Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Rick]

I've never tried it, nor plan to, and it always strikes me as being incredibly difficult to do - judging cars at a show in order to award prizes for the day.

Do you prioritise condition over originality? Do you mark a car down for upgrades, or only those upgrades that feature modern tech instead of period mods? If a car has been driven a great distance to a show, does that gain extra plus points over a car driven just a couple of miles, say?

Something of a mindfield I suspect, I just wondered if anyone here has tried it?

RJ
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[Rootes75]

I havent and tbh I havent ever entered one of our cars into a show where there are prizes given.
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[lowdrag]

Judging concours has its "moments" I can assure you. That's when everyone knows everything except you. My favourite moment, having deducted points, and after being harangued and harassed, I asked the entrant where he had found the 1961 air to pump up the tyres. People just don't understand that if they enter a serious club concours, and not the village fete, "bright and shiny" doesn't cut the mustard. It is down to detail, to the n'th degree. The usual errors? Stone chip paint and not body paint underneath, and wrong pressure radiator cap are the most common. And the amount of money some people will spend to get their car right and get their name on the club trophy is astounding. It can run well into six figures to make the car perfect. They can never drive it of course, because it might get a stone chip. Nowt so queer as folk.

[Ray White]

I have only been asked to judge on one occasion and that was at a Morris Minor Club event many years ago.

I caused something of a stir because I marked down an entrant who was expected to come first. The car was an immaculate Traveller. It was perfect on top but underneath was a different story. The quality of the welding in my opinion left much to be desired.

Another car, on the other hand, was also nice throughout but similar repairs had been carried out well. Very well indeed... and to be honest I had no doubt about it as a car that I would have happily taken home.

The disgruntled mutterings and behind my back comments left me wishing I had declined the offer.

[emmerson]

I've never judged cars, but used to judge stationary engines.
I always talked to the owner/exhibitor; I wanted to know how/what/where and any other detail he/she knew about his exhibit. If he'd just signed a cheque for someone else to do the work, he had no chance.
I almost caused a riot once when I awarded the cup to a 14 year-old boy for his common or garden Lister D, over some huge immaculate American import which everyone expected to win.
The boy had not only done all the work himself, but he had researched the engine's history, too. The other guy had simply imported his engine. Yes, it was rare, but that, in my opinion didn't make it a winner.

[Keith D]

I have never judged at a concours.

If the club concerned is a one make or one model club, then fair and accurate judging is possible. When the club concerned is any make or model, accurate and fair judging is impossible as the owner who has restored his car will almost certainly know far more about his particular model that the judge who has to compare vastly different cars. His knowledge cannot match the owner restorer who has spent vast amounts of time on the detective work needed to restore a particular vehicle accurately.

I attended a concours held in the Borders of Scotland/England many years ago. I was with a friend who had restored his early thirties Austin 12 to an incredibly beautiful and accurate standard. I suggested that he might just win the concours. He laughed in my face. "With an Austin? You must be joking. The winner will be the club president with the vintage Bentley and second will be the club secretary with his Alvis." He was right. The Bentley and the Alvis were both nice, but scruffy, but they were "the right sort of car".

I have never attended a concours since, either in the UK or Australia.

Keith
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1926 Chrysler 60 tourer
1932 Austin Seven RN long wheelbase box sedan
1950 Austin A40 tourer
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[lowdrag]

As I said above, judging is a can of worms. You can never win really, whatever car you choose. Whether it is apocryphal or not I remember the story of the Aston Martin concours where the decision on the winner was made on the basis that he had polished the interior of the exhaust. If I were asked to judge a concours of a mixture of cars, not one make, my winner, as said above, would be the most interesting owner who had done if not all then a lot of the work himself and who showed a real understanding a love of the marque. Emmerson and Keith D take a bow please. I've had enough trouble with the freemasons in the golf club hierarchy, all from the same lodge, and all following one another as Captain and President. I prefer to remain independent and judge each car accordingly.

[ukdave2002]

I can't think of anything less that I'd want to do!
It strikes me that its only ever a cosmetic assessment and always subjective, the state of mechanical bits can never be properly assessed...


Dave

[Ray White]

I think our collective experiences speak with one voice. "Can of worms" just about sums it up.

However... there was one particular Morris Minor Club show I remember where the entrant deserved a special prize simply for his tenacity.

The chap had a low light Morris Minor which was as near as factory original as it is possible to get. I was amazed to learn that he didn't have a garage and lived in a terraced house. The car was completely dismantled and every single component had to be taken through the house to a shed in the back garden where it was restored before being taken back through the house again and refitted to the car.!

That, in my book, is dedication well deserving of an award.

[Penman]

Hi

[lowdrag]

[Rootes75]

[lowdrag]

[consul 57]

i have not been asked to judge cars but i have been asked to judge tank models at a model show, (i am a pro modeler).
i found it hard to do at first as there were those that had been built straight from the box whilst others had loads of added extras fitted at extra cost.
in the end i chose one that stood out, not the most accurate and not the most expensive but it just apealed to me for some reason.
the winner asked why i had chosen his model and i could only tell him the same.
not an easy job if you like a particular period of cars and styles.

[DPP]

I think judging at an all makes car show is just a matter of choosing something nice but also something you like, sort of which car would you want to take home, as you cant be an expert on all marques.

Club concours is a much more serious matter as lowdrag has said.

There does seem to be a sharp drop in entrants overs the last few years, and with prices steadily rising with my chosen marque I would have thought this would have encouraged some to invest in originality and the prestige of winning such an event.

I seem to get lots of whinging about having to have a correct toolkit and so dont want to enter. I have tried to explain that it would enhance a nice car and look much better the day they come to sell the car, and have even shown them how to gradually put one together at little cost rather than pay silly money when one turns up for sale.

Sadly though I think the days of large entries are behind us and now each year the struggle is to get enough cars to actually run a competition.
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Dave
Jensen Interceptor MK111
Princess 2