The 2019 Award Winners

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Allan Winn’s triumphs at Brooklands put him firmly on the front row for the Club’s Lifetime Achievement Award – he transformed Brooklands into what is now a remarkable destination with exhibits and attractions that could only be dreamt of 15 years ago.

A former motoring and aviation journalist, Allan has driven and competed in old cars for more than half a century, was a Director of the Vintage Sports Car Club for 17 years and, as Chairman of the Friends of Brooklands, was part of the team that helped to raise funds for the museum to buy the 1933 24-litre Napier-Railton endurance record and track racing car. 

From 2003-18 he was Director of Brooklands Museum, where his most notable legacies are the re-opening of the iconic Finishing Straight and the Brooklands Aircraft Factory in 2017.  Key to Allan’s success has been his firm belief that a museum must be a ‘living’ entity. He has a well-known dislike for what he calls ‘dead things in sheds’ - engines must fire up, things must move. His engineering background has given him the necessary awareness and sensitivity about the period buildings and track (which were never expected to last 110 years, having been built over a period of less than a year), but he doesn’t believe in wrapping them in cotton wool, once stating that “It’s like a Victorian swimming pool; it doesn’t mean anything unless you fill it with water and chuck people into it.”

Allan’s contributions to the world of historic motoring - he is an active race marshal and a regular judge at concours including Pebble Beach - and to Brooklands continue to this day, following his appointment as the Museum’s first Vice President in 2018. 

The Chateau Impney Hill climb took top honours here, with the judges commending its winning combination of a classic venue, excellent organisation, ‘proper’ competition from a strong entry and great facilities and attractions for visitors.

FINALISTS IN THIS CATEGORY:

·  Castle Combe Autumn Classic

·  Chateau Impney Hill Climb 

·  Le Mans Start Silverstone (VSCC Formula Vintage Festival)

All three of our finalists in this category fulfilled the criteria for a true motoring spectacle, but only one had the depth of content to continue to captivate long after the initial impact has been forgotten. The Concours of Elegance managed to gather an entry strong enough to live up to the breathtaking venue, boosted this year by some exceptional special displays.

FINALISTS IN THIS CATEGORY:

·  Bentley Drivers Club '1001 Bentleys at Blenheim' (in association with Salon Privé)

·  Bicester Heritage Super Scramble 

·  Concours of Elegance at Hampton Court Palace

The Jim Clark Motorsport Museum opened in June this year. The judges said: “The museum conveys a sense of place like few others, linking the stories of Jim Clark and the nearby towns, and encouraging visitors to explore those links through a trail that takes in his farm and grave, amongst others. It has done an extraordinary job in attracting over 1,000 visitors a month to Duns, which is not on the normal tourist trail and requires a committed journey to reach.”

FINALISTS IN THIS CATEGORY:

·  British Commercial Vehicle Museum

·  Jim Clark Motorsport Museum

·  The Bugatti Trust