JUDGING THE OPEN CAR SHOW

A Practical Guide for Judges at Local Three-to-Four-Hour Community Car Shows

Prepared by Mike Thies

Certified Vehicle Appraiser, I-VAN #04152019

Global Automotive Services LLC, Dacula, Georgia

Copyright November 2011, August 2026

ISBN: 9798192722312

Download Click Here

Most published judging standards were built for a full day and a trained judging corps. Your local benefit show has three to four hours and a handful of volunteers.

This guide gives you a judging system built for that reality from the ground up, not a national standard trimmed down under time pressure on the morning of the event.

Inside, you'll find:

A five-category, fifty-point baseline scoring matrix that lets a volunteer judge move through a field quickly and fairly.

A field guide covering exactly what to look for on exterior, interior, wheels and stance, engine bay, and overall presentation.

A full survey of ten judging formats used across the hobby today, from People's Choice to concours authenticity judging, with the real tradeoffs of each.

Practical field conduct for keeping a show warm and low-pressure while staying fair and consistent.

A plain-language protocol for handling ties, disputes, and awards without drama.

Also included: a ninety-year history of how car show judging evolved, from the concours lawns of Pebble Beach to the hot rod circuits of Detroit to the cruise nights that gave rise to today's community shows.

Written by Mike Thies, Certified Vehicle Appraiser (I-VAN #04152019) and 2024 Appraiser of the Year, with decades of hands-on concours and benefit show judging experience.