INTRODUCTION
The International Chief Judge Advisory Group© (ICJAG©) is a group of experienced Chief Judges who support serious class judging focused on originality and authenticity. The charter membership includes nine Chief Judges from five countries.
The purpose of the ICJAG© is to offer voluntary advice and assistance to concours chairmen, chief judges, and organizers who have an interest in promoting proper preservation and correct restoration through serious class judging.
Some say the Concours d’Elegance, or contest of elegance, originated in France. Others look back to the Roman Empire where custom chariots vied for attention. This continued over the centuries as owners of beautiful horse-drawn carriages gathered to compete for best of the best.
Perhaps it can be said that France is the genesis of the modern concours as a result of the grand shows that took place in the early days of the automobile. Regardless of origin, the concours of the past has evolved to the many multi-faceted shows of today
The present concours scene consists of shows that range from casual pretty car judging to subjective class judging based on organizer criteria to very serious class judging focused on originality and authenticity.
Best of Show is generally selected from the class winners by a vote of chief class judges. Some shows also include honorary judge votes. The winning car is normally based on elegance or presence. The selection is not based on high score because the classes have been judged by different judging teams. All class winners are equally eligible for Best of Show.
If the class judging is based on originality and authenticity, the Best of Show will not only be a beautiful car, but it will be a correct car. If the class judging is subjective, the Best of Show may or may not be a correct car. Best of Show awards to incorrect cars distort automotive history.
Entrants often have the mistaken notion that the judging is much the same from one show to another. This is not the case. Such thinking often leads to confusion and disappointment when their car does well at one show and then gets nothing at another.
To avoid such problems and help ensure an accurate history of the automobile, the ICJAG© supports fair and consistent judging through the provision and endorsement of standard class judging forms and judging guidelines focused on originality and authenticity.
It is not the intent of the ICJAG© to tell shows what to do in the area of judging. The shows are independent and organizers are free to do as they wish. The primary purpose of the ICJAG© is to offer volunteer advice and assistance to those who have an interest in serious class judging.
The goal of the ICJAG© is to support a select number of seriously judged shows in key countries. Such shows will use standard judging forms and judging guidelines endorsed by the ICJAG© and the class judging will be focused on originality and authenticity.
The standard ICJAG© judging process offers concours entrants the opportunity to be seriously judged for originality and authenticity in a fair and consistent manner. Doing so helps promote proper preservation and correct restoration and ensure an accurate automotive history for the benefit of future generations.
17 Feb 2016