The French phrase, Concours d’ Elegance, meaning Concourse of Elegance (or Competition of Elegance) was first used to highlight the congregation of exotic horse driven carriages used by the French aristocracy in the early 17th Century. And now, spanning centuries, Concours d’ Elegance is the name used to label some of the most elegant classic car shows held across the US and the other parts of the world every year.
These classic car shows often display the most exotic and well designed classic cars ever built. As it is a competition of elegance, the cars in these collector car shows are restored to an impeccable state. Most of these shows go on for several days, filled with track events, automotive documentaries, panel discussions and parties, apart from the competition events for the various awards. Moreover, participating in and winning an event at any of the popular Concours shows (like the Pebble Beach Concours d Elegance) increases the value and demand of the classic car. So, how are cars judged at Concours shows?
- After the initial screening for surpassing the stringent participation requirements, the cars are mainly judged on the history they share, the style, the originality and the technology used.
- In the first round, cars are judged within their respective category or group to which they belong, like the Porsche, Ferrari, Hot Rods, Muscle cars, Horseless carriages, etc. Every car within the particular group/category is judged by a classic judge – an expert in that specific category of cars. The cars are judged for their originality and authenticity, as preserving the history of these timeless classics is one of the important prerequisites of a Concours event.
- Each car is scored on a scale of 100. The car with the highest score in each category is awarded the First in Class honor.
- The First in Class from each category of cars is then rolled out to be judged for the Best in Show award. The honorary judges score the cars based on their elegance, style and design.
- Based on the ballot of votes cast by each judge, the car with the highest number of votes is then awarded the Best in Show honor.
- Some car shows like the Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance, have two Best in Show awards – one for the original classic car and the other for the best race car. A fully restored 1938 Bugatti Type 57C from the Off Brothers collection in Richmond, Michigan won the Best in Show, Amelia Island Concours d’ Elegance 2012. A 1962 Ferrari330 LM GTO won the Best in Show Concours d’ Sport award in 2012.
Winning awards is a fantastic way to celebrate the value and originality of your classic car, but it isn’t worth anything if it’s not protected. Insuring your classic car is essential in order to safeguard its priceless value and help you go on to winning your first Concours event. Classic Auto Insurance gives you the best collector car insurance quotes and can help you protect the car that you value so highly.
Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concours_d%27Elegance
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/concours-d-elegance.htm
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/concours-d-elegance2.htm
http://www.sportscardigest.com/amelia-island-concours-2012-best-of-show-winners/
About the Author
Drew Yagodnik is Vice President of Classic Automobile Insurance Agency, Inc. Classic Automobile Insurance Agency has been protecting collector, classic and exotics since 1992.
