The Royal Automobile Club’s Motoring Book of the Year finalists have been announced and the winners will be named at a ceremony on Wednesday 29 October.
There are five categories, plus an overall winner, and books published between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025 are eligible.
The RAC’s Motoring Book of the Year is now in its twelfth year and Jeremy Vaughan, Head of Motoring at the Club, said: ‘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.’
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)
DeLorean: The Rise, Fall and Second Acts of the DeLorean Motor Company – Matt Stone (Motorbooks, £30)
Ford Mustang 60 Years – Donald Farr (Motorbooks, £40)
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)
Power Unleashed: Trailblazers who Energised Engines with Supercharging and Turbocharging – Karl Ludvigsen (Evro Publishing, £395)
Spy Octane: The Vehicles of James Bond (Vol. 1) – Matt Field & Ajay Chowdhury (Porter Press International, £99)
The Magic of a Shadow – Davide Bassoli (Nubes Argentea, £215)
Motor Sporting Subject (under £50)
A.J. Foyt – Vol. 1: Survivor, Champion, Legend – Art Garner (Octane Press, £37)
Forever Young: Six Lost Talents of Motor Racing – Ian Wagstaff, Andrew Marriott, Jon Saltinstall & Darren Banks (BHP Publishing, £40)
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)
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)
My Travels On Racer Road: Can-Am and Formula 1 in their golden age – Pete Lyons (Evro Publishing, £70)
Texas Legend: Jim Hall and his Chaparrals – George Levy (Evro Publishing, £60)
Ultimate Ford GT40: The Definitive History Vol. 1 – Ronnie Spain (Porter Press International, £325)
Best Debut Author (Graham Robson Trophy)
De Tomaso: Racing Blue Blood – Alejo Pérez Monsalvo & Marcel Schaub (McKlein Media, £295)
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)
On the Prowl: The Definitive History of the Walkinshaw Jaguar Sports Car Team – Neil Smith (David Bull Publishing, £100)
