Beats me. The aspect that bothers me most is that the concours cars were never that clean when they were new. To me, it's rather pointless to judge "authenticity" in a concours when the cars didn't look like that when new. Why not call it the "anal-retentive car cleaning challenge?" For that matter, why not hold an associated event for dirtiest, most clapped-out car at the same event? It would be about as logical, I think.

dirty and clapped??

I could win then...

sjd

Concours events are NOT FUN for the entrants IMO. They are a competition of wallets and time and effort. Very nerve racking to say the least( especially when the judge lifts off one of the wiper blade caps to stick his white-gloved finger in there and pull out some dust:eek: ). It feels about the same as taking a really important test and then waiting for your score. But winning feels really good. For me, it kind of justifies the "normal" care most 911 owners give their cars. My friends don't say a word when I park away from the SUVs at the front of the lot. I would do this in ANY Porsche, but a Concours win gives me the excuse. Waxing and polishing regularly just maintains an already beautiful car and helps to preserve the value of it, that's just common sense. One thing no one has mentioned here: Concours preperation allows the owner to inspect and clean (or repair) evry inch of the car, resulting in a car that need fewer repairs, and the ability to find a problem early. This alone makes Concours-ing a car a valuable experience. I think everyone should do Concours at least once, you will learn alot about your car in those 80 hours of preparation!

I drive my car, in nice weather, evry chance I get! Doing Concours d' Elegance wouldn't prevent me from that.

I would say 80 hours of preparation would be a gross underestimate--for my car at least. :D

We went to a concours in MN this summer just to look and see what it was about. I have to say out of all the porsche events we have been to...this was by far the most serious. Most of the people there were pretty focused and not so much into extra conversation (which I can understand). So we enjoyed seeing the cars (and know ours would never get that clean unless we paid someone to do it), but we did not end-up staying that long.

"Personally, I've always enjoyed the drive to and from an event (whether a race, a show, a swap or whatever) MUCH more than the event itself?! "

Absolutely, I agree. I just went to the Castle Hill concours last weekend and saw lots of gorgeous cars on the road approaching the event...lots of p-cars...lots of british mg's and jags...even a few ferraris...I got to follow a testarossa for the last few miles...man, they make an awesome sound...I had to work my little 911 hard a few times to keep up with him...

But regarding the original question: I figure they have concours events so I can go as a spectator and check out the sweet cars. I'm glad crazy and obsessive people (with $$ to burn) restore and preserve old cars...so long as it isn't me !! Heck, why do we have museums, right? When a museum preserves significant or beautiful objects we never ask why. I say "more power to the preservationists"...so long as I get to ogle...