Winners of the National Car Club Awards 2025 Revealed

Yvonne Gosney from Lancaster Insurance said: “Clubs are the heartbeat of our community, and these awards are a fantastic way to shine a spotlight on all the great things members, officials and clubs do to keep our hobby alive for generations to come. There were some incredible nominees this year and a huge congratulations to the deserved winners. It was great to celebrate with you at the show and we look forward to seeing you all again soon.”

Former Rover and Vauxhall PR Denis Chick, who now works with clubs such as the Rover Sports Register, received the Lifetime Achievement award. Since retiring, Denis has been a tireless advocate of the historic vehicle movement – and not just cars but buses and coaches too. His infectious enthusiasm for our hobby and his ability to bring enthusiasts together make him a deserving winner.

David Whale of the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC) was surprised by a new award for Industry Leader.  David works tirelessly for the protection of our whole movement, lobbying government, providing guidance to the nation’s clubs, supporting leaders with his counsel and embracing us all with continual kindness. He’s committed to keeping us all on the road, enjoying our passion and does this relentlessly, in his voluntary role as Chairman of the FBHVC.

The coveted Car Club of the Year award was presented to the Vintage Sports Car Club for leading the way in terms of facing some of the biggest challenges facing Britain’s historic vehicle movement head-on. It responded to challenges in expanding its membership with a new initiative, helping to establish new audiences for its cars, launched a podcast to reach more enthusiasts and took a leading role in carbon offsetting events and encouraging the use of synthetic fuel. While the cars it celebrates are more than 80 years old, this is definitely a club with its eyes on the future.

The award for Support of the Next Generation was presented to the MX-5 Owners Club, which showcased just how accessible Britain’s classic car hobby really is and put the next generation in the driving seat for its appearance at one of Britain’s biggest motoring events, with all cars owned by enthusiasts under the age of 25, repeating this at the NEC at the weekend.

The accolade for Charitable Endeavours was given to the Rover 200 & 400 Owners Club for going to extraordinary lengths to find an exceptional car with a great story to tell to be restore at the restoration show that they promptly sell it to raise money for various charities including the Red Cross, Dementia UK, and the Didcot Community Hospital.

Best Run/Event of the Year was awarded to the MG 100 Cavalcade organised by the MG Car Club, who created a fun and engaging event that brought club centres together and helped to put their marque in the public eye on British roads. Who would have thought a cardboard cutout of a motor industry mogul travelling cross-country would catch the imagination of the judges – and earn thousands of pounds for good causes.

The ’At Show’ award winners included the Young Retro Motor Club and The Swallow Register for the Best Stand at show, in the large and small section respectively.

Young Retro Motor Club were applauded for tackling anything old – not just cars – with a DIY attitude, and that was reflected on a stand where members’ infectious enthusiasm for their vehicles shone through. The judges loved how this stand gave younger enthusiasts a chance to immerse themselves in our hobby with showgoers given a warm welcome.

Making its show debut, the Swallow Register’s small stand managed to create a display that not only embraced the show’s DNA but also one the judges had never seen before in terms of the vehicles coming together.

The Allard Owners Club was celebrated for Best Live Demonstration for its ingenious petrol tank cleaning contraption whilst the Morris Minor Owners Club’s Young Members were thrilled to receive Best Live Working on a Car Club Stand at the Show.

Best Barn Find/Unrestored went to Lewis Buchan’s 1954 Reliant Regal MKII on the Reliant Owners Club Stand. The Best Restored Car at Show was won by Eddie Smith’s Estate-bodied Riley RME on the Riley RM Club stand.

The Celebrities Choice Award, given to the car that turned the heads and stole the hearts of the attending TV motoring personalities, was won by Dave Walkers’ 1964 MGB Roadster, which had been fitted with a Jaguar Straight Six engine, on the MG Owners Club stand.

Classic Car Weekly’s Club Hero award, voted for by the readers, was presented Bob Allan from The Imp Club who, over four decades, has done everything from mastermind the club’s national rally, co-ordinate a spares scheme, and embraced new technology such as 3D printing. He’s retiring from his day job so he can focus more on his club role… but what more can he do!

As part of the proceedings, a tribute by way of a rapturous round of applause was paid to Rosie Hamilton, stalwart of the Morris Minor Owners Club and the recipient of the 2017 Lifetime Achievement award who passed away earlier in the month.

Supported by Classic Car Weekly and Practical Classics and endorsed by the Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs (FBHVC), the 2025 judging panel features David Whale, Chairman of FBHVC, David Simister, Editor of Classic Car Weekly, and Danny Hopkins, Editor of Practical Classics. Find more information at www.nationalcarclubawards.com.