Car Show Award Question

[Big Blocks Rock]

1 hour ago, Walt G said:

John S. stated what I would as well , and are excellent suggestions. USE PERIOD ARTWORK. it reflects the era be it the 1920s or 1960s.

I still do artwork but haven't much in several years due to my being "caught up" in research and then writing about stories of mostly car styling and coach work.

All the artwork I did do for the car events was for free, I was a member and that is what my life's work was so never charged a cent. I did that for decades with several car clubs as well about car history - most of it was appreciated which is why I shared it.

If you do use period art work talk to the printer first! ask what size stock paper they have available that doesn't have to be trimmed etc. go with a known standard size card stock , cost will mostly then be for making a scan and paper stock. No special set up fees.

That's awesome and like you said,  I'm sure your generosity was much appreciated!  I love hearing you did that for the clubs and people.

Thank you for the suggestion of talking to the printer first.

[Big Blocks Rock]

47 minutes ago, bryankazmer said:

Suggest "best original/restored" and "best modified" then.  But you'll still have the thankless job of sorting sheep from goats.  Finding judges that have broad knowledge not so easy.

 

I really like the food voucher idea.  You get some new customers in a future visit, and a promotion of your cafe.  I like prizes you can eat!

Thank you for your suggestion Bryan!

I'm certainly learning judging is the worst.  

Glad to hear another vote for the food voucher!  

[Big Blocks Rock]

56 minutes ago, PWN said:

This is a personal thing but the word Classic in the title probably doesn't mean REAL classic cars. I would be willing to be you will not have one single true Classic at the event. Maybe petty, but Classic has a very specific definition.

 

Vintage, Antique, Old, Used cars but not Classic.

Thank you for your insight PWN!  Not petty at all.

 

Oh gosh, never thought of that until you mentioned it. 

 

I guess it depends on who you talk to.  One definition of a "classic" car is vehicles over 20 years old, whereas, according to the Classic Car Club it's a "fine" or "distinctive" automobile built between 1915 and 1948.

 

Curious, have you seen a flyer or advertisement announcing an "Old" or "Used" car show?  That's definitely something different.

 

Great insight.  Thank you!

[Big Blocks Rock]

1 hour ago, bryankazmer said:

Credible judging is not an easy job.  Marque clubs do it well, as do a few others like AACA and CCCA.  But they have judging guides and screened judges.

 

The guy with his shiny 66 GTO who scores 40 points in restored because of deductions for incorrect interior, custom paint, and aftermarket wheels is not happy.

The guy with an all original 47 Plymouth sedan loses to the shiny Nova with the LS 350 and velour buckets in show and shine judging but wins in authenticity judging.

Good luck!

 

Oh yikes Bryan!  We certainly don't want to make anyone mad or upset.   I could see that happening in an official, sanctioned, or certified event, not sure of the name, but would that really be the case at a hometown, good ole guy/gal event?  

 

It's been suggested to not judge classes and such, simply to have like People's Choice or Best in Show... Wouldn't the same people that got mad at your scenario still be mad if they didn't win Best in Show, Best in Paint, etc...?   

 

Has society made it to where you can't have a light-hearted, not so serious car show?   

[bryankazmer]

In a small town I think you have to get one of the highly populated marques - Tri-Five, Model A, etc.  They might become regular patrons.

[Big Blocks Rock]

15 minutes ago, bryankazmer said:

In a small town I think you have to get one of the highly populated marques - Tri-Five, Model A, etc.  They might become regular patrons.

Thank you Bryan for your suggestion!  

To get one of those, I believe they would have to travel quite a ways unfortunately and probably wouldn't consider it a good use of their time.

[bryankazmer]

I don't mean to discourage you!  But alas, all too often no good deed goes unpunished.  You're right to try and keep it light.

 

People's Choice is probably least controversial, because everyone realizes the "judges" for the most part don't know much about what they're looking at.

Best in Show gets into finish vs authenticity.  Sorry but lots of pitfalls there.

 

This why some of us are suggesting that you don't emphasize judging.  It's a challenge to have an event that appeals to both the restorers and mod/rod crowd.  If you can do it you will have a big range of interesting cars.  Otherwise the "rod and late model Corvette" crowd will likely "crowd out" (even if unintentionally) the restored cars.  

 

Unrelated thought - any possible local businesses want to have a booth? (for a fee).  Auto parts stores, paint supplies, tires.

[Big Blocks Rock]

5 minutes ago, bryankazmer said:

I don't mean to discourage you!  But alas, all too often no good deed goes unpunished.  You're right to try and keep it light.

 

People's Choice is probably least controversial, because everyone realizes the "judges" for the most part don't know much about what they're looking at.

Best in Show gets into finish vs authenticity.  Sorry but lots of pitfalls there.

 

This why some of us are suggesting that you don't emphasize judging.  It's a challenge to have an event that appeals to both the restorers and mod/rod crowd.  If you can do it you will have a big range of interesting cars.  Otherwise the "rod and late model Corvette" crowd will likely "crowd out" (even if unintentionally) the restored cars.  

 

Unrelated thought - any possible local businesses want to have a booth? (for a fee).  Auto parts stores, paint supplies, tires.

Thank you Bryan! 

I don't take it as discouragement at all.  I appreciate your brutal honesty.  

Sounds like non-judging and People's Choice is the way to go.

I appreciate the thoughts and suggestions of everyone posting.  That's why I thought this would be the place to ask!  If anyone knows, ya'll would.

That's a great unrelated thought.  

[John_S_in_Penna]

2 hours ago, Big Blocks Rock said:

So do you agree that nowadays most car shows are more of a social event?  Not necessarily about the judging, winning and such?

I agree that a car show with judging is unnecessary,

and having no judging would make organizing the show easier.

People here are urging no judging because the average

local show doesn't have people with enough car-history

knowledge to evaluate correct and well-done restorations.

 

You can have a few trophies of other sorts, such as:

---Oldest (authentic) car at the show.  Not for modified cars.

---Longest distance driven. (Not trailered.)

---Youngest car owner.  Maybe you'll get a teenager with

     his first antique.

---Smallest car at the show.  There are some interesting microcars.

---And other creative categories you may devise.

 

Since you're in a hot climate, consider having some shade,

and plenty of icy drinks, or free cold water.  Some shows don't

allow people to put up their own shelters, in case a wind gust

comes along and it blows onto someone else's car, doing 

thousands of dollars' damage.

 

Now, you might ask about music at your car show.

You will get opinions, both for and strongly against.

I lean toward no music, because people's taste varies.

If a large show has music, keep it mellifluous, not hard

and loud, and put it at one location where people can

get away from it if they want some quietude.

 

Edited July 3, 2023 by John_S_in_Penna (see edit history)

[bryankazmer]

Since you are aiming for a broad period participation, I agree with no music, unless the local radio station wants to broadcast from the meet.  They used to do this at a meet to promote donating blood.

 

The best I've seen for meet music was a CCCA meet at the Gilmore with a live string quartet.  That fit and enhanced the mood.  Yes, CCCA snobbery is a valid shot.

[Big Blocks Rock]

1 hour ago, John_S_in_Penna said:

I agree that a car show with judging is unnecessary,

and having no judging would make organizing the show easier.

People here are urging no judging because the average

local show doesn't have people with enough car-history

knowledge to evaluate correct and well-done restorations.

 

You can have a few trophies of other sorts, such as:

---Oldest (authentic) car at the show.  Not for modified cars.

---Longest distance driven. (Not trailered.)

---Youngest car owner.  Maybe you'll get a teenager with

     his first antique.

---Smallest car at the show.  There are some interesting microcars.

---And other creative categories you may devise.

 

Since you're in a hot climate, consider having some shade,

and plenty of icy drinks, or free cold water.  Some shows don't

allow people to put up their own shelters, in case a wind gust

comes along and it blows onto someone else's car, doing 

thousands of dollars' damage.

 

Now, you might ask about music at your car show.

You will get opinions, both for and strongly against.

I lean toward no music, because people's taste varies.

If a large show has music, keep it mellifluous, not hard

and loud, and put it at one location where people can

get away from it if they want some quietude.

 

Fantastic ideas !  Thank you very much!

I agree about the music situation.  Probably won't be offering music.  

[Big Blocks Rock]

16 minutes ago, bryankazmer said:

Since you are aiming for a broad period participation, I agree with no music, unless the local radio station wants to broadcast from the meet.  They used to do this at a meet to promote donating blood.

 

The best I've seen for meet music was a CCCA meet at the Gilmore with a live string quartet.  That fit and enhanced the mood.  Yes, CCCA snobbery is a valid shot.

Music had not been planned.  I agree, radio station could probably broadcast, but there again possibly run the danger of being REALLY LOUD and probably wouldn't suit everyone's likes.

I bet a live string quartet was a nice change and interesting. 

[TAKerry]

As someone that has been to more than my fare of car shows over the last few years I will opine:

1. If its a show, guys will want trophies. Personally I along with prob a lot of the posters here could care less. BUT, a lot of guys go to shows to gather trophies (Trophy Hunters). I have even ran into some guys that pick and choose which show to go depending on the trophies given.

1a. The nicest trophy that the budget allows. We have a very large local show and they get sponsors for the trophies with the sponsor name engraved.  i.e. 'Best Paint-sponsered by Such n Such body shop'. This gets a nice trophy and no or little cost to the organization putting on the show.

2.Dash plaques to the first 50 or even 100 cars. If you anticipate 100 cars or so, limit the plaques to 50. See #1 regarding trophies. Some guys love to collect the dash plaques.

3. Do judging. Have it a peoples choice with a list of 15 cars or so. Top 10 (or choice) get some kind of trophy. Put the car owners registered no. on top of the sheet that way you can see if they vote for their own car (and so what if they do).

4. Heres a biggie (and I wish all shows would do this), once you know what cars are winners hang a ribbon on the mirror, under a wiper or something to let them know they won something. 

5. Have local's donate to the raffle table. Give everyone a raffle ticket when they register. Give aways could be a bottle of window cleaner, car wash, drink tumbler etc.

6. Charge an entry fee to help offset expenses. Im in Northern MD, most of the shows are in the $20. range. Early bird payment $10-$15. If you anticipate extra money donate to a local charity. Advertise it that way and people will be glad to pay. No show I have ever been to charges for bystanders.

7. Run a 50/50 drawing. That will generate a few dollars as well.

8. Very few shows I go to give out goodie bags. But if you do, again go to locals for donations. A simple note pad, ink pen, etc.

9. Go light on giving out freebees for your restaurant. No problem with something small but I would not be giving out too many free lunches. Maybe have a show day special, keep it simple burger chips and a soda.

10. It takes a lot of help to run a show the right way. Maybe contact a local Boy or Girl scout troop to help, they could be the recipient of the profits.

11. I wouldnt worry about t shirts. Not worth the effort. 

12. Locally we have a 'car cruise guide'. See if something like that exist in your area. Advertise as soon as possible. I dont do FB but I think most other people do so that is a good place to get the word out. Print flyers and drop off at local car repair shops, body shops, auto parts stores, convenient stores etc.

13. In addition to the show, you should think about having a 'cruise night' once a month at your place, topped off with an annual car show. I go to a few of the 'cruise nights' and they bring in a good bit of business to the host rest. Only a little organization needed, no tropies, no judging just guys showing up and having fun.

 

Forgot to add about the music. Every show I go to has a dj of some description. Usually playing the same 50's and 60's related car stuff. gets a bit tiresome, but it does add to the show. I would def. have music, just ask them to play some modern stuff, lol.

Edited July 3, 2023 by TAKerry (see edit history)

[TAKerry]

One more thought just popped into my mind, Insurance! Check with your policy holder and let them know what your doing. You may have to have some kind of a waiver at the bottom of the registration. Again, most of the shows I go to have something like this.

[Larry Schramm]

Our local Culvers restaurant has a cruise-in car show every Tuesday afternoon/evening during the summer and they regularly have over 500 cars and their owners & families show up.  No judging.  Just getting together and have some fun. 

 

There is a DJ with music that is NOT TOO LOUD so everyone can still talk. 

 

One or two of the local auto parts stores donates some "prizes" for a drawing- give away which they may give away 50 small items from lubricant to microfiber towels. 

 

The restaurant gives a 10% discount on all meals to the "cruisers" for the night as an incentive to attend.  How many organized "car shows" have over 500 cars show up, let alone almost every week all summer?

 

Trophies not needed for a good show and a good time.  No one gets their feelings hurt.  Just IMO and observations.

[TAKerry]

24 minutes ago, Larry Schramm said:

Our local Culvers restaurant has a cruise-in car show every Tuesday afternoon/evening during the summer and they regularly have over 500 cars and their owners & families show up.  No judging.  Just getting together and have some fun. 

 

There is a DJ with music that is NOT TOO LOUD so everyone can still talk. 

 

One or two of the local auto parts stores donates some "prizes" for a drawing- give away which they may give away 50 small items from lubricant to microfiber towels. 

 

The restaurant gives a 10% discount on all meals to the "cruisers" for the night as an incentive to attend.  How many organized "car shows" have over 500 cars show up, let alone almost every week all summer?

 

Trophies not needed for a good show and a good time.  No one gets their feelings hurt.  Just IMO and observations.

Agreed. This is the kind of car event I prefer. Come and go as you please, get a bite to eat etc. 

BUT, in my parts this is referred to as a 'CRUISE'.  A SHOW is completely different.

[Bryan G]

I've been driving cars and trucks old enough to enter in a show...since the late 80s. I've only entered a handful, however. Mostly it's because I don't feel like spending half my day in a parking lot with the same bunch of guys. A couple hours, sure, but after a while I'm ready to move on. Just recently I stopped by a show as a spectator, in my old car. They encouraged me to park in their lot and join the fun. I explained I wouldn't be there for long, but they said it didn't matter. I didn't bother to register, since I wasn't interested in being judged and, again, wouldn't be there long. Eventually one of the head honchos twists my arm, telling me I really owe it to the organization to pay the 15 bucks since I took one of the best parking spaces! So, I forked over the cash, cast a vote for my top 3 cars, threw the dash plaque on the seat...and left, as scheduled. I could have just as easily parked a minute's walk away, for nothing, and enjoyed the day just as well. Ah, but...if they had given me lunch, there or a voucher for later, my attitude would have been more positive. 

 

I do believe there are still some folks who really go for trophies; no car I own will ever be likely to score a prize...all the more reason for me to leave before 2pm. It doesn't mean I don't enjoy being there and showing off my car.

[John348]

I would avoid peer judging or drivers voting for the best car, or otherwise known as the person with the most friends wins. I would avoid that at all costs. Why not have the the Mayor (if your town has one) or Police Chief or some other local celebrity make a choice? Or even a representative of the charity? This way nobody can really complain. You could even call it the Mayors Trophy

 

Terry's  suggestion of the 50/50 raffle is excellent, because that will keep people around until the drawing, and the other recipient could even be the charity.

 

One big problem I see is the limited parking. That needs to be on your flyer, and you need to emphasize that pre registration is recommended and that spaces are limited. Turning away cars at the gate day of show could kill a show in the future. It is something your going to have to really think out.

 

Traffic flow on entering the parking lot can be a big issue. It takes time to park the cars. These cars are going to take up 1 1/2 spaces, I don't know if your were planning on that 

 

[JV Puleo]

I think both John S and Walt G have made some very good suggestions. Judging at a local show is simply impossible. I've been in old cars for 40 years and I wouldn't dream of trying to judge anything from the late 30s on and not many of the cars earlier than that. If you must give awards, make them the sort of thing that no one can argue with...like longest distance driven, oldest car etc.

 

Dash plaques...I have an envelope full of them. I never look at them and the only reason I save them is because the artist that did them was an old friend. I've never attached one to the dash and won't.

 

Music...if you must have it, make it soft and put it over in a corner where the folks that don't care for it can ignore it. If it's so loud you have to shout to be heard by the guy next to you it's nothing but a detriment. I've literally driven by local shows with loud music including one held last week literally within walking distance of my house.

[JV Puleo]

3 hours ago, John348 said:

I would avoid peer judging or drivers voting for the best car, or otherwise known as the person with the most friends wins. I would avoid that at all costs. Why not have the the Mayor (if your town has one) or Police Chief or some other local celebrity make a choice? Or even a representative of the charity? This way nobody can really complain. You could even call it the Mayors Trophy

Some time ago a member of this forum related a story of a show that did just that. The Mayor asked his secretary to pick the winner...she picked one of those VW/Mercedes/Gazelle contraptions which made virtually everyone furious.

[John_S_in_Penna]

11 minutes ago, JV Puleo said:

The Mayor asked his secretary to pick the winner.  She picked one of those VW/Mercedes/Gazelle contraptions...

Good point.  That illustrates what can happen when

unqualified people try to judge cars!

[yachtflame]

I won a Best of Show/People’s Choice at a local show. Not sure why they combined the two but the award was a beer mug with the shows name/date on it. Only problem was that the mug was empty!

[Fordy]

I used to organize an annual Hupmobile gathering in our capital city of Adelaide. It started out merely as a free barbeque lunch in the botanic gardens for a dozen or so people. Very much just an excuse to have an informal get together and socialize.  Response was great, the public loved it (as they usually got a free feed too if there was too much). After a few years we changed it to a breakfast format due to having more free parking spaces early in the day to group the cars of interest together, that dragged out all day, no judging, no awards and there were giveaways such as t shirts 1-year, commemorative mugs the next etc. and it was even better. All at no cost to either attendees in cars or the public (funded from my own pocket). This eventually grew to encompass people with other makes showing up and it turned into a great display, but I could no longer continue funding it all as I had so asked for help and a small fee to participate. This was mainly due to the city council wanting a usage fee for a public parking space (that is free all-day parking) and demands that we have liability insurance. It's funny how asking for a small token amount money to help offset costs and corporate greed killed a great event.

Edited July 4, 2023 by Fordy (see edit history)

[alsancle]

1.  Under no circumstances should you have judging.  It is a lot of work.  You will not be able to get qualified judges and if you did,  you will end up with angry entrants anyways.

 

2.  I'm busy steaming dash plaques off one of my cars as we speak.    Other people may be more excited by them.

 

3.  On trophy's I agree with Matt.   People's choice and long distance seems ok.   Forget about anything else.

 

4.  Please don't use the word "Classic" when you name your show.    Anal pricks like me get annoyed when the term is misused.

 

5.  If you are going to group the cars be sure to not combine original cars with hot rods or resto-rods.   I would group by era.

 

6.  I assume local show and everyone is driving in.    If not you need to give a lot of thought to trailer parking.

[John348]

8 hours ago, JV Puleo said:

Some time ago a member of this forum related a story of a show that did just that. The Mayor asked his secretary to pick the winner...she picked one of those VW/Mercedes/Gazelle contraptions which made virtually everyone furious.

Good point, shame on the participants, but.... I get it,

 

So it could be the Mayors favorite car, maybe change the phrasing? and emphasize that. Have more then one selection, maybe the Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts? This will develop into more of a community type event and expose the business to more people in the community.

 

 

   

[EmTee]

Don't know if someone already suggested, but consider just calling it a 'cruise-in'.  Spend the money that would be required on trophies or plaques on hiring a good local band.  Give people something to listen to while walking around to see the cars.  Possibly set aside an area for local crafters/vendors.  They could be charged a fee for a space to set up their display tables.  That widens the appeal of the event.

[JV Puleo]

I like the basic idea ... to encourage community involvement but making it work so that everyone understands that anyone could win might be a challenge. Anything that implies that one car is "better" than the others is likely to generate hard feelings. If awards are deemed necessary, I would stick to those that can't be challenged on the basis of the car itself.

Edited July 4, 2023 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[Walt G]

a lot of sound advice here from people who have owned and attended car shows of assorted levels. quantity of number etc for many many decades. It seems that many favor the

informal gatherings grouped by decade for display and really are there for the camaraderie of fellow car enthusiasts. The general public are getting a free benefit of the cars assembled in one place. What alsancle says in his list I am in complete agreement with and TAKerry - his point at # 4,5,7 8,9 and 12  are especially noteworthy.  My own experience of years attending - my first car show as a car owner was in 1964 ( age 14), my first Hershey in 1965. The Franklin I owned and sold to a friend is still getting national AACA awards and CCCA awards - I never had it judged. the 1930 Packard touring I have had a  AACA national first place tag on it when I bought it, that came off immediately went into a bag and into the glove box. Appreciated , but just not my thing. I like well restored cars and also excellent original cars of all ages that are driven and used. I have driven my pre war cars in 4 1/2 hours of steady ( major downpour) rain to an event to stay the week and drove it home again ( cars had a leather roof covering or canvas top) .  they got wet when they were new and the roads were a lot poorer then they are now.

[erichill]

My two cents-don;t over think this. I attend 3-5 cars hows a year with my speedster. I have zero dash plaques. The trophies i have are usually people choice and are nothing special but I think I am like most that attend car shows I am not there for the trophy.  Hand a few out and I say don't worry of they look a lot like regular trophies. Have good food as I guess you will having the cafe, have some music, and pray for good weather.  

[46 woodie]

If you do decide to give out awards/trophies, do not ask your local Mayor or a politician to pick a car for an award. Several years ago a local show had a "Mayor's Choice" award. The Mayor didn't know a spark plug from a lug nut and picked a Bugatti, VW kit car for a trophy and it caused quite a scene. Many people vowed never to attend this show again and attendance did drop the following year's. It took several year's to get the show back to where it once was. If you are just starting out something like this is the last thing you need to happen.

[chistech]

I’ve done quite a few shows with my car now but most were judged AACA shows so here is my comment on the others. 
 

1. totally agree about eras of cars should be put together: Twice now I’ve been parked in my 31 chevy right with modern cars and even new production cars. Unless a brand new car has been highly customized (more than just wheels, spoiler, and graphics) I personally don’t think they belong an organized car show unless that cars show is specifically for that type of car. Those cars are mostly being shown off for bragging rights of how much someone has spent for their new car. For those who go to car shows and have certain types/years of cars they like to see, having them spread out and intermixed is a turn off for most.

2. decide on the type of show: if it’s just a friendly get together advertise it that way as all are accepted. If it’s more of an older car show, advertise it that way with a cutoff date of manufacture. Many car shows around me are 50’s era and are advertised that way. I already know what to expect when I read the advertisement. And wat type of shows I’m interested in attending.

3. music: music played over loud speakers or sound systems is usually just annoying to me. There’s too many shows with some guy who thinks he’s the next “wolfman jack “ and he’s got the same Elvis Presley tune playing every 20 minutes. It seems every car show lately thinks everyone loves blaring sock hop music! It’s not my favorite for sure. Many times people are wanting to have conversations about the cars they’re looking at and the music is too damn loud. Some quiet, easy listening music would be fine to me as an alternative to dead quiet.

4. Awards: if it’s a judged event then you need them, if it’s a non judged show, one or two are fine but again, advertise it so the participants are aware. Having people’s choice awards are another thing I have an issue with. Having those types of awards with no class differences means age, ethnicity, and even location of the show affects the award outcome. Have your show in a college town and anything before the 80’s  is not going to be much of a hit. This means if the show is intended or becomes an annual show, you’ll lose some cars because of the format. Breaking down the cars into some sort of classes, parking them appropriately, and having peoples choices in each class not only makes for happier participants but even the spectators have more interest because they now end up looking at cars in areas they might not have bothered looking at. Spectators will end up learning more and have more interest in returning to next year’s show. I was at a show a few years ago that had a single people’s choice award and the car that won was a Chip Foose Mustang. While it was nice, it was not his best work by a long shot and there were many other cars there much better. Name recognition from TV  of Chip Foose got the overall show winning award. If there was a few different classes, then it would of only won the “customized” or possibly “muscle” class. Remember, awards will probably make a better show but will definitely add additional work and effort.
5. Fees: I have no issue in paying a $5-10 fee at a local show with no or few awards. Simply getting people to help and organizing something is worth it as I know and have done it many times myself. Many times shows do 50/50 raffles to help defray costs and entice people to participate. Offering one free entry into the 50/50 raffle for each participant is another way to pull and reward entrants rather than trophies or plaques. Of course, people are needed to sell more tickets throughout the show day to everyone and anyone they can to add to the pot.

 

Any event is work. The level of quality of the event always comes down to the amount of effort put in. Don’t forget that weather can really make a well done show stink for that day. If you are putting on an event with a club or group remember the 80/20 rule as it applies to everything. It means 20% do 80% of the work. In simple math, 2 out of every ten are going to do the majority of what needs to be done. I hate to say it but way too many people are inherently lazy and unwilling to put in the effort for even one event a year. As a clubs event organizer for over 30 years I speak from experience. 
 

I am attending the Endicott Estate show this Sunday in Dedham Ma. It is definitely one of the better shows in New England and it is a judged show with classes. I prefer those types of shows as there are types and eras of cars that i specifically go there to see and others that don’t interest me much so I don’t bother to go to that section. I’m sure I’m not the only who does that and it’s for that reason I will very rarely attend a show where the cars are all mixed together. It just annoys me as that kind of show isn’t a show, as there’s no organization. That type of show is simply nothing more than a parking lot for anyone who showed up. To me that is a “cars and coffee “ event, and not much more. And I’ll mention that $5 for a Luke warm watered down coffee at the local cars and coffees is another reason why I’m likely not to participate.

Edited July 4, 2023 by chistech (see edit history)

[JV Puleo]

You might also consider free entry for pre-war cars. The simple fact is that local shows have become the gathering place for late models, hot rods and resto-mods. As someone who has no interest in those I wouldn't bother to take an early car...but those are the cars that, more often than not, excite real interest in the spectators. I've completely lost interest in local shows for that reason and I am certain other owners of earlier cars feel much the same.

 

I have no idea what the demographics are in your part of Texas but here in New England there are still many early cars that rarely see the light of day, partly because the owners are simply not interested in being lumped in with the muscle cars and hot rods. As Christech above points out, at the least separate the cars by era so that if any pre-war cars do show up they can be grouped together.

 

If space is limited it may be impossible to break parking down into narrowly-defined eras but at least separate the original cars from the modified ones and assign a small area to the earlier cars.

Edited July 4, 2023 by JV Puleo (see edit history)

[John348]

4 hours ago, 46 woodie said:

If you do decide to give out awards/trophies, do not ask your local Mayor or a politician to pick a car for an award. Several years ago a local show had a "Mayor's Choice" award. The Mayor didn't know a spark plug from a lug nut and picked a Bugatti, VW kit car for a trophy and it caused quite a scene. Many people vowed never to attend this show again and attendance did drop the following year's. It took several year's to get the show back to where it once was. If you are just starting out something like this is the last thing you need to happen.

 

What happens if that same VW kit guy has 10 friends there and they all vote for him? What's the difference?

 

I just put it out as an idea to run with and work off of, you are right there can be problems, but nothing good comes from peer judging. I do not know the dynamics of their community, for that matter none of us do. I am just trying suggest ideas to stimulate outside involvement to expose their business to entire community

 

There are some challenges,

• Limited parking
• retain cars once they enter to attract spectators
• satisfy the car owners  

Edited July 4, 2023 by John348 (see edit history)

[Walt G]

3 decades plus ago here on long island some clubs would allow cars/vehicles 1932 and earlier free entrance and participation if they preregistered. There was a short while where it was also for pre WWII era vehicles. I completely agree that those era vehicles generate more conversation because people who are now 75 years old weren't around when the cars were new. I am not knocking later cars in any way, just agreeing that if you want to see something different and odd, older is what may be the ones that need to be encouraged to come out to events.

I do not attend car shows , bring my cars that have a $20 entry fee - why pay someone to look at my car? I would rather put that $ towards paying for gasoline and go for a longer drive and use the car.

Edited July 5, 2023 by Walt G (see edit history)

[Bryan G]

I used to volunteer at a booth up at the big annual street fair in our county seat. When I would show up, my friend Robert would always let out a big sigh of relief. See, for several years he was the mayor, which meant he had to pick the "Mayor's Choice" at the car show on the next block. Not being a car guy at all, I was just what he needed! We'd make the rounds, I'd make note of the vehicle with the best body/paintwork (whatever it was) and suggest it to him. Sometimes my choice raised his eyebrows. I doubt any of my picks made anyone too upset. (Awful hard to find a 60s car at a small town show without a crack somewhere in the sail panel! No crack=trophy.)

[John348]

How's this for an idea, how about asking the local high school cheerleaders to pick their favorite three cars? Could be fun? Give away gift certificates for your restaurant as an award.  If anyone takes that serious shame on them! They can also be pretty good at selling raffle tickets as well.   

[EmTee]

The AACA Wampsville (NY) show has eliminated judging.  Instead, they pool the entry fee and issue attendees tickets for random drawings for cash prizes.  The first XXX registrants also get a dash plaque.

[Restorer32]

Regardless of what you do the Camaro with the shiniest red paint will always win the People's Choice award.

[kuhner]

I am co-chairman for our car show at our VFW.

We are lucky enough to have a young lady, Iraq veteran, full time Army National Guard make our trophies. She does stained glass, these are ones from  last year all had something to do with the state of Ohio.

 

I like to think we have THE best judges at any car show . Our judges are our veterans. We ask one veteran from each conflict from WW2 to present, and Purple Heart recipient to pick their favorite car.  We lost our WW2 veteran this past winter so we may ask a family member from a veteran to fill in. We also include other posts’ veterans. For most they pick a car they have some great memory of.

 

The veteran presents the trophy, and we introduce them with a run down of their military service. It really is very special. Sometimes hard to not get choked up when hearing their service. Last year our Purple Heart was a young  man who earned two while in Afghanistan.

 

Everyone is invited.  It is a small show about 40 or 50 cars but we are still growing it. Seems like either the weather or something else works against us.

 

 

 

[bryankazmer]

I like how you tie in the judges to the show sponsor.

 

 Perhaps an unintentional side effect of alliteration, but the advertising card would, if I had an older or restored vehicle, lead me to not attend.  See the previous comments in the thread about rods/mods vs restored/original.  How has it worked out in actual attendance?