Through the Windscreen: The Club Scene, Spring 1990

Looking through the many club magazines that were submitted for the Moss Journalism Awards (and I really have to congratulate you on your splendid efforts), there were a couple of features of club life that were the subject of comment and opinion over and over again.

I noticed in several instances, that the age-old question of enthusiasm vs apathy was still in the minds of many. How many times have I read from club officers, “If we do not get more help/support/input, then we may as well pack it in!*? Many clubs operate very successfully over the years, and newly-formed clubs seem to have a hard-driving core of officers who are ready to organize a wide range of activities to enhance the benefits of belonging to a British motor club. However, there are other organizations where all the work is led to a few dedicated members, who get very little thanks or reward for their spare time dedication to keeping the flag flying. This is not new: it has always been so, and those clubs who have this hard core of enthusiasm are indeed fortunate.

If, however, your club is in this state of apathetic indolence, where the members give nothing and expect everything, then it is time to ask the members why they joined in the place. What did they expect to get? What would they like to see? How can the average member help the club and its officials achieve the good camaraderie and combined efforts that the more successful clubs enjoy?

Remember, nobody makes you join anything! You join a car club because you want to! You join because of a common interest in British cars and then find that with everything that can (and does) go wrong with them, you become comrades in adversity. Mutual problem-solving of technical difficulties is one of the main reasons for belonging to this “happy breed”! It’s the natural friendships that accrue from being together with a great hunch of people of like mind, and enhance your quality of life. In a world where “me first” seems to be a common watchword. It’s not so. In a British car club, it’s us!

If you’ve been chastised by the club secretary, editor or chairman for not being active in the club structure, ask yourself why you are in the club at all. If you are going to stay a member, ask yourself what you can do in the coming year to make your club better! Don’t be the person who criticizes 51 weeks of the year as to how the club is organized and then, when the annual meeting comes around, has nothing to say. Get involved—you’ll feel a lot better for it!

Another recurring theme in the publications, and from the meetings we have attended, is the debate over popular car shows vs Concours, originality vs authentically-restored and self-judged vs independent assessors. This whole area is as old as the motor car itself, and books have even been written about this subject! However, it remains one of the hottest talking points in club circles, and has led to some emphatic opinions in several of the magazines that we receive at Moss.

We have several factors to take into account when we look at the various ways people put their cars on display for judging. First of all, why do they do it? Second, what do they hope to achieve?As one who went through all the agonies (and ecstasies) of showing cars in Concours & Condition events to the highest level, and achieving a moderate degree of success, I feel that show entrants put their cars in to be admired, but also to meet the challenge of competing against equals, and being judged by their peers. Where the problems arise, especially in the U.S., is within the “popular vote” system, where every person attending a particular event or meeting has a chance to vote for the car/s of their choice. One person may have worked extremely hard and diligently to ensure their vehicle is as authentic as possible—that is, “as it left the factory”. Next to this car is a rather garish purple automobile, with lots of shiny chrome bits attached. It looks good and sharp, but is nowhere near original. How are people to evaluate these cars? Since everyone has a vote, and not everyone is an expert, sometimes the “pretty” or non-original car will finish ahead of the authentic example, much to the chagrin of the authentic car’s owner! Only when you get judges who are well-versed in the characteristics of a particular marque, and allowed to operate independently, will you get a suitable standard to work to and to strive to achieve.

In England, this situation came to ahead some years ago, and I well remember sitting on a committee that thrashed out a set of guidelines which are still being used today. There is not enough space within the confines of the Moss Motoring to go into great detail, but basically, the guidelines were conceived to give everyone a chance to show their car and gain recognition for their efforts in show preparation. Two main categories were established:

Concours—

The car is as original as possible (authentic is the word I personally prefer), and as near to as possible as it left the factory. This means, no additions to equipment, with the exception of safety features such as fire extinguishers, seat belts, etc. The color should be as accurate as possible, and the interior trim, panels, etc., should be as the manufacturer offered at the time the car was new.

Condition—

The car is not necessarily original in any respect. Additions and deviations are permitted anywhere on the car, including extra chrome, non-original body color, performance equipment, etc.

These two main categories were to be judged separately, and awards were to be given for each category, depending on entries. Where possible, experienced, independent judges (previous winners, restoration experts, etc.) were employed. This worked well, but the standard of show cars in the U.K.gradually increased until even the poorest examples entered were of such a high degree of preparedness that new entrants were scared away, thinking that it was a waste of time to even put their car on display.

Another class was required—a “starter” level—so that the novice wishing to show his/her car would not feel embarrassed by having it considered alongside some of the prime examples that had taken years to prepare. So was born, the “Pride of Ownership” category, which was the entry level for drivers to display their cars and receive plaudits for their efforts. More importantly, it allowed them to gain valuable experience in preparing their car for showing, before going on to compete against the very best.

The very best, by the way, move on either to a “Premier” class, an “Elite” category, or, in the U.K., into a “Masters” class, for the best of the best. These very few Concours participants even have their own small club, membership of which comes the hard way by showing that you can “do it” in International Concours events. If so, you may just receive an invitation to join that exclusive band of masters.

I’m not suggesting that this should happen in the United States, but there are many dissatisfied voices being raised in the classic car movement as to the standards and methods of evaluation being used at some shows. I felt that it was worth raising to a wider audience, to see what your opinions and ideas might bring forth. Should we standardize a set of guidelines to clubs, or exchange experiences to improve the quality of British car shows in general? If you have any comments, gripes or opinions on the subject of classic car shows and/or Concours events, please drop a line to:

Ken Smith
Club Corner
400 Rutherford St.
Goleta, CA 93117

We will try to include some of the feedback we receive and a sample of the opinions expressed in a future through the Windscreen column.

It’s not very often we get news of British car activity in Utah, but if you’re interested in further details, please contact Bill Van Moorhem of the British Motor Club of Utah at:

1322 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT
84104. (801)582-9223.

Our club directory grows larger every day, but remember, we can’t tell potential members where you are if you don’t tell US where you are!

By Ken Smith, Club & Events Coordinator