Now in their twelfth year, the Awards continue to celebrate excellence across the entire spectrum of motoring publishing – from autobiographies and marque histories to technical works and even a children’s book. The winners, including the coveted overall Motoring Book of the Year, will be announced at a special ceremony at the Club’s historic Pall Mall clubhouse on Wednesday, 29 October 2025.
Jeremy Vaughan, Head of Motoring at the Club, commented: “We founded these Awards in 2013 to recognise excellence and celebrate success in the motoring literary world. They have become the Oscars of the motoring book world, and each year we are thrilled by the quality and breadth of entries. Our sincere thanks go to the judges, who had an especially tough task this year narrowing the field to this exceptional shortlist.”
Books published between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025 were eligible, with categories covering both motoring and motor sport subjects in affordable and premium editions. In addition to the category winners, the judges will present the overall Motoring Book of the Year Trophy to the single title they believe stands above all others, while the Graham Robson Trophy will honour the Best Debut Author. The Lifetime Achievement Award will recognise an individual’s outstanding contribution to the world of writing and publishing about motoring and motorsport.
Simon Taylor, Chairman of the judging panel, added “This has been a bumper year for entries, the biggest in the Awards’ history with fifty books submitted from major publishers to independents and self-published authors. The debate was lively, with each title judged for originality, research, writing style, illustration quality, and production values. It has been a delight to see such impressive and diverse titles across all categories, and the calibre of the finalists is exceptionally high.”
In strictly alphabetical order, the Royal Automobile Club Motoring Book of the Year 2025 finalists are:
Books About Motor Cars & Motoring (under £50.00)
- DeLorean: The Rise, Fall and Second Acts of the DeLorean Motor Company – Matt Stone (Motorbooks, £30.00)
- Ford Mustang 60 Years – Donald Farr (Motorbooks, £40.00)
- Meyers Manx 1964–2024 – Basem Wasef (Hothouse Media, £49.50)
- Super3 Design by Adventure – Andy Plumb (Lead-in Design Ltd, £49.99)
Books About Motor Cars & Motoring (no price limit)
- Joseph Figoni: Le Grand Couturier de la Carrosserie Automobile Vol. II–IV: Bugatti – Peter M. Larsen & Ben Erickson (Moteurs!, £650.00)
- Power Unleashed: Trailblazers who Energised Engines with Supercharging and Turbocharging – Karl Ludvigsen (Evro Publishing, £395.00)
- Spy Octane: The Vehicles of James Bond (Vol. 1) – Matt Field & Ajay Chowdhury (Porter Press International, £99.00)
- The Magic of a Shadow – Davide Bassoli (Nubes Argentea, £215.00)
Motor Sporting Subject (under £50.00)
- A.J. Foyt – Vol. 1: Survivor, Champion, Legend – Art Garner (Octane Press, £37.00)
- Forever Young: Six Lost Talents of Motor Racing – Ian Wagstaff, Andrew Marriott, Jon Saltinstall and Darren Banks (BHP Publishing, £40.00)
- Racing Legends: Lando Norris – Maurice Hamilton (Macmillan Children’s Books, £6.99)
- The Grand Prix Year: An Insider’s Guide to Formula 1 Racing – Phillip Horton (Bloomsbury, £20.00)
Motor Sporting Subject (no price limit)
- On the Prowl: The Definitive History of the Walkinshaw Jaguar Sports Car Team – Neil Smith (David Bull Publishing, £100.00)
- My Travels On Racer Road: Can-Am and Formula 1 in their golden age – Pete Lyons (Evro Publishing, £70.00)
- Texas Legend: Jim Hall and his Chaparrals – George Levy (Evro Publishing, £60.00)
- Ultimate Ford GT40: The Definitive History Vol. 1 – Ronnie Spain (Porter Press International, £325.00)
Best Debut Author (Graham Robson Trophy)
- De Tomaso: Racing Blue Blood – Alejo Pérez Monsalvo & Marcel Schaub (McKlein Media, £295.00)
- Driving the Dragon: The Rise of the Chinese Car Industry – Mark Andrews (Veloce/David & Charles, £19.99)
- Le Mans 2000-09: The Official History of the World’s Greatest Motor Race – John Brooks (Evro Publishing, £70.00)
- On the Prowl: The Definitive History of the Walkinshaw Jaguar Sports Car Team – Neil Smith (David Bull Publishing, £100.00)
Judging Panel
The Awards are judged by six experts who are independent of the Royal Automobile Club, and represent the UK’s most informed motoring literary critics, including Mick Walsh (Classic & Sports Car), Damien Smith (Motor Sport), Mark Dixon (Octane), Ian Titchmarsh (British Racing Drivers’ Club) and representing the retail sector Ben Horton (Horton’s Books), and Christian Whitehead (Blackwell’s). The judging panel is chaired by respected motorsport writer, commentator and historian Simon Taylor.
The Awards form part of the Royal Automobile Club’s London Motor Week (27 October – 2 November 2025), which culminates with two landmark public events. On Saturday 1 November, the St James’s Motoring Spectacle will see Pall Mall closed to traffic for a free, one-day celebration of motoring past, present and future, showcasing the latest in automotive technology and career opportunities while also acting as a preview to the following day’s RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. Held on Sunday 2 November, the Run is the world’s longest-running motoring event, now in its 129th year, and begins at dawn in Hyde Park.