Motoring
The Dewar Trophy and Simms Medal
THE DEWAR TROPHY
This trophy is awarded for ‘Outstanding British Technical Achievement in the Automotive Industry’.
It is only awarded when the Club’s expert committee believes that there are contenders of sufficient merit, with winners joining a remarkable line-up of automotive greats.
It was presented to the Club in 1904 by Sir Thomas Dewar MP (later Lord Dewar), and was to be awarded at the discretion of the Club’s Technical Committee for the most meritorious performance by an automobile manufacturer in the Certified Trials held by the Club.
In 1931 the award was updated to reflect ‘the most outstanding technical achievement accomplished during that year under the competition rules of the Club’. No award was made under these new terms, however, until 1950 – when it went to the Rover Company for the production and performance of the Rover Gas Turbine Powered Car.
It was only in 1957 that the terms were changed to those which prevail to this day, namely: ‘for an outstanding British technical achievement in the automotive field during the preceding year’.
THE SIMMS MEDAL
Awarded for ‘An Outstanding Contribution to Motoring Innovation’, the Royal Automobile Club Simms Medal is named after the Club’s founding member Frederick Simms and is awarded to recognise a major contribution to motoring innovation by individuals or small companies.
The Simms Medal is only awarded in the years when an example of sufficiently innovative automotive design and/or manufacture has taken place, rather than being an annual award. The Simms Medal is complimentary to the Dewar Trophy, and the two awards are made in a joint ceremony.
The Dewar Trophy Technical Committee is responsible for choosing the recipients of the Simms Medal. The Committee is composed of automotive industry experts who meet regularly throughout the year to discuss candidates and submissions.
Winners of the Dewar Trophy
Winners of the Dewar Trophy
2024
Cosworth, for developing ultra-high-performance internal-combustion engines to power some of the world’s most exciting ‘hypercars’.
2023
YASA for its revolutionary axial-flux electric motor – technology that puts Britain at the forefront of high-performance, zero-emission cars.
2022
Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains in recognition for the successful implementation of its Formula One powertrain in the road-legal Mercedes-AMG ONE hypercar.
2021
JCB for the development of its ABH2 hydrogen fuelled motor.
2019
JCB for the development and introduction into the market of the JCB 19C-1E electric mini excavator – the construction industry’s first fully electric mini excavator.
2018
Integral Powertrain Limited for the development of the integrated electric motors and inverters which powered the 2018 Pikes Peak winning car.
2017
Jaguar for the development of its all-electric, zero emission, high performance I-PACE Concept
2016
Gordon Murray Design for the development and application of the innovative iStream® chassis concept, including its use in the Global Vehicle Trust OX all-terrain vehicle.
2015
GKN Hybrid Power for the development and application to buses of Gyrodrive technology
2014
Mercedes AMG High Performance Power Trains for the development of its Formula One world championship- winning Mercedes-Benz PU106A Hybrid power unit
2013
McLaren Automotive – development and launch of its advanced sell-out McLaren P1™ supercar
2012
Ford Motor Company – development of the 1.0-litre Eco-Boost engine.
2009
Mercedes-Benz High Performance Engines – Formula One Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS)
2008
Group Lotus plc – development of its Versatile Vehicle Architecture (VVA) Chassis technology as exemplified in the Lotus Evora sportscar
2006
The JCB Dieselmax team – development of the world diesel land speed record-breaking ‘JCB DIESELMAX’ streamliner
2005
Ricardo plc – work on the development of the Dual Clutch Transmission technology as exemplified by the DCT and Active 4WD for the Bugatti Veyron
2004
Delphi Corporation – development of their twin-floating disc ‘Maximum Torque Brake’ system
2003
Jaguar Cars – development of the all-aluminium body structure for the new XJ Series
2002
Ricardo plc – development of its I-MoGen (Intelligent Motor Generator) mild hybrid vehicle
1997
MIRA, the Motor Industry Research Association – development of the M-SIS, Side Impact Simulation System
1995
Rover Group Limited – development of the Holovision system to measure and understand the vibration behaviour and their component parts in order to improve vehicle refinement
1985
Lucas Girling Limited – development of anti-lock braking systems for cars, trucks and motorcycles leading to production of the low cost Stop Control System (SCS) for front wheel drive cars
1984
BL Technology Limited, and the Design Team led by C S Kin CBE – a convincing demonstration of automobile design possibilities providing opportunities for significant energy savings as embodied in the experimental vehicle ECV3
1981
BL Cars Limited – efficiency in automobile design in respect of the utilisation of interior space and predicted low cost of ownership of the Austin Metro Car
1977
The Triplex Safety Glass Company Limited – development, manufacture and application to production automobiles of the Ten Twenty safety glass as an outstanding contribution to the safety of automobile occupants
1973
The Dunlop Company Limited – development of DENOVO fail-safe tyre and wheel system, as an outstanding contribution to road safety
1972
The British Leyland Motor Corporation (Truck and Bus Division) – design, development and construction of the Leyland National Bus which represents a radical new approach to the development of a public service vehicle incorporating maximum pay-load and security at minimal cost and maintenance
1971
The British Leyland Motor Corporation, coupled with the name of P M Wilkes – advanced development in automobile design as exemplified by the Range Rover
1969
Mr Keith Duckworth, BSc, ACGI, – design of the Ford Formula 1 engine which has retained the supremacy of British engineering in Grand Prix racing
1967
The Motor Industry Research Association – for carrying out research and initiating development of the load proportioning system of braking to prevent ‘jack-knifing’ of articulated vehicles
1963
Coventry Climax Engines Limited – for design, development and production of engines which have brought British cars to the forefront of Grand Prix racing
1959
British Motor Corporation and Alec Issigonis – Advanced development in automobile design, as exemplified by the Morris Mini-Minor and Austin Seven
1958
G A Vandervell – Design, development, production and performance of the Vanwall car
1957
The Dunlop Rubber Company Limited – work on disc brakes and research and development of tyres for the M G car, which secured various international speed records
1952
Sunbeam-Talbot Limited – Performance in 1952 International Alpine Rally
1951
Jaguar Cars Limited – Performance in four major international events
1950
The Rover Company Limited – Production and performance of the gas turbine powered car
1929
Miss V Cordery – Invicta chassis – 30,000 miles
1928
C B Wardman – Mercedes Benz heavy oil lorry. Consumption and reliability
1926
Violet Cordery – Invicta Car – 5,000 miles
1925
Rover Company Limited – 13,96h.p. car. Fifty ascents and descents of Bwlch-y-Groes- Merionethshire
1923
Rapson Tyre and Jack Company Limited – Rapson cord tyres – 40,000 miles trial
1922
Armstrong-Siddeley Motors Limited – 10,000 miles trial
1921
John I Thornycroft and Company Limited – ‘BT’ type lorry
1920
The National Benzole Company Limited – 10,000 miles trial
1914
The National Steam Company Limited – National coke fuel motor lorry consumption tests
1913
F.S. Bennett Limited – 1914 model 32.2hp Cadillac car.
1911
The Thomas Transmission Limited – 2,000 miles trial of a lorry and London-Edinburgh and back trial of 13.96hp car. Both fitted with Thomas Transmission
1910
S F Edge – 59.9hp Napier. London to Edinburgh and back top-gear trial
1909
The Daimler Company Limited – Two sleeve-valve engines of 22.8hp and 34.4hp respectively. 132 hours’ bench test and 2,000 miles on Brooklands track
1908
The Anglo-American Motor Company Limited – Standardisation test of three 10hp Cadillac cars
1907
Rolls-Royce Limited – 40.50hp Rolls-Royce. 15,000 miles
1906
Dennis Bros. Limited – 20hp Dennis Car. 4,000 miles
Winners of the Simms Medal
Winners of the Simms Medal
2024
Maeving, awarded for its innovative electric motorbikes designed and built in Britain.
2023
Alex Summers, creator of a ground-breaking hillclimb racing car that aims to help female drivers compete at the very top of the sport.
2022
McMurtry Automotive for the conception, design and manufacture of the stunning McMurtry Spéirling, which broke the hill record at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
2020
Dr Rob Lewis OBE for the development of the Catesby Tunnel Test Facility and the associated innovation centre.
2019
Zef Eisenberg: a man driven by technology and daring, demonstrating its potential in the most extreme manner.
2017
HIPERCAR Consortium for the development of the HIPERCAR.
2016
Riversimple for the development of the Rasa hydrogen fuel cell electric car.
2015
Williams Advanced Engineering is awarded the Simms Medal for the design, development and production of the battery powering Formula E racing cars.
2013
Lord Paul Drayson for setting four Electric World Land Speed Records for sub-999kg vehicles.
2012
Ben Bowlby for his brilliant realisation of the groundbreaking DeltaWing racing car.
2009
World Steam Land Speed Record team, with a special dedication to former Project Manager, the late Mr Frank Swanston, for breaking the 103-year-old world record and raising it to an average of 148.308mph over two consecutive runs over a measured kilometre.
2007
Richard Parry-Jones CBE, in recognition of his immense contribution to the UK and world automobile industry (as the Ford Motor Company Group Vice President and Chief Technical Officer).
2006
Bill Gibson of Zytek, for developments in the fields of motorsport and electric vehicles.
2005
Simon Saunders of Ariel Motor Company for designing the Ariel Atom sports car.
2004
Professor Gary Savage of B.A.R. Formula 1 team for the team’s carbon fibre gearbox.
2003
Mick Hyde of Radical Motorsport for the SR3 sports racing car.