RAC Open Historic Awards Nominations
Nominations have been invited for the 2019 Royal Automobile Club Historic Awards. This new set of annual awards has been created to recognise excellence, outstanding achievement and innovation within the UK’s historic motoring and motorsport industries. Nominations must be made through the Awards’ website royalautomobileclubhistoricawards.co.uk/nominate before the closing date of 30th September 2019.
With the exception of the Club’s Lifetime Achievement Award, category nominations are invited from all corners of the UK's historic motoring scene, in accordance with the relevant category guidelines. Candidates can self-nominate or be nominated by anyone associated with them.
The nominated activity, event or feat must have occurred entirely or at least in the main part within the UK and have a very strong, or exclusively, historic element to it. It must have taken place in the twelve months from 1st October 2018 to 30th September 2019.
Nominations are sought for the following categories:
Competitive Event
Motoring Spectacle
Race Series
Collection
Restoration
Outstanding Journalism
Personality
The Awards will be judged by a hand-picked panel of independent experts consisting of some of the most highly regarded individuals in their respective fields, each with specific in-depth knowledge of their assigned categories, making a win one of the most sought-after accolades in the motoring world.
The nominations will be shortlisted in October 2019 for judging and the winners will be announced at a gala evening to be held in the Club’s Pall Mall clubhouse on Thursday 21 November 2019.
The 2019 Royal Automobile Club Historic Awards categories in detail:
Competitive Event
This award seeks to celebrate the very best of the multitude of events that have a strong competitive element. This covers any event from motor racing meetings and hillclimbs to navigation and stage rallies, regularity trials, and hot rod and drag races. Eligible events must have taken place within the UK, or to have had a significant part of the event take place within the UK.
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 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 of the event take place within the UK.
Race Series
This award aims to recognise the huge number of highly active and successful historic racing series, many of which take place across an international stage, and can be organised by one of the big international organisers or by one of the many UK based historic racing clubs. To be eligible for this award a race series must have a predominantly UK based calendar.
Collection
This award will be presented to a British-based collection which has made a significant contribution to the historic motoring movement in the UK or internationally. Historic vehicle collections come in many forms, from those amassed by private individuals to those curated by museums large and small or by internationally-renowned marques.
Restoration
This 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 30th September 2019.
Outstanding Journalism
This award will be presented to the author of what the judges deem to be the best written feature that has appeared in a British publication or digital platform within the twelve-month judging period. The feature can cover all aspects of the historic motoring world.
Personality
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 - the possibilities are endless.
In addition to the above categories, the Club will also present the Royal Automobile Club Lifetime Award, to recognise an individual who has, in the opinion of the Club, made an outstanding contribution to British motoring history and heritage, or to the British historic motoring and motor racing movement, across many years. This is the only category which cannot be nominated and is the only category recognising achievement beyond the previous twelve months.
Continuing the Club’s rich pedigree in celebrating motoring accomplishments, the Royal Automobile Club’s Historic Awards reward achievement and innovation by highlighting the wide range of companies, clubs, events, associations and individuals responsible for influencing and driving the British historic motoring movement.
Alongside the Historic Awards, the Royal Automobile Club will continue to present a series of internationally recognised trophies and medals celebrating motoring achievements. These include the Segrave Trophy, the Torrens Trophy, the Simms Medal, the Dewar Trophy and the oldest trophy in motorsport still being competed for today; the Tourist Trophy.
