Results Of Judging At The National

I would like to thank all those club members who kindly gave of their time and expertise to judge the cars at National Day. With two pre-war classes and three post-war classes, and a good spread of cars over these classes, judging should not be too onerous a task but I think that everyone was struck by the quality of the cars on display this year. In previous years it has often been the case that individual winners clearly stand out, but this year there were so many good cars that choosing the best was not so easy. In some classes, the judges devoted a lot of time to making their decisions because cars in the same class were so closely matched – it is not always the best turned out car that wins as originality is also a significant factor. Naturally the addition of, say, modern direction indicators does not count against a car because the judges appreciate that driving safety is paramount, but marks may be lost if any modern additions to a car are not incorporated neatly, and where possible in a period style.

Hurricanes in a line The master classes for cars that have been class winners in the previous two years were of a very high standard and this made selecting winners particularly difficult. The judges spent a lot of time deliberating before making their decisions, but when all is said and done the results in all of the classes respects the opinions of each pair of judges on the day.

A couple of years ago I was castigated by a member because judging the cars does not include an assessment of mechanical condition. I pointed out that the judges are not qualified engineers, we do not give out MoT’s and it is the responsibility of owners to ensure that their cars are in good order and safe to use. The concours judging is just for fun, and it is also a good way for the club to recognise the amazing amount of work that many members put in to the restoration and maintenance of their cars.

If you are interested in becoming a judge next year volunteers are always welcome. You do not
have to be a died in the wool Armstrong Siddeley owner of many years standing as new volunteers
are paired with more experienced judges. Finally, a Prewar cars very big thank you to all club members who brought their cars to the National Weekend. It was a delight to see so many cars that have not been on the field before and to meet members new to the club. Whether concours contenders or well-loved and well-worn cars they all made for a wonderful spectacle and a joyful weekend. For those readers who have not yet attended a National Weekend may I suggest that you come and join us next year, you will be very welcome even if you are not able to come in a Siddeley.