The Royal Automobile Club honoured the stars of Britain’s historic motoring and motorsport worlds at a glittering and at times emotional Historic Awards in Pall Mall, London last Thursday (21 November).

The packed event reflected not only the immense level of skill and expertise that exists in this sector in the UK, but also its very human element. This was an exceptional year for nominations, with the standard incredibly high across all categories, and the result is a superb list of winners representing all facets of the historic automotive world.

The recipient of the Club’s Lifetime Achievement award is a modest individual who is nonetheless a towering figure in the world of Formula One, and has been for many decades. Now in his 90^th year, Bob Dance joined Team Lotus in the early 1960s and, apart from a short hiatus in the mid 70s, was there as Chief Mechanic until 1994. During that time he was present for many of motorsport’s key moments, and worked with some of the greatest drivers Formula One has ever seen, including Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna. In 2004 Bob joined Classic Team Lotus as its technical guru, a role he held until he retired in 2019, continuing to maintain the very cars he worked on for so many years at the sharp end of the Formula One grid.

There was also a Formula One theme for the Outstanding Journalism award (presented by the Royal Automobile Club). The winner was Damien Smith for his interview with four-times World Champion driver Alain Prost, a rarely-covered subject. The judges described Smith’s feature as ‘A superb example of expert journalism in all its facets.’

The Young Achiever award (supported by StarterMotor) celebrates those young people aged 30 and under who are making their own mark on the historic motoring world. The 2024 winner, 28-year-old Catherine Ruff, is an almost entirely self-taught machinist, who works from drawings and occasionally models to recreate high quality parts for vintage Bentleys, the Bentley Motors continuation cars, and many racing cars. She showcases her work to her 10,500 followers on Instagram, inspiring other young achievers and also encouraging women to join the world of engineering.

The winner of the Personal Endeavour award (supported by Motul), Angela Hucke, Curator of the Bugatti Trust, was selected for her total dedication to and passion for the Bugatti Trust. A talented archivist and historian, Angela truly understands the Bugatti marque, its people and the machines, and is focused on keeping all of that alive for future generations through a series of educational programmes run by the Trust.

Although these awards are for the historic motoring and motorsport sector, new ideas and innovations are nevertheless crucial, and the Innovation award (supported by Bosch and the Federation Skills Trust) recognises and rewards that. The Historic & Classic Vehicles Alliance’s ‘Action on Parts’ programme – a collaborative initiative with parts suppliers and those who fit them – helps ensure that when classic car owners buys a part for their cars, it fits correctly and doesn’t fail prematurely. The award was for introducing this ‘safety net’ for owners. It’s anticipated that it will develop into a hugely useful resource for the industry and add a degree of rigour and accountability that hasn't been present before.

The chequered flag in the Competitive Event category (supported by Piper-Heidsieck Champagne), was taken by the 2023 Roger Albert Clark Rally, a magnificent event that delivered an outstanding result for UK historic rallying, by recreating the excitement and adventure of the RAC Rallies of the 1970s and 1980s. The rally generated a massive influx of passion, enthusiasm and awareness of the sport, in particular by harnessing the power of social media, with one YouTube video alone attracting more than half a million views.

The Senna 30 Year Legacy at Silverstone Festival received the full support of the Senna family and saw a record turnout of 26 iconic vehicles spanning every stage of Ayrton Senna's career. It received the Motoring Spectacle award (supported by RM Sotheby’s). The judges praised the enormous amount of research and hard work which went into curating the vehicles and other items which were displayed – a fitting tribute on the 30^th anniversary of the death of the triple World Champion.

The judges in the Museums & Collections category (supported by Lockton) went on a road trip to visit the three finalists before selecting the National Motor Museum as this year’s winner. They highlighted in particular the museum’s renewed focus on the social and cultural history of the motor vehicle, its new Streets Ahead permanent display, which places vehicles of the 1950s and ’60s in a period street scene. and the “We had one of those” experience which allows visitors to renew memories by sitting in the cars of their youth.

There was a surprise in the Restoration category (supported by Bicester Heritage) when the judges selected not one but two winners of this coveted award. Lead Judge Simon Taylor explained: “We had to decide between three tremendously impressive restorations – perhaps the strongest set of finalists we’ve ever had. After long discussion and analysis of all three, we were left with a choice between two cars setting out to do completely different things, and which did them perfectly. The 1939 ERA E-Type GP2 (Tip Top Engineering) aimed to bring back to competitive life an important historic racer. The 1927 Bentley 3 Litre with Boat Tail body (Julian Parker Ltd) faced the challenge of rescuing a unique and significant vintage car with only three historical photographs to use as reference points. Both are absolutely at the top of their game. In the end we felt there was only one decision that we could make – we had to have joint winners.”

Commenting on the evening, Royal Automobile Club Chairman Duncan Wiltshire said: “The standard of entries this year has been overwhelmingly high and our judges, who are central to the integrity of the awards –– had a tough time honing them down to the finalists. The people and projects we celebrated tonight contribute hugely to craft, business and leisure in and around this thriving industry. The entries we receive continue to astonish us, and I’m again especially impressed by the nominations for our Young Achiever award – it gives us great confidence that the preservation and guardianship of our historic vehicles are in safe hands.”

A history of celebrating excellence

The Royal Automobile Club started its Historic Awards in 2019, acutely aware that the UK’s historic motoring clubs, events, associations, companies and special individuals deserved recognition for their unsung achievements. Since then, some 140 contenders have been accorded merit as finalists, chosen by judges invited solely for their expertise and independence of outlook. The Awards extend the Club’s 127-year pedigree in recognising motoring accomplishments and celebrating success through its trophies and medals.

For further information please visit royalautomobileclubhistoricawards.co.uk.