Royal Automobile Club names finalists for 2026 Historic Awards
The Royal Automobile Club has announced the finalists for its 2026 Historic Awards, recognising achievements across Britain’s historic motoring, motorsport, restoration, and automotive heritage sectors. The winners will be revealed at a ceremony at the Club’s Pall Mall clubhouse on 19 November.
Eight independent judging panels have selected three finalists in each of the awards’ eight categories, covering everything from major motoring events and historic vehicle restorations to journalism, museum collections, and emerging talent.
The Competitive Event finalists are BRDC Classic, Generations Trophy, and The Vintage & Historic Seaman Trophies Race. In Motoring Spectacle, Brooklands Museum Grand Prix Centenary, Longleat Motor Show Weekender, and Lydden Legend Festival are shortlisted.
The new Motoring Art category makes its debut this year, with works by Richard Neergaard, Ana Herrero, and Ray West reaching the final. Judges Peter Stevens, a car designer, and portrait artist Louise Pragnell assessed entries spanning different artistic approaches to motoring.
For Museums, Collections & Exhibits, the finalists are the Aston Martin Heritage Trust, the W.O. Bentley Memorial Foundation, and County Classics Motor Museum. The Outstanding Journalism shortlist features Nathan Chadwick for Magneto, Giles Chapman for Octane, and Simon Hucknall for Classic & Sports Car.
The Personal Endeavour category recognises Tom and Helen Hardman, Carl and Sam Purkins, and Ian Stanfield and the National Motor Museum engineering team. Meanwhile, Restoration finalists include a 1904 Rolls-Royce 10 HP, a 1926 Parry Thomas Flatiron, and a 1940 Bugatti Type 57 Atalante.
The three Young Achiever finalists are Gracie Haddon, Joe Mellor, and Archie Bullett. Further assessments will determine the winners, including visits to shortlisted museums and detailed examinations of the restoration entries at Bicester Motion.
Established in 2019, the Historic Awards were created to recognise contributions that might otherwise receive little public attention. The Club says more than 170 contenders have been recognised as finalists since the awards began.
The 2026 ceremony continues that work by bringing together the people and organisations preserving Britain’s motoring history while supporting its future.
Tickets for the awards dinner are available through the official Historic Awards website, which also publishes the full list of finalists.
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