Recognising talent at the Automotive Industry Dinner

On 20th March, more than 140 Coachmakers and guests joined the Master and Wardens for the Automotive Industry Dinner at Grocers’ Hall, home to one of the Great 12 Livery Companies.

The evening was a key part of the Company’s series of annual events and an occasion to recognise and reward great talent of the future, and to hear from two distinguished speakers who have no doubt inspired those making their way in the industry.

Awards were presented to eight highly talented automotive design students. The Master and the Motor Car Centenary Bursary Award Sub-Committee, led by Chair, Assistant Giles Taylor, work tirelessly to encourage these young people, and select the best from the talent pool to receive our awards and bursaries.

Our automotive award winners

The Motor Centenary Award 2024 was presented to Moritz Bunar and Edward Johnson. This award provides an annual bursary to enable an outstanding young car designer with the opportunity to advance their studies in the field of automotive design.

The Sir William Lyons Automotive Design Award, presented by Liveryman Michael Quinn, was won by Harvey Leeds. The award goes to an outstanding undergraduate with automotive talent to help advance their studies the final year of design studies before entering the car industry.

Weronika Lupikasza received the Advanced Automotive Engineering Research Bursary. This is awarded to a second-year undergraduate studying for a BEng Degree at Brunel University.

Adam Shaw and James Glover each received the Heritage Skills Academy Apprentice Award upon successful completion of the three-year Heritage Restoration Skills course at the Heritage Skills Academy Bicester, funded by the Coachmakers.

The Bentley Historic Restoration Skills Award for apprentices delivering excellence in the restoration of Bentley cars was handed to Oscar Pinder and Kurt Jennings.

The awards were not the only highlight of a wonderful evening. Our two keynote speakers, Liveryman Michael Quinn, and John McLaren, Chairman of Eagle E-types, made it a very Jaguar affair, and shared fascinating perspectives on their outstanding careers.

Liveryman Michael Quinn OBE

Liveryman Michael Quinn is the grandson of Sir William Lyons – known as ‘Mr Jaguar’, the co-founder in 1922 of the Swallow Sidecar Company, which became Jaguar Cars Limited after the Second World War. As for Michael himself, having more than 30 years’ experience at a Jaguar dealer in Kensington, his own passion for all things Jaguar is unrivalled. Michael talked about his grandfather as ‘Chief Stylist’ and about Jaguar’s first foray into motor racing with an XK120. Fascinating stories about full size silhouettes and much more.

John McLaren

John McLaren is Chairman of the Barchester Group. He began his career as a diplomat before working in investment banking and venture capital, where he was a General Partner with Hambrecht and Quist Venture Partners in San Francisco. He was also Director of Morgan Grenfell, and Deutsche Bank. He is Non-Executive Chairman of Eagle Cars and commissioned and still owns Eagle No1. John enlightened us about the link between Eagle Cars, Harrison Ford and Glenmorangie, among other interesting anecdotes.

Two amazing Jaguar cars were on display, a series 1 drophead, thanks kindly to Steward Roger Woodbridge, and an Eagle Low Drag GT. We also had designer Paul Brace from Eagle Cars in attendance for the evening.

As our Company grows it’s fantastic to see so many young people coming into the automotive industry and wanting to know more about The Coachmakers.