The European automotive organisation Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens (FIVA) has named nine new inductees to its Heritage Hall of Fame for 2026, with two Aussie motoring personalities set to be honoured among that group.
Selected among 31 nominees from 14 countries, Australian motoring journalist Peter Robinson and historic vehicle advocate Langley Kidby were chosen among this year’s nine inductees by FIVA’s international jury, which includes former Pink Floyd drummer and notable car enthusiast Nick Mason.
Regarded as one of Australia’s most influential motoring journalists, Peter Robinson is best known for his decades-long career with Wheels magazine, including a 16-year stint as editor.
He also spent 16 years based in Italy, contributing to international publications including the likes of Autocar, Car & Driver, and Car Graphic. After returning to Australia in 2005, ‘Robbo’ continued to work as a freelance contributor to Wheels up until his retirement in 2014.
The other Aussie inductee, Langley Kidby, is best known as a leading advocate for historic vehicle preservation through active use of such vehicles for authentic re-enactments of iconic journeys.
Alongside his wife Beverley, Lang Kidby has completed a number of global expeditions in historic vehicles, including a recreation of Francis Birtles’ famous 26,000km London-to-Melbourne journey in a 1924 Bean 14 Sundowner in 2024. Over the past 45 years, the adventurous couple has led expeditions in over 80 countries in classic cars, planes, and motorcycles.
Robinson and Kidby are among the six living inductees in this year’s prestigious group. Alongside them are French historic vehicle event pioneer Patrick Peter, American designer Ed Welburn, Moroccan historic rally organiser Ahmed Elgadir, and German bus designer and engineer Konrad Auwärter.
Headlining three posthumous inductees in the 2026 FIVA Hall of Fame class is Ettore Bugatti, founder of iconic French performance car brand Bugatti. An engineer and designer, he founded the company in Molsheim in 1909, creating light and refined vehicles including the Type 35 that dominated racing during the 1920s.
Today, Bugatti remains one of the crown jewels of the hypercar world, known for rewriting the fast car rulebook since the launch of the Veyron, and Ettore Bugatti’s initials are still seen on the back of its vehicles.
Honoured alongside him are Italian rally driver Sandro Munari, a four-time Monte Carlo Rally winner with Lancia, and Slovenian inventor Janez Puh who produced early vehicles in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and held 19 patents, including a boxer engine that influenced engineers including Hans Ledwinka and Ferdinand Porsche.
Alongside British representative Nick Mason, the judging panel also includes German classic vehicle racer Gaby von Oppenheim, Indian rally driver Navaz Bhathena Sandhu, Brazilian filmmaker and composer Malcolm Forest, Singaporean publisher Eli Solomon, Japanese designer Shiro Nakamura, French former FIVA president Patrick Rollet, and Italian current FIVA president Alberto Scuro.
Founded in 1966, FIVA serves as the international federation of historic vehicles, dedicated to the protection, preservation, and promotion of historic vehicles and related culture on a worldwide scale.
In addition to promoting historic vehicle events around the world, helping to prevent national and international legislation from adversely impacting owners and drivers of historic vehicles, and establishes standardised methods and rules for dating and classifying such vehicles, FIVA also looks to actively encourage the younger generation to enjoy automotive history as well.
Since 2017, FIVA has been a non-governmental partner of UNESCO, and in 2021 its Heritage Hall of Fame was established to honour individuals who have made outstanding contributions to historic motoring culture.
“FIVA’s Heritage Hall of Fame includes figures ranging from globally renowned names to lesser-known contributors in historic motoring,” Scuro explains.
“Inductees span drivers, designers, engineers, bus makers and business leaders, all united by a shared passion for historic automobiles.”
