Distinguished motoring author Jonathan Wood is the 2021 winner of the Michael Sedgwick award with what he insists will be his last motoring book. The tenth annual award was presented to Hugh Palmer, the publisher of Aston Martin & LM10 at the Society of Automotive Historians in Britain Autumn Seminar on October 10th at The Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation at Paulerspury. This book has been described as two for the price of one, as not only is this the history of this particular works car that was the most entered at Le Mans, competing in 1932, 1933 and 1934, it is also a new and most detailed history of the Aston Martin marque, mainly centred on the pre-1945 period.
One cannot do better than to quote from the review on the SAHB website by fellow-author Anders Ditlev Clausager. 'The pleasure in this book comes from the combination of diligent research and Jonathan's accessible writing style: it is simply a good read.' ... 'it is a delightful and welcome supplement to the established Aston Martin canon.'
Zack Stilling in his review for The Automobile was equally enthusiastic - ‘Hugh Palmer and Jonathan Wood have done the subject immense justice. What sets the LM10 book apart is that it does not confine itself solely to the titular motor-car, but it also retells the full story of Aston Martin in the pre-war years. Viewing it as two books combined in one, the first is the marque history to which all marque histories should aspire, and the second is so fully and perfectly undertaken as to be real testament to Hugh Palmer’s love for the car.’
The Michael Sedgwick Award comprises a commemorative plaque and a £250 cheque from the MSMT. The awarding panel is drawn from members of the Society of Automotive Historians in Britain and chaired by Guy Loveridge.
