Franco Nugnes takes the Club’s top literary honour for his compelling account of Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna, as Russell Hayes makes Awards history with a double victory and Paul Skilleter receives the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Senna: The Truth by acclaimed Italian motorsport journalist Franco Nugnes (Pitch Publishing, £25) has been crowned the Royal Automobile Club’s 2026 Motoring Book of the Year, the Club’s highest accolade for motoring and motorsport literature.
The award was announced at a prestigious ceremony at the Club’s historic Pall Mall clubhouse in London on Wednesday 28 October, attended by leading authors, publishers and figures from the motoring industry.
The gripping book revisits the events surrounding the tragic death of three-time Formula 1 World Champion Ayrton Senna at Imola in 1994. Drawing on original investigations and first-hand testimony, Nugnes reconstructs that fateful weekend, challenges long-held assumptions and offers fresh insights into one of motorsport’s most defining moments, while celebrating the extraordinary legacy of one of Formula 1’s greatest drivers.
The coveted overall award is judged separately from the six individual motoring and motorsport categories.
Lifetime Achievement Award for Paul Skilleter
The evening opened with the presentation of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award to Paul Skilleter, celebrating nearly six decades of outstanding contribution to motoring literature, journalism and publishing.
Widely regarded as one of the world's foremost Jaguar historians, Skilleter began his career at Motor magazine in 1966 and went on to author landmark books, including Jaguar Sports Cars and Jaguar Saloon Cars. He also played a pivotal role in establishing influential titles such as Practical Classics and Jaguar Quarterly, before founding PJ Publishing with his wife June in 1989.
His exceptional knowledge, meticulous research and lifelong dedication to preserving motoring history have earned him widespread respect throughout the automotive world.
Historic Double Victory for Russell Hayes
Russell Hayes made Awards history as the first author to win two categories in the same year.
The Complete Book of Volkswagen GTI: Every Model Since 1976 (Motorbooks, £38) won Motor Cars & Motoring under £100, celebrating the evolution of the iconic hot hatch, while Aston Martin: The Entire Story (Evro Publishing, £195) claimed the no-price-limit award, chronicling more than a century of British automotive heritage.
Celebrating Motoring and Motorsport Literature
The Motor Cars & Motoring under £30 award went to Dream Road to Pan America by Shawn William Miller (University of California Press, £25), exploring the history of the legendary Pan-American Highway.
Paul Kenny won Motorsport Subject under £30 for Whitney Straight: Racing Driver, War Hero, Industrialist (The History Press, £25), while The Ferrari 250 GTO Spotting Guide by Yan-Alexandre Damasiewicz (Blenheim Publishing, £40) claimed the under £100 award.
The no-price-limit motorsport award went to The Maserati 250F: A Legendary Formula 1 Car by Walter Bäumer and Jean-François Blachette (Dalton Watson Fine Books, £295).
Best Debut Author and Best Design
The Graham Robson Trophy for Best Debut Author was awarded to Mr Wilman's Motoring Adventure: Top Gear, Grand Tour and Twenty Years of Magic and Mayhem, offering a fascinating insight into the man behind the scenes who helped transform motoring television into a global entertainment phenomenon. (Penguin Michael Joseph, £22).
The inaugural Best Design Award went to The Art of Racing: Helmets curated by Joe Twyman with Ronald Stern (Hothouse Media, £495), designed by Peter Allen which recognises its exceptional visual creativity, striking photography and outstanding production quality.
THE 2026 WINNERS
Lifetime Achievement Award
Paul Skilleter
Motoring Book of the Year 2026
Senna: The Truth
By Franco Nugnes
Pitch Publishing, £25
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
Motor Cars & Motoring – under £100
The Complete Book of Volkswagen GTI: Every Model Since 1976
By Russell Hayes
Motorbooks, £38
Motor Cars & Motoring – no price limit
Aston Martin: The Entire Story
By Russell Hayes
Evro Publishing, £195
Motorsport Subject – under £30
Whitney Straight: Racing Driver, War Hero, Industrialist – The Authorised Biography
By Paul Kenny
The History Press, £25
Motorsport Subject – under £100
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
Graham Robson Trophy for Best Debut Author
Mr Wilman’s Motoring Adventure: Top Gear, Grand Tour and Twenty Years of Magic and Mayhem
By Andy Wilman
Penguin Michael Joseph, £22
Best Design Award
The Art of Racing: Helmets
Curated by Joe Twyman with Ronald Stern
Designed by Peter Allen
Hothouse Media, £495
Notes to Editors
The 2026 Royal Automobile Club Motoring Book of the Year Awards recognise books published between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026. The overall award is judged separately from the six price-based category awards. The programme also includes the Graham Robson Trophy for Best Debut Author, the new Best Design Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award.
The six-strong independent judging panel comprises Mick Walsh (Classic & Sports Car), Wayne Batty (Octane and Magneto), Damien Smith (Autocar), 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.
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 and the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on Sunday 1 November.
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 its 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, which remains the oldest continuously competed-for motorsport event. The Club promoted the first pre-war and post-war Grands Prix at Brooklands in 1926 and Silverstone in 1948 respectively, while 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 each October, which culminates in the RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.
The Royal Automobile Club awards a series of historic trophies and medals celebrating motoring achievements. These include the Segrave Trophy, the Tourist Trophy, the Dewar Trophy, the Simms Medal, the Torrens Trophy and the Diamond Jubilee Trophy.
