On Thursday 16th November 300 of the world’s biggest classic and performance car enthusiasts came together in London to celebrate the winners of the Octane Awards 2017 – the accolade of Car of the Year being won by the 2017 Jaguar XKSS Continuation.
Now in their seventh year, the awards celebrate the continued growth of the classic car industry, which has continued to flourish largely due to the efforts of the likes of the nominees.
The much coveted Car of the Year category was voted for by thousands of Octane readers. The winning 2017 Jaguar XKSS Continuation was the completion of a project started in the mid-1950s when the Coventry company converted 25 racing D-types into road legal cars. A factory fire in 1957 destroyed nine of these pioneering supercars, but now that tragic loss has been gloriously reversed. The meticulously crafted continuation cars that emerged from Jaguar Classic this year have inspired awe in enthusiasts around the world.
Leonardo Fioravanti was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for his extensive body of work in the automotive industry in general, and with Ferrari in particular.
Robert Coucher, International Editor of Octane magazine said: “All the nominees have made an invaluable contribution to the old car scene, and the judges had an extraordinarily difficult time choosing between them. The panel’s task was not an enviable one, but I’m sure you’ll agree the winners are most deserving and their accomplishments hugely inspiring.”
The full list of winners from the Octane Awards 2017 is:
Car of the Year
2017 Jaguar XKSS Continuation
Lifetime Achievement Award
Leonardo Fioravanti
Club of the Year
The Vintage Sports-Car Club
Museum or Collection of the Year
Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum
Specialist of the Year
AC Heritage
Race Series of the Year
The Historic Grand Prix Cars Association
Motorsport Event of the Year
Goodwood Members’ Meeting
Motoring Event of the Year
Vintage Revival Montlhéry
Rally of the Year
Modena Cento Ore
Tour of the Year
International Bugatti Meeting
Publication of the Year
Mille Miglia Portraits
Industry Supporter of the Year
Mercedes-Benz Club
Manufacturer Heritage Collection of the Year
Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works
Performance Car of the Year
Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Verde
Supercar of the Year
The McLaren 720s
Luxury Car of the Year
The Bentley Mulsanne
Modern Bespoke car of the Year
Rolls-Royce Sweptail
Personal Achievement Award
Corrado Lopresto
Restoration of the Year
1954 Jaguar XK120 SE by Pinin Farina
The event took place at The Underglobe, directly beneath Shakespeare’s Globe on London’s Southbank on Thursday 16th November.
