The Friend of Automotive History Award recognizes a person who has made a profound individual contribution to the automotive history community and to the historical record.
The Award Panel may select more than one individual for a given year or may not select any individual for a given year.
Nominations
All nominations and enquiries should be emailed to sahawards@autohistory.org. Your email will then be forwarded to the Friend committee chair.
Nominations should include the name of the award, the name of the person being nominated, the name and contact information of individual making the nomination, and one or two lines outlining the reason for making the nomination.
Neither nominees nor nominators have to be SAH members.
All nominations for the Friend Award must be be received by April 15 of this year.
Previous Award Winners
2025
Matthew Short
2024
Ken Gross
2023
Rubén Verdés.
2022
Donald C. Davidson.
2021
Richard Lentinello.
2020
Peter Mullin.
2019
Nicola Bulgari.
2018
Jeff Godshall.
Doug Nye.
2017
Robert R. Ebert.
2016
Susan S. Davis.
2015
Jack C. Miller (deceased 2020) acceptance video with Jack Miller.
2014
James Douglas Muir “Jay” Leno.
2013
Frederick A. Simeone.
2012
Joseph S. Freeman.
2011
Kit Foster.
2010
Miles C. Collier.
2009
G. Marshall Naul (deceased 2015).
2008
Thomas H. Brownell (deceased 2009).
2007
Malcolm Jeal (deceased 2016).
2006
Bobbie’dine Rodda (deceased 2017).
2005
Leroy D. Cole.
2004
Maurice D. Hendry.
2003
Z. Taylor Vinson (deceased 2009).
2002
Richard M. Langworth.
Karl E. Ludvigsen.
2001
John Martin Smith (deceased 2012).
2000
Paul Berliet (deceased 2012).
Thomas E. Warth.
1999
David W. Brownell (deceased 2021).
1998
Michael Worthington-Williams MBE (deceased 2021).
1997
Lord Montagu of Beaulieu (deceased 2015).
1996
L. Scott Bailey (deceased 2012).
1995
Chester L. Krause (deceased 2016).
1994
Walter O. MacIlvain (deceased 1998).
1993
Frederick D. Roe (deceased 2009).
1992
John A. Conde (deceased 2008).
1991
David L. Lewis.
1990
Michael Lamm.
1989
Ralph Dunwoodie (deceased 2003).
1988
Keith Marvin (deceased 2009).
1987
Peter Helck (deceased 1988).
1986
Beverly Rae Kimes (deceased 2008).
1985
Richard and Grace Brigham (Richard deceased July 1995, Grace 2009).
1984
Charles L. Betts, Jr. (deceased 1997).
1983
Henry Austin Clark, Jr. (deceased 1991).
Honorary Memberships
Prior to the Friends of Automotive History Award, the following contributors to automotive history were awarded honorary memberships:
George Risley of the Detroit Public Library.
Jerry Gebby of the Detroit Public Library
Duesenberg historian Raymond Wolfe
Automotive artist Peter Helck
Walter Spencer Huffman, who saved the personal papers of Elwood Haynes
Mary Cattie of the Automotive History Collection at the Free Library of Philadelphia
Strother MacMinn of the Art Center College of Design
William Harrah of the Harrah Museum
Roy Chapin, Jr. of American Motors
John R. Bond of Road & Track
Owen Bombard of the Ford Motor Company