Curt
If you want to get REALLY picky, the Concours we are involved with these days
is no longer a Concours d'Elegance, but a Concours d'Etat.
In the twenties and thirties it actually WAS a Contest of Elegance, where the
custom coachbuilders vied for the honor of having created the most beautiful
coachwork, judged on the basis of artistic merit, subtlety of line, colour and
proportion. Often a beautiful lady in a dress custom made to complement the
car's colour scheme was part of the whole package.
Nowdays its largely a Concours d'Etat , or Contest of Condition, where the
condition of the car is evaluated on a point by point basis under various
parameters- originality, quality of finish, etc. In the end, we do have a
pretty elegant car, as it has always been, but that's not really the point
these days. One car is not really more elegant than the other, its the same
but is in a different condition. And more often than not, the owner picks up
his plaque in T-shirt and shorts.
The original notion of a contest of elegance was a much more subjective,
subtle and artistic idea than it is now.
Best
Peter
Concours Advisory Committee
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