Gerry Coker Award for Excellence
The Gerry Coker Award for Excellence has been personally established in 2004 by Gerry, as designer of the original Healey 100, for a Healey 100/4 owner who, in one given year has extensively driven his car and participated more than once in (semi-)competitive rally’s or tours. In April 2013 Gerry Coker, in consultation with Bill Emerson, decided that the Foundation Healey Museum would be a worthy successor to annually grant the Gerry Coker Award for Excellence.
This award honors an Austin-Healey 100 that in the grantee’s view preserves the combination of design and driving enjoyment envisioned in the beautifully shaped car styled by Gerry. The year, the winner’s name, the car type and the year concerned are inscribed on the perpetual trophy. The trophy will remain in the Healey Museum but the winner is awarded a separate trophy which consists of a plaque, with a 100 in bronze to keep.
Previous winners of the Gerry Coker Award
The proud winners who were awarded previous editions of the Gerry Coker Award are:
2004 – Bob Griffin, who raced on several circuits in the States and took part in the Mille Miglia
2005 – Bill Meade, whose car was winner of the 2005 Road & Track Editor’s Choice Award at the Quail Lodge Concours in Monterey, CA and is Founder & Registrar of the Worldwide 100M Le Mans Registry
2006 – Larry Paterson who raced his 100M in Canada and the US; the car looks as new.
2008 – Reid Trummel, with his 100 that he has driven coast-to-coast in the USA twice, and also competed with in numerous rallies
2009 – Don Schneider whose 100 was the winner of the Concours Classic Car Club of America. His car is depicted in Bill Emerson’s The Healey Book 2012 – Jetze Visser from The Nederland took part in several competitive events in Europe, such as the Mille Miglia and the Targa Florio
2013 – John Wheatley from the UK, who at July 1 2014, owns his Healey 100 for 60 years
2014 – Bruno Verstraete, for his resentless strive to demonstrate the beauty and competitive character of the Austin Healey. The creation of the endurance car and the registration to repeat the record attempt by DMH as well as the daily use of this Healey 100 “5300” (start number for the Salt Flats) convinced us to award this prize to Bruno Verstraete. More information related to this occasion can be found on our Healey Museum YouTube channel and Healey 100 Facebookpage.
2015 – Joe Jarick, who is the founding and life member of the Austin Healey Owners Club of Queensland. An Austin Healey 100 owner since 1968 and 100S owner since 1971. At that time Joe brought into being the 100S Register and following corresponding with the Donald Healey Motor Company he assisted them with the collation of their records from late 1973 to early 1975. Joe has regularly written articles on Special Test Cars and the 100S Program an area of specific interest.
Joe has contributed to the Austin Healey Community through a number of roles including currently as President of the Association of the Australian and New Zealand Austin Healey Clubs. More information related to this occasion can be found on our Healey 100 Facebook page DHC Jubilee Meet Le Mans and 2015 Gary Coker Award giving.
The Gerry Coker Award has not been granted in ’16 – ’17 – ’18 -’19.
2020 – The award has been granted to Hiroshi Takemori who owns a 100M and who uses it in compliance with the conditions as stipulated by the Gerry Coker Award. AHCJ was founded in 1979 and Hiroshi is a long time chairman of the club and used his AH 100M frequently. He has brought the car over to the Euromeet several times.
2021- The award has been granted to Karsten Stelk a Healey 100 man who owns his BN1 since 1985. Info about the car can be found at Karsten Stelk’s 1953 Austin Healey 100.
Beside the possession of this Brussels motorshow car Karsten has worked selflessly for many years to promote the Healey 100.
2022 – During the European Healey Meeting in Geiranger the Gerry Coker award was presented to Steven Kingsbury for his commitment and enthusiasm in the Austin Healey 100 world.
If you wish to be candidate yourself and your Austin-Healey 100 for this prestigious award, you are invited to register you candidacy below. You will find the application conditions here: GerryCokerAward 2023 application conditions
For more specific information you may mail to secretaris@healeymuseum.nl
