[Healeys] concours judging

Josef.Eckert at t-systems.com Josef.Eckert at t-systems.com
Wed Aug 4 01:16:17 MDT 2010


Frederich,
Don't be confused. I am speaking now for Concours on the European side of the
pond. Members of the US Concours Committee may have a different view.
Our today's standards are much higher than they were when the Austin-Healey
cars were produced. Or let me say it differently. Marilyn Monroe was an icon
in her days. I am sure she would never become an icon these days, as our human
beings taste changed over the last 50 years. We get cars in for Concours which
are much better in quality and better assembled than any car which left the
production line. If you put two cars together, one completely as it left the
factory, the other the restorer spent mega hours in getting the door gaps
right, panels aligned and has got a much better paintwork and both receive the
same amount of points in Concours? Anyone watching the outcome would not
understand why both received same amount of points or better, the very
original factory car receives even more points because of its "factory
standard imperfections".
So we use our "today's taste" as the measure. We think that's the best way.
One can argue we do not follow the Holy Bible of Concours, but even the
highest priests in any of this worlds churches cannot stop the time from
moving and have to accept the world is changing (even they do not want ).

Josef Eckert
Konigswinter/Germany


-----Urspr|ngliche Nachricht-----
Von: healeys-bounces at autox.team.net [mailto:healeys-bounces at autox.team.net] Im
Auftrag von Frederich Ficke
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 4. August 2010 06:13
An: healeys at autox.team.net
Betreff: [Healeys] concours judging

I am confused about this concours judging. Isn't the car suppose to reflect as
it was when new fresh from the factory. If so why are these high quality paint
jobs allowed when cars of the 50's and 60's never had that quality of paint
when new?

I look at it realistically you can restore a car to better than new appearance
however , it is only new once. Also the person restoring the classic and
putting chalk marks and such where they would have been when going thru the
inspection process while being on assembly line is not the same as a restorer
duplicating the marks.

I guess I am looking for clarification as to how this judging really works .
It just seems as though these cars that win are way over the top as to what
they were really like when they were new.


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