The International Historic Motoring Awards (IHMA) were held at the Peninsula London hotel late last year, with over A$14 million of classic and collector cars on display.
The highlight was the attendance of legendary designer Giorgetto Giugiaro who was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award, for his seven decades as one of the most influential automotive designers of all time.
Giugiaro was responsible not just for many of the most iconic cars of the last 70 years but also for motorcycles, watches, furniture, cameras, and even pasta and a cathedral organ.
His best-known car designs include the original VW Golf and Fiat Panda, the Maserati Ghibli and the Lotus Esprit. At the awards, he was reunited with the one-off Aston Martin DB4 GT Jet, which he said he last saw when it was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 1961.
This year’s winners were announced in front of more than 390 guests from around the world, including Australia, New Zealand, USA, UAE, Japan and Europe, at a sold-out ceremony, and the evening was hosted by renowned broadcaster and racing driver Amanda Stretton.
Other highlights included the Personal Achievement of the Year award, presented to Tomas de Vargas Machuca for his 37-day, 14,899km drive through 12 countries from Paris to Peking in a 1925 Bentley, and the presentation of the Industry Supporter of the Year to the Heritage Skills Academy, which trains young people in traditional car restoration skills.
David Lillywhite, editorial director of IHMA organisers Hothouse Media, said: “The classic-car world continues to defy economic trends. The events get bigger and better every year, the restoration companies and specialists set the quality of work higher and higher, and the owners themselves continue to indulge in their passions for the driving and ownership of these remarkable cars. The industry is thriving, and the record attendance of the International Historic Motoring Awards from all around the world is further proof of that.”
Geoff Love, managing director of Hothouse Media, said: “The IHMA’s near-400 crowd and our winners from across the world made one thing clear: Historic motoring is in very good hands. Yes, we celebrate the past, but it’s the fresh thinking, the new generations coming through and the incredible craft on display that give this world its real momentum.”
Check out this story from the Unique Cars Archive celebrating Giorgetto’s designs.