The Royal Automobile Club Historic Awards has named Samantha Ruff from Harry Fraser Vehicle Upholstery and Pendine among its 24 finalists for 2025.
Sammy has been nominated for the Young Achiever category, which is supported by onsite charity StarterMotor. She joined Harry’s team in 2021 with no prior experience, having been a legal secretary, but has quickly become one the best in the business.
Remarkably, Sammy’s sister Catherine was the recipient of 2024’s Young Achiever award.
Pendine, meanwhile, has been recognised for its Jaguar C-Type for the second time in a few weeks. As with the International Historic Motoring Awards, C-type XKC 044 has been nominated in the ‘Restoration’ category.
The car was sourced by Pendine for its owner Tony Purnell, team principal of Jaguar Racing in Formula 1, and the team in the Blast House led by James Mitchell oversaw its return to originality with CKL Developments. Even the mistakenly asymmetric headlights have been reshaped to match period photographs.
Judging for the Restoration category will take place at Bicester Motion in Hangar 113, where the C-type will line up alongside fellow finalists 1924 Hispano-Suiza H6C ‘Boulogne’ first owned by 1930 Le Mans winning ‘Bentley Boy’ Glen Kidston and a 1926 Rally Grand Sport Type S.
The winners will be announced at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, on Thursday 20 November.