2017 Bell & Covill Concours d'Elegance

[huggy617]

Does anyone know if any S3 bog-standard Elise's have been entered? I'm still thinking it would be fun to enter mine but as per my previous concerns further up the thread I think it's maybe missing the point to enter a new-ish car with no frills. If another has been entered though....I might not feel so daft!

[Bazza 907]

Andy

If you fancy it then do it irrespective.

[Bibs]

Here are the entries so far:

• Lotus Elise sport 135
• Turbo Esprit
• Elise SC
• Evora 400
• Lotus Esprit S1
• Lotus esprit s4
• Lotus Elan M100 S2
• Evora GTE
• Exige V6 S Coupe
• Lotus Mark VI MG
• Turbo Esprit
• Lotus Esprit
• Lotus Elan S4
• Lotus elan +2 130/5
• Turbo Esprit
• Essex Esprit
• Exige LF1
• Excel SE

[huggy617]

Bugger it, why not!

[franjipane]

Would have brought my Esprit SE along but. Working this weekend! And the weather looks good!

[Bibs]

Collecting the trophies

Which actually look more like this

[ChrisJ]

Where's my Excel on that list ?

OK, I've entered again - but now I can see who else is there I'm on the list twice

Does that mean I'll have to go home and get my other car

 

[Bibs]

You're last in the list, did you get bored reading halfway down? 

[ChrisJ]

doh! Must be staring at computer screens all day long making me go blind!

[Bazza 907]

Either that... 

[ChrisJ]

was waiting for someone to say that

[trevorB]

First year I can't make it and there is a section for M100 !!  Will a photo do ?

[Bibs]

I'll pop you a photo of a trophy in the post

[huggy617]

You guys were ace! So pleased I entered - I met some top chaps! Obviously I didn't think to get names but the guys who spoke to me (the fantastically shiny red Elise owner), you know who you are. I'll look for you all at the next 'do'! I took some pics from the track blast which I'll upload when I get to my computer.

[Steve A]

On 05/05/2017 at 21:21, trevorB said:

First year I can't make it and there is a section for M100 !!  Will a photo do ?

 You mean you had a better offer 

[Andyww]

Concours can be tough, it took me 4 attempts before I won with my Ferrari. I even had to replace all the breather hoses in the engine bay with cotton braided instead of nylon braided as I was getting deductions for that! Its crazy really, replacing parts with inferior types to win.

I think was rather lucky in winning in the Esprit last year.

A "proper" concours would dock points for non-original wheels but I was under the impression the TLF event was much more casual event and it seems harsh that yours didnt win. 

I was sadly not able to be there this year, which car did win?

As you say, just turn to driving it. Although the NCTs definitely need to go. I would not be driving at all on tyres that old and concours judges often dont look kindly to that kind of thing as it indicates a non-driven car. Although I doubt that was applied in your case.

[The Pits]

I appreciate all the positive comments. I'm not going to bleat on about the Concours, it's really not that big of a deal, it's only that I pulled out all the stops, including driving 180 miles on 1984 tyres, and have no more left to pull! Maybe I'll try cotton breather hoses! 

The winning Giugiaro Turbo belonged to one of the judges!  All joking aside, Barry's Essex was always going to be very hard to beat and he's been prevented from entering it for the past few years due to judging and organising the Concours. He's done a great deal for the event over the years and was supposed to be taking a break from judging this year to enter his car only for the judge to drop out, forcing him back into active service. Aside from that, hand on heart his car is more original than mine, his Compomotives still have the correct anodised finish for a start, it must be the most original Essex left and a deserved winner in a very tough catagory.

The Lotus 6 was the overall winner and there were cars such as Fabian's S1 that were literally flawless. By that I mean not a single mark, stone chip or blemish inside and out. The orange S1 was picked as the winner in that catagory, it is also utter perfection but I just can't see what possible grounds anyone could find to judge Fabian's car as the inferior of the two. Eeeny, meeny, miney, mo was employed I imagine!

Great to see so many pristine examples being truly treasured, but also used. Both S1s did the parade laps which involved getting them wet and neither were sparing the horses. Great event, I was proud to be part of it.

 

[Bazza 907]

Jonny

Thanks for your kind words about my car. To be crystal clear though I was not a judge for the category in which our cars were judged. Our cars were judged by Bibs and the guy from B&C who did not discuss their thoughts with me. I'd probably spent a similar amount of time as you cleaning the Essex and it was only on this basis that I was prepared to help out judging in the other categories.

Judging in a Concours like ours is always difficult because each judge will have a different opinion on what is best e.g. originality of parts, being fully restored, how and how often it's used etc etc

I think the key thing for me is that it was a Concours competition rather than the "Show n' Shine" competition that takes place at Brands Hatch meet later in the year.

All the cars entered this year were absolutely fantastic and choosing one over another is extremely difficult.

I think it would be really good if somebody else organised the competition next year, I feel I've done my bit.    

 

[The Pits]

You certainly have done your bit Barrie but I also think you're one of the best and most knowledgable judges we have at these events, so hope you will continue to be involved in some capacity.

Just purely out of interest, how did you guys separate the two S1s?

[Andyww]

Barrie you have done a great job in organising this. Its a thankless task sometimes running a concours.

There never really have been any proper concours events for Lotus in the past as far as I am aware. Graham Arnold who used to run Club Lotus hated them as he said Chapman would never have approved, and I assume thats still the policy of the current Club Lotus guy. But thats a shame because it leaves nothing for potential restorers to aim for, and partly accounts for the scarcity of really good historic examples of the marque compared to others.

[The Pits]

A very good point. Something of a double edged sword, it certainly motivated me do things to my car that I probably wouldn't have bothered to do otherwise. It's looking better than ever as a result and I enjoy improving the car where I can.

[Bazza 907]

25 minutes ago, Andyww said:

Barrie you have done a great job in organising this. Its a thankless task sometimes running a concours.

There never really have been any proper concours events for Lotus in the past as far as I am aware. Graham Arnold who used to run Club Lotus hated them as he said Chapman would never have approved, and I assume thats still the policy of the current Club Lotus guy. But thats a shame because it leaves nothing for potential restorers to aim for, and partly accounts for the scarcity of really good historic examples of the marque compared to others.

Thanks Andy

I agree totally. Graham Arnold used to hold a Concours at Castle Coombe but it was much more informal than ours on Sunday.

[Mark030358]

Knew I'd be away in Algeria keeping the oil flowing, but I'll be there next year with this "baby" ?

Cheers

mark

 

[ChrisJ]

Very tidy - love the colour combo as well.

[Paul Coleman]

23 hours ago, The Pits said:

The Lotus 6 was the overall winner and there were cars such as Fabian's S1 that were literally flawless. By that I mean not a single mark, stone chip or blemish inside and out. The orange S1 was picked as the winner in that catagory, it is also utter perfection but I just can't see what possible grounds anyone could find to judge Fabian's car as the inferior of the two. Eeeny, meeny, miney, mo was employed I imagine!

Surely the whole point of a concours is that the car is being judged against how it left the factory. Whilst I'm sure Fabian's car is flawless (I've never seen it) it's far from how it left the factory. If the judging rules were how close it is to the car in the film then Jon's wouldn't have stood a chance.

In the world of e-types the judges would even be looking at the hose clamps to make sure they're 50 years old!