Sharpes of Nottingham and Go Goodwins driver Louis Goodwin were the big winners at the 2026 UK Coach Rally in Blackpool over the weekend of 18 and 19 April, with Sharpes claiming Coach of the Year with its Van Hool T17 Astron and Mr Goodwin crowned Coach Driver of the Year.
Those and numerous other awards were handed out in brilliant sunshine on the seafront by Senior Traffic Commissioner Kevin Rooney at the close of the Sunday, rounding off the 2026 rally.
Both Sharpes and Go Goodwins also took home other pieces of silverware. For staunch Van Hool buyer Sharpes, the triumph of its T17 Astron – which is to the operator’s customary specification with family crest prominent and embroidered seat numbers – saw three generations of the Sharpe family on hand to collect the trophies.
Alongside the Coach of the Year silverware, the T17 Astron also claimed the Van Hool Trophy and was recognised as Top Touring/Express Luxury Coach and with the Peter Rogers Shield for top Confederation of Passenger Transport member entry.
Go Goodwins celebrates 50 years in 2026. In recognition of that, its two entries were field numbers 1 and 50. The first of those was a Neoplan Tourliner configured with tables, while rounding off the list was a Volvo B10M with Jonckheere Deauville bodywork dating from 1989.
The latter coach was delivered new to Go Goodwins. Louis Goodwin is the fourth generation of the Goodwin family to drive it, with his father Wesley behind the wheel of the Tourliner.
Notably, Mr Goodwin Jr becomes perhaps the first Coach Driver of the Year in the event’s history to claim that title in a coach that is older than its pilot. The B10M Jonckheere also claimed the Jonckheere Trophy, the Rita Dalziel Trophy for top coach aged 25 years or older, and the Fred Bibby Award for best loved coach.
In addition, Go Goodwins received the Gwynn Williams Trophy for highest placed in all classes from Wales, the Alan Goodwin Trophy for highest placed coach operator in all classes, and the John Fielder Memorial Trophy for top coach from a small fleet of up to five vehicles via its Tourliner.
Finally, Mr Goodwin Jr collected the Peter Bostock Trophy for highest placed driver in the Saturday tests to give an excellent weekend for the Bagillt operator.
The Travellers Choice takes both lady coach driver categories
In other categories, Lady Coach Driver of the Year was Jackie Shaw of The Travellers Choice at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz Tourismo. From the same operator, Lady Midi Driver of the Year was Izzi Shaw in a Temsa MD9, a coach that also claimed Top Mini/Midi and the Temsa Trophy.
Carvers Coaches of Ellesmere Port was a new name for the rally. Its next-generation Yutong TC9 won the Yutong Trophy and driver Mark Carver was named Midi Driver of the Year.
Matthew Croyle of JWG Coaches took away the Mini Driver of the Year trophy in his UNVI S20XL-converted Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, with the Morpeth business also claiming the Cyril Kenzie Memorial Trophy as highest-placed first-time entrant.
Archway Travel of Fleetwood was named Top Team on the Road, entering a Jonckheere JHV-bodied Volvo B13R tri-axle converted to a 3+2 layout. Bibbys of Ingleton driver Daniel Wilson won the West Middlesex Coach Operators Association Trophy as runner-up to Coach Driver of the Year; Mike Elkin of Portsmouth City Coaches was victorious in the Directors’ Challenge.
Wide spread among other 2026 UK Coach Rally winners
In other concours d’elegance trophies, Paul S Winson followed up its 2025 Coach of the Year victory with a short Scania Touring by getting the nod for Top Standard Coach and the Scania Trophy for a brand-new tri-axle example of the same type.
Top coach aged five years or older went to Brethertons Gold Line Tours for a striking Volvo 9700 tri-axle. It was also recognised with the Volvo Trophy.
Winning two pieces of silverware was a Van Hool T17 Astron of A&P Travel. It went back to Lincolnshire with the Boon’s Award for best coordinated décor, and the UKCOA Martin Cornell Trophy for highest-placed UK Coach Operators Association member.
Judged as Coach of the Year by participating coach drivers through their individual votes was a Setra S250 of FR Willetts. Smartest uniformed driver and/or courier went to Marshalls of Sutton-on-Trent, with its VDL Futura FHD2 also picking up the VDL Trophy.
Heathside Travel received the Irizar Trophy for a brand-new Irizar i6S Efficient integral, while driver Alison Mountford received the Maurice Wrightson Memorial Shield as oldest employed participant.
The Beulas Trophy made a return and found its way to Meadway Coaches of Birmingham for a Scania K450CB with Beulas Glory overdeck bodywork, one of two examples of that body and chassis combination in the rally.
Another high-capacity winner was a Volvo B11RLE with Plaxton Panorama bodywork of Glen Valley Tours, which took the Plaxton Trophy. The Kassbohrer Trophy went to Exclusive Holidays for its Setra S416GT, while the Neoplan Trophy was claimed by First Bus subsidiary Lakeside Coaches with a Tourliner tri-axle.
Of country-specific awards, Wilsons of Rhu took home the Tony Roose Trophy for best coach from Scotland with a Mercedes-Benz Tourismo, and Williams Coaches of Brecon was recognised with the Cymru Trophy for best coach from Wales for its Tourismo L. That vehicle also received the Mercedes-Benz trophy.
Stay tuned for more on future direction of rally…
Despite rumours of change to oversight of the UK Coach Rally beyond 2026, organiser Ann Cousins tells routeone that she and longstanding co-organiser and husband Paul Cousins are yet to formally decide on any alterations for 2027 onwards. She adds that they will both potentially retain an involvement in the rally, although likely not as its guiding minds.
A meeting with other parties is due to take place over the coming months to explore how the event develops in the future. 2026 saw a relocation of trade supporters to adjacent to entrant parking in front of Blackpool Tower, with increased involvement of trade bodies and operators as part of making this year’s event happen.
Among those trade exhibitors, Volvo Bus UK and Ireland debuted the first B13R with UNVI XL bodywork, while VDL Bus and Coach UK showed a left-hand drive Futura 3 ahead of the model making its debut in right-hand drive at Euro Bus Expo in November.
Scania showed a PSV Accessible Information Regulations-compliant Touring tri-axle, and Minicoach World wasted no time in bringing Ilesbus products after its recent takeover of that marque’s distribution and support activities in the UK.
2026 UK Coach Rally: the winners’ list
Trophies and Awards
Coach of the Year: Van Hool T17 Astron, Sharpes of Nottingham
Coach Driver of the Year: Louis Goodwin, Go Goodwins
Lady Coach Driver of the Year: Jackie Shaw, The Travellers Choice
Mini Driver of the Year: Matthew Croyle, JWG Coaches
Midi Driver of the Year: Mark Carver, Carvers Coaches
Lady Midi Driver of the Year: Izzi Shaw, The Travellers Choice
Alan Goodwin Trophy – highest placed coach operator in all classes: Go Goodwins
Top Team on the Road: Archway Travel
West Middlesex Coach Operators Association Trophy – runner-up to Coach Driver of the Year: Daniel Wilson, Bibbys of Ingleton
Peter Bostock Trophy – highest placed driver in Saturday tests: Lewis Goodwin, Go Goodwins
Directors’ Challenge: Mike Elkin, Portsmouth City Coaches.
Concours d’Elegance awards
Top Mini/Midi: Temsa MD9, The Travellers Choice
Top Standard Coach: Scania Touring, Paul S Winson
Top Touring/Express Luxury Coach: Van Hool T17 Astron, Sharpes of Nottingham
Top Executive Coach: Neoplan Tourliner, Go Goodwins
Top Coach aged five years or older: Volvo 9700, Brethertons Gold Line Tours
Rita Dalziel Trophy – top coach aged 25 years or older: Volvo B10M Jonckheere Deauville, Go Goodwins
John Fielder Memorial Trophy – top coach from a small fleet up to five vehicles: Neoplan Tourliner, Go Goodwins.
Concours d’Elegance Manufacturers’ Awards
Beulas Trophy: Scania K450CB Beulas Glory, Meadway Coaches
Irizar Trophy: Irizar i6S Efficient integral, Heathside Travel
Jonckheere Trophy: Volvo B10M Jonckheere Deauville, Go Goodwins
Kassbohrer Trophy: Setra S416GT, Exclusive Holidays
Mercedes-Benz Trophy: Mercedes-Benz Tourismo L, Williams Coaches
Neoplan Trophy: Neoplan Tourliner, Lakeside Coaches
Plaxton Trophy: Volvo B11RLE Plaxton Panorama, Glen Valley Tours
Scania Trophy: Scania Touring, Paul S Winson
Temsa Trophy: Temsa MD9, The Travellers Choice
Van Hool Trophy: Van Hool T17 Astron, Sharpes of Nottingham
VDL Trophy: VDL Futura FHD2, Marshalls of Sutton-on-Trent
Volvo Trophy: Volvo 9700, Brethertons Gold Line Tours
Yutong Trophy: Yutong TC9, Carvers Coaches.
Special Awards
Bernie Porton Memorial Trophy – coach of the year as voted for by drivers: Setra S250, FR Willetts
Boon’s Award – best co-ordinated décor: Van Hool T17 Astron, A&P Travel
Cymru Trophy – top coach from Wales: Mercedes-Benz Tourismo L, Williams Coaches
Cyril Kenzie Memorial Trophy – highest placed first-time entrant: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter UNVI S20XL, JWG Coaches
Fred Bibby Award – best loved coach: Volvo B10M Jonckheere Deauville, Go Goodwins
Gwynn Williams Trophy – highest placed in all classes from Wales: Volvo B10M Jonckheere Deauville, Go Goodwins
Maurice Wrightson Memorial Shield – oldest employed rally participant: Alison Mountford, Heathside Travel
Peter Rogers Shield – top CPT member: Van Hool T17 Astron, Sharpes of Nottingham
Smartest uniformed driver and/or courier: Marshalls of Sutton-on-Trent
Tony Roose Trophy – top coach from Scotland: Mercedes-Benz Tourismo, Wilson’s of Rhu
UKCOA Martin Cornell Trophy – highest placed UK Coach Operators Association member: Van Hool T17 Astron, A&P Travel.
Click on any of the following images of winners at the 2026 UK Coach Rally to enlarge:
