The Torrens Trophy is awarded by the Royal Automobile Club to an individual or organisation considered to have made an outstanding contribution to the cause of safe and skillful motorcycling in the United Kingdom or to have made an outstanding contribution of technical excellence to further the cause of motor cycling, or to have shown outstanding skill in international motor cycling sporting events in the United Kingdom.
The trophy is named in honour of the respected motorcycling journalist, the late Arthur Bourne, an editor of UK magazine The Motor Cycle, who wrote a column under the pen name Torrens. He was also Vice Chairman of the Royal Automobile Club (RAC).
The trophy was first awarded in 1978, the first winner being Lieutenant-Colonel Fredrick Lovegrove OBE. The trophy is only awarded when the nomination committee deem it necessary, and as of 2017 there have only been a total of ten recipients. The current holder of the award is MotoGP rider Cal Crutchlow.
1979 Lieutenant-Colonel Fredrick Lovegrove OBE.1980 Transport and Road Laboratory.1981 Dave Taylor MBE for his vast contribution to motorcycle road safety.1989 BMW in recognition for their contribution to motor cycle safety through their development of their anti-lock braking system.1998 Ian Kerr of the Metropolitan Police for 20-years of tireless work in promoting safe and responsible motorcycling.2008 World Superbike Champion James Toseland was awarded the Trophy for his immense contribution to raising the profile of motor cycle racing in the United Kingdom.2013 Tom Sykes for being crowned the fifteenth World Superbike Champion, the fourth from Great Britain and only the second rider to win for Kawasaki in the series for twenty years.2014 Shane Byrne for becoming the first man in history to be crowned British Superbike Champion on four occasions (2003, 2008, 2012 and 2014).2015 Ian Hutchinson for his outstanding determination, courage and overcoming adversity to win multiple Isle of Man TT races, after injuries sustained in 2010 when short-cicuit racing at Silverstone.2016 Cal Crutchlow for being the first British rider to win a 500cc/MotoGP Grand Prix since Barry Sheene in 1981.