The Royal Automobile Club has revealed the finalists for its 2026 Motoring Book of the Year Awards, widely regarded as the most prestigious accolades in motoring and motor racing literature.
Now in their thirteenth year, the Awards celebrate the very best in motoring and motorsport publishing, from compelling stories and automotive history to landmark works on the cars, people and marques that have shaped the motoring world.
Nearly 50 books were entered, spanning major international and independent publishers to self-published authors. Eligible titles, published between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026, were rigorously assessed for originality, research, writing, illustration, design and production values.
The winners will be announced at a special ceremony at the Club’s historic Pall Mall clubhouse on Wednesday 28 October 2026, including the winners of each category, the Graham Robson Trophy for Best Debut Author and the new Best Design Award, culminating in the coveted overall Motoring Book of the Year. The Club will also recognise one individual's exceptional contribution to automotive publishing with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Motor Cars & Motoring – under £30
Dream Road to Pan America: A Century in Pursuit of the World's Longest Highway by Shawn William Miller (University of California Press), £25
Mr Wilman's Motoring Adventure: Top Gear, Grand Tour, Clarkson and Me by Andy Wilman (Penguin Michael Joseph), £22
Should You Buy an EV? by Paul Hadley (self-published), £17.99
Motor Cars & Motoring – under £100
BMW 3-Series 50 Years by Tony Lewin (Motorbooks), £38
The Complete Book of Volkswagen GTI: Every Model Since 1976 by Russell Hayes (Motorbooks), £38
The Ferrari Under the Bed: A Memoir and History of 0046M by Darrell Westfaul (Dalton Watson Fine Books), £90
Motor Cars & Motoring – no price limit
Aston Martin: The Entire Story by Russell Hayes (Evro Publishing), £195
Lancia Stratos Zero: The Eternal Futurist by Gautam Sen (Dalton Watson Fine Books), £110
Ultimate Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona – The Definitive History by Luca Dal Monte, Simon Charlesworth and Keith Bluemel (Porter Press International), £475
Motorsport Subject – under £30
Forza Ferrari: How F1’s Most Famous Team Can Win Again by Nate Saunders (The Quarto Group), £10.99
Senna: The Truth by Franco Nugnes (Pitch Publishing), £25
Whitney Straight: Racing Driver, War Hero, Industrialist – The Authorised Biography by Paul Kenny (The History Press), £25
Motorsport Subject – under £100
Formula 3000: Where Legends Earned Their Stripes by James Newbold (Evro Publishing), £75
Lella Lombardi: The Tigress of Turin – Her Authorised Biography by Jon Saltinstall (Douglas Loveridge Publications), £40
The Ferrari 250 GTO Spotting Guide by Yan-Alexandre Damasiewicz (Blenheim Publishing), £40
Motorsport Subject – no price limit
The Maserati 250F: A Legendary Formula 1 Car by Walter Bäumer and Jean-François Blachette (Dalton Watson Fine Books), £295
The Rise of the Trident: From a Bologna Back Alley to Grand Prix Glory – Maserati Tipo 26 and V16, 1926 to 1934 by Adam Ferrington, Emmanuel Rault and Alessandro Silva (Fondazione Negri), £160
Ultimate Ford GT40 – The Definitive History, Volume 2 by John S Allen, Graham Endeacott and Mark Cole, with Mike Teske (Porter Press International), £325
Best Debut Author (Graham Robson Trophy)
Mr Wilman's Motoring Adventure: Top Gear, Grand Tour, Clarkson and Me by Andy Wilman (Penguin Michael Joseph), £22
Senna: The Truth by Franco Nugnes (Pitch Publishing), £25
The Ferrari 250 GTO Spotting Guide by Yan-Alexandre Damasiewicz (Blenheim Publishing), £40
Best Design
Dragster Genesis: The Formative Years of Fearsome Acceleration by Barry John (Evro Publishing), £50
Porsche 911: The Art of Speed by René Staud and Jürgen Lewandowski (Prestel Publishing), £65
The Art of Racing: Helmets by Joe Twyman (Hothouse Media), £495
Judging Panel
The six-strong independent judging panel comprises Mick Walsh (Classic & Sports Car), Wayne Batty (Octane and Magneto), Damien Smith (formerly Motor Sport), Ian Titchmarsh (British Racing Drivers’ Club), specialist bookseller Ben Horton (Horton’s Books) and Christian Whitehead (Blackwell’s Oxford). Respected motorsport writer and commentator Simon Taylor is the panel’s non-voting chairman and will host the Awards ceremony.
The Awards form part of the Royal Automobile Club’s London Motor Week (26 October – 1 November 2026), culminating in the St James’s Motoring Spectacle on Saturday 31 October, when Pall Mall will host a free celebration of motoring past, present and future, followed on Sunday 1 November by the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, the world’s longest-running motoring event.
About The Royal Automobile Club
The Royal Automobile Club was founded in 1897, and its distinguished history mirrors that of motoring itself. In 1907, the Club was awarded its Royal title by King Edward VII, sealing the Club’s status as Britain’s oldest and most influential motoring organisation.
The Club’s early years were focused on promoting the motor car and its place in society, which developed into motoring events such as the 1000 Mile Trial, first held in 1900. In 1905, the Club held the first Tourist Trophy, one of the oldest continuously run competitive motor sports event. The Club promoted the first pre-war and post-war Grands Prix at Brooklands in 1926 and Silverstone in 1948 respectively, whilst continuing to campaign for the rights of the motorist, including introducing the first driving licences.
Today, the Club continues to develop and support automobilism through representation on the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and RAC Foundation, while promoting its own motoring events including London Motor Week and the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.
The Royal Automobile Club also awards a series of historically world-famous trophies and medals celebrating motoring achievements. These include the Segrave Trophy, the Tourist Trophy, the Simms Medal, the Dewar Trophy, the Torrens Trophy, the Diamond Jubilee Trophy and the Historic Awards.
