Greenwich is now a Hagerty event so I thought the Hagerty rating system would apply. Unfortunately I was wrong. They gave first place to a Pagoda that would be a 4 on Hagerty's scale. The owner had painted the wheel wells white among other incorrect attributes.
From now on I will only enter local shows such as the MBCA Great Marques Concours at Old Westbury.
Sorry for venting but there are very few people that I know, who would understand.
The Hagerty scale is a rating of condition, and really has nothing to do with Concours judging.
Nearly all of these multi-marque Concours d’Elegance shows use what is called the French rules for judging. Pretty much it’s a beauty contest mixed in with a little politics.
If you have spent a lot of time, effort, and money making your car as authentic as you possibly can, it is the MBCA Concours, such as the ones you mention where you will be rewarded for these efforts. You may find others similarly situated, and you still may “lose”, but nonetheless, your efforts will be at least recognized on a point scale.
Like the old saying it’s the journey not the destination, just being invited and having the experience of a major show can be a fun and rewarding endeavor.
I have been in a lot of shows of all kinds over the past 20 years. In some cases I have won first place, or second and in some cases best of show. Other cases barely got much of a glance. But they were all fun.
One particularly interesting experience was the 2006 Meadowbrook Concourse D’Elegance. I was in a sports car class which included a BMW 507, pristine vintage Porsches as well as the last big block Corvette to come off the line. They were even making a movie about that last car, which won the class and the judges were fawning over. However, it was my Pagoda where many of the attendees stopped for a photo op, usually with somebody in front of the car, with a big smile on their face…no, I didn’t win anything but a lot of smiles.
