Highly regarded awards honour the most outstanding technical achievements in the British automotive industryLast year’s Dewar Trophy winner was Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains, for the development of the Formula One world championship-winning Mercedes-Benz PU106A Hybrid power unit Past award winners have included McLaren Automotive for its P1 supercar and Ford Motor Company for its 1.0-litre EcoBoost enginePrevious Simms Medal winners include electric speed record holder Lord Drayson and DeltaWing designer Ben BowlbyAward winners will be announced at a VIP lunch at the Pall Mall Clubhouse on Wednesday 28th October 2015The ceremony will form part of the London Motor Week, which also encompasses The Bonhams London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, Regent Street Motor Show and Bonhams Veteran Car Auction
There is no more prestigious achievement in British automotive engineering than the Dewar Trophy.
Arguably the most exclusive and highly regarded award presented to recognise British automotive engineering talent, the Royal Automobile Club’s Dewar Trophy is only awarded in years when the Club’s expert committee believes there have been contenders of sufficient merit.
Since 1904 there have only been 43 recipients, with previous winners exemplifying technical innovation and excellence. For example, in 1957 The Dunlop Rubber Company Limited was awarded the Dewar Trophy for its work on disc brakes, while in 2006, the JCB Dieselmax team was award the trophy for its development of the world diesel land speed record-breaking JCB Dieselmax. In 2012, Ford Motor Company won for its highly efficient 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine.
Competition for 2014’s award winner was extremely fierce – but in the end, one entrant stood out among all others, Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP).
Awarding the 2014 trophy to HPP was a unanimous decision made by experts on the Dewar Technical Committee, chaired by John Wood MBE. The HPP team was recognised for its development of the most advanced powertrain within the new Formula One regulations. The team set out to raise the thermal efficiency from around 29 per cent for the previous normally aspirated 2.4-litre V8 to better than 40 per cent with the new 1.6-litre V6 turbo Hybrid.
Its successful design, research and teamwork contributed greatly to MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS securing the 2014 FIA Formula One Constructors’ Championship. It is also arguably the most thermally efficient gasoline powertrain ever produced with a claimed thermal efficiency of greater than 40 per cent.
This year, competition is stronger than ever with a raft of homegrown engineering talent showcased by major motor manufacturers, technical centres of excellence and, of course, motorsport teams and suppliers. Judging the Dewar Trophy falls to a select group. Current members of the Technical Committee are Chairman John Wood MBE (ex-Chief Executive of MIRA, past president of IMechE), freelance motorsport journalist Charles Armstrong-Wilson, Chairman of the Royal Automobile Motoring committee Ben Cussons, motorsport author Karl Ludvigsen, engineering consultant Alec Osborn, Williams F1 Chief Technical Officer Pat Symonds and Autocar editor-in-chief, Steve Cropley.
The same committee will also judge the Simms Medal – an award that recognises a genuine contribution to motoring innovation by an individual or a small company. In short, the Simms Medal rewards those who exemplify the spirit of adventure.
Like the Dewar Trophy, the Simms Medal is not automatically an annual award. It is only presented in the years when the committee believes there has been significant innovation. Previous winners include Ben Bowlby in 2012 for his work in bringing the ground-breaking DeltaWing racing car to the track and Richard Parry-Jones CBE in 2007 for his immense contribution to the automotive industry during his time at Ford.
In 2013, the Simms Medal went to Lord Drayson for his incredible achievements behind the wheel of the Drayson B12/69 LMP-type EV racing car. Drayson set four Electric World Land Speed Records for sub-999kg vehicles, including a new flying mile record at 205.139mph.
John Wood MBE, Chairman of the Dewar Technical Committee, said: “The UK has been home to some of the world’s most talented engineers – but they’ve not always had the recognition they deserve. The Dewar Trophy rights that wrong and rewards the amazing men and women who quietly contribute so much to the British motoring industry. In recent years, we’ve seen both the premium brands and motorsport experts lead the way when it comes to technical innovation – it’ll be fascinating to see who emerges this year. Together with my Technical Committee colleagues, I’m looking forward to adding another name to the prestigious list of Dewar Trophy winners and celebrating the best of the best of British engineering talent.”
The Royal Automobile Club will announce the winners at a VIP award lunch held at the Clubhouse on Pall Mall on Wednesday October 28th 2015.
