2007
1.
The Concours Classes (1-16) will represent the highest
standard; originality or restoration to “show room condition” is being sought.
2.
Historic Plate Class (17) is for Club Plate cars which are
not in a condition for entry in the Concours Class, and are ineligible for Road
class because of limited use.
3.
Road Class (18) is available for cars that are driven on a
regular basis, with over 8,000 km or 5,000 miles travelled annually.
In order to maintain a high standard and to allow the earliest possible finish, five judges are to be selected for the Concours Class. All will be very knowledgeable on matters relating to the Mercedes-Benz marque. These judges will evaluate the field of cars for competition according to specific criteria relating to the condition of the vehicle on the day. Naturally, the judges will take into consideration the age, mileage and originality of each vehicle (ie degree of difficulty, use and authenticity). The judges will be looking for:
1.
detailing and presentation
2.
condition of vehicle and components and
3.
originality or authenticity of restoration. (ie.
cleanliness, completeness, originality and functionality).
Five areas
will be judged: Interior, exterior, engine bay, under-body and boot (including
tool kit, keys, accessories etc).
1. Interior: items such as dash, steering wheel, doors, headlining,
seats, upholstery, floor mats and
pan, trims, visors, instruments, original to the vehicle (except seat belts
fitted to earlier vehicles for safety). Non-original items such as car phones,
alarms, speakers, air-conditioners may attract deductions of marks, as will
leather cracking through colour, worn or torn carpets, etc. The car should be
emptied of extraneous items for judging.
2. Exterior panels: paintwork, chrome, trim, glass, lamps,
grille, rubbers and numberplates for example will be assessed. Body panel
dents, rust, poor finish, overspray, worn or perished rubbers, excessive glue
will attract deduction of marks. Non-original sunroofs will also incur a
penalty.
3. Engine Bay: everything seen and “checkable” with
the bonnet up (including batteries, v belts, hoses, firewalls, and wiring for
example). All should be clean but not
excessively polished; points will be lost for corrosion, oil and water leaks,
wrong or worn/frayed/stained hoses, clamps, batteries etc
4. Under body: mudguards, wheel arches, drive train,
suspension and exhaust components should be clean and free of oil leaks and
rust.
5. Boot: including interior colour, spare tyre, and accessories. It also needs to be emptied of extraneous
items for judging. However, original
items such as the spare tyre, safety triangle, logbook, owner’s manual, and
tool kit should be included for display.
NB. It is essential that the owner
is available to open the boot (which you may wish to lock to secure valuables
during most of the day) for inspection by the judges.
Class winning
cars will always be both very clean and very original. This is not to say that
restored vehicles are unworthy of a prize, they must however, be restored in a
manner sympathetic with the original car’s appearance. A well restored vehicle
will have an appearance of never having been used from new, rather than being
obviously overdone with parts highly polished or chrome plated that originally
would not have been. Wherever possible original parts and finishes should be
used. In general, the judges frown upon modifications, non-original or
non-genuine parts and accessories and of course visible damage, dirt and fluid
leaks.
Where
possible, accessories such as sheepskin seat covers, chrome wheel arch trims,
should be removed. They detract from the originality of the vehicle in the
event of a tight competition. Mercedes-Benz Club radiator or bumper-bar badges
however won’t detract points as long as they are mounted in a neat and discreet
manner. Cars should be presented as they would be picked up from a show room,
for example seat belts should be placed flat against seats, accessories such as
first aid kits should be in place.
Roadsters and
Cabriolets may be presented with or without a top in place.
All cars will
be scored. Scorers will work to assist the judges in compiling results class by
class. They should not be approached by
entrants whilst compiling results. The Concours Marshal will be available
to discuss judging results after the announcements have been made.
The standard
you are trying to achieve is ‘ex-factory condition and originality’:
1. Clean and detail the car. No Mercedes left the factory
with dust, dirt or grime.
2. Non-original items detract from the originality of your
car, as do the use of non-genuine parts
under the bonnet. In a tie-breaker situation, these may cost you a position.
3. Bring with you original documents and accessories for display.
4. Listen for announcements, so that your car is available
and accessible for judging during the
day. If it is locked at the time of judging of that class, it may not be
judged.