laterally - the possibilities are endless!

Winner 2025: Samantha Ruff
Winner 2024: Catherine Ruff
Winner 2023: Tom Parrott
Winner 2022: William Heynes
Winner 2021: Billy Earwicker
Winner 2020: Jack Bond

Please select the award category

Nominee

Nominee Contact Name

First NameLast Name

FOR YOUNG ACHIEVER CATEGORY ONLY - age of nominee

Nominee Email

example@example.com

Nominee Telephone Number

Area CodePhone Number

Nominee Website (if applicable)

This is your chance to tell us why this nomination should be considered! Please provide a statement of a maximum of 1000 words in the box below, explaining why your nominee deserves to be considered for the selected award. You will then have the opportunity to upload supporting evidence - further text, photographs etc. - and/or a link to online supporting evidence, if you wish.

The more information you can give us the better - if it's a restoration, for example, give us the history of the vehicle, tell us about the condition it was in when the restoration started, document the challenges faced and ingenuity required to research the vehicle and restore it.

For Motoring Art, we ask that you submit an artist's statement about the artwork you are nominating, detailing the inspiration and creative process, along with high-res photographs and/or video of the piece in question.

Nominating in Young Achiever or Personal Endeavour? Tell us what makes that person special - what have they done that you are celebrating? If it's Young Achiever you can talk about what they have done during their time in the historic motoring world, and where they are now with it. For Personal Endeavour please remember that we're looking solely at an individual's achievement since 24 September 2025.

For the two event categories, provide as many photos (or links to photos), YouTube video links etc as you can, to really make our judges feel they were there.

Reason for Nomination

Supporting Evidence

Please upload photographs and any other supporting evidence you wish to present. Once you have uploaded the first file you will have the option to upload more files if you wish. Each individual file size must be no bigger than 10Mb.

Evidence Link/links

If you wish to provide a link or links to online video/s, websites etc, please do so here. Please put each link on a separate line.

For Restoration nominations only

Would you like to receive newsletters from us, containing details of the finalists and winners of the awards?

Nominations

Nominee

Nominator

Reason for Nomination