2024 Michael Sedgwick and Malcolm Jeal award winners revealed

Published: 27/10/2024

Presentation of the Malcolm Jeal Award to Karl Ludvigsen by Guy Loveridge, chairman of the SAHB and of the judging panel.

The 2024 Michael Sedgwick Award for the best book on motoring written in the English language and the Malcolm Jeal Award for the best article to appear in print in English were presented at the Society of Automotive Historians in Britain (SAHB) autumn seminar at the Holiday Inn, Bromsgrove.

THE MICHAEL SEDGWICK AWARD:
The clear winner was John Bacchus, for his bookThe Viking and the Samurai (published by The Rover 200 & 400 Owners Club, 2024).

This book is an eyewitness account, telling the story of the crucial relationship between British Leyland/Rover and Honda, through the eyes of John Bacchus, the man who negotiated it in the 1970s and then managed it for the next 16 years, until it came to an end with the sale of Rover Group to BMW in 1994. John was at the heart of events throughout the turbulent era of mergers, strikes, nationalisation and privatisation, all overlaid on the challenges of cultural differences.

This account was written in 1996 when events were fresh in the author’s mind, but it was never published. Thirty years on from the BMW takeover, its historical importance has grown. It is a fascinating story, an important addition to the history of the British motor industry.

The production of this book is a collaboration by ex-employees and John’s friends.
John Bacchus, now aged 87, retired from the position of Director, Honda Collaboration, Rover Group in 1995 having spent the previous 25 years working for the Group and its predecessor companies.

His record of continuous service at a senior level is probably unmatched, reflecting the pivotal role that he played in making a complex and difficult ‘marriage’ work far better than many people thought was possible.

The judges felt that the book covered a vital episode in British motoring history, made all the more valuable by being told by a senior protagonist. The judges also took account of the accessibility of such a book at its price of only £15.

The award was handed to John’s son Richard by the Chairman of the Judging Panel, Guy Loveridge. John asked for the cheque for £250 to be paid to Dementia Research UK, as have all the proceeds from the sale of the book.

The SAHB acknowledges the generous support of the Michael Sedgwick Memorial Trust in making this award.

THE MALCOLM JEAL AWARD:
The clear winner was Karl Ludvigsen, for his two-part article: Too Clever by Half and Claveau: the FWD Years (in the October and November 2023 issues respectively of The Automobile).

Karl Ludvigsen is rightly renowned for his thorough research, his engaging and concise style and his ability to make engineering complexities clear for all readers. The judges considered that these articles not only displayed all these qualities but also dealt with genuinely new information about a little-known subject.

In addition, where else might one see, as early as the fourth paragraph of the article, a 1637 quotation from René Descartes? Its importance was then made admirably clear as the story unfolded: Émile Claveau was throughout his working life guided by the principles espoused by Descartes.

The article was copiously and aptly illustrated by technical drawings and photographs that brought a fascinating story even more to life. The judges had no hesitation in choosing this two-part work for the 2024 Malcolm Jeal Award.

The winner is announced and the award presented at the October seminar and AGM of the Society of Automotive Historians in Britain Limited (SAHB)  www.thesahb.com