The Simms Medal
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 genuine contribution to motoring innovation by individuals or small companies.
Like the Club’s other major award for British engineering, the Dewar Trophy, the Simms Medal is awarded only 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.
Previous Winners
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 and very successfully – 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 ground breaking 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
Fifth winner, Mr. 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
Fourth winner, Mr. Bill Gibson of Zytek, for developments in the fields of motorsport and electric vehicles.
2005
Third winner, Mr. Simon Saunders of Ariel Motor Company for designing the Ariel Atom sports car.
2004
Second winner, Professor Gary Savage of B.A.R. Formula 1 team for the team’s carbon fibre gearbox.
2003
First winner, Mr Mick Hyde of Radical Motorsport for the SR3 sports racing car.
