Is it Concours? - Nicholas Mee & Co Ltd

Is it Concours?

It’s a familiar scenario for the Brackenbury House team. The buyer: “Yes, but is it concours?” ,The seller: “Yes, it’s in concours condition. Well, maybe...”

This September Nick, Neal and Ed were at the heart of the UK’s late-summer ‘car week’; the concours and auctions held to coincide with the Goodwood Revival. First it was Windsor Castle for the Concours of Elegance, then only three weeks later the Aston Martin Owners Club held another of its standard-setting events at Compton Verney House, the 18th century mansion near Stratford-Upon-Avon, the Club’s Autumn Concours.

The NM&Co team was in pole position at Windsor, displaying a fine selection of Astons for sale just outside the main gates. So there were plenty of opportunities to have that ‘concours conversation’. As always, the Brackenbury Showroom cars were immaculately presented. And the team took time out to visit the Quadrangle at the Castle, where the very best-of-the-best were on display, each one the very definition of ‘concours’.

All of which got them thinking about exactly what constitutes a ‘concours car’, how FullBore readers could get involved and what effect ‘concours-standard’ or, even better ‘concours-winning’ has on a car’s standing and, more to the point, value. It’s a sometimes-mystifying world of ‘preservation’, ‘originality’ and ‘elite’.

Don’t be dazzled by all those men in white coats or blazers and boaters, flawless paintwork and blazing chrome. This video gives you the low-down on the different levels of competition and how you can join in with your Aston Martin. In this month’s end-of-year FullBore, let us be your guide.

We asked AMOC Chairman and Chief Judge of Concours Mark Donoghue if, having just bought a car and liked the idea of concours but were a “bit worried it’s not going to be as shiny as some of the other cars,” would we be welcome? The answer was unequivocal: “You would! Normally people get the bug. You do it once, spending a couple of days cleaning the car before the event, then the judges will scrutinise your car and point out one or two things and give you a guideline on what you’ve done wrong… then you’ll go back and do it again next year. Eventually you’ll get to the elite class.”

Originality is important, Donoghue stresses that – but he and the Club recognise that for many a colour change makes their car that much more personal, so there’s only a small (one point) deduction. A good interior is more critical, original hide upholstery is hard to replicate now and well-maintained, yet wonderfully patinated, Connolly leather is a joy to behold.

Which brings in another angle on concours – they help preserve our cars for posterity, prizing originality and recording in precisely what condition they left Feltham, Newport Pagnell, Bloxham or Gaydon. This includes the badges, the wiring, the screws and the clips, all the minutiae of car manufacturing over the decades. As Nick points out in Mee Speak, the heritage business is worth many £billions to the British economy every year. A significant part of that goes to restorers dedicated to maintaining classic cars, keeping them true to their specification when new….

…which brings us on to values. There’s an Aston Martin for everyone, and no hard and fast rule. Astons are meant for driving and even small modifications will make all the difference to how a 50-year-old classic drives today. But in recent years a return to ‘as delivered’ has meant that a car with as many original features as possible is highly prized.

The concours field is a good way of keeping cars true to themselves. As Nick says, it’s not for all, but certainly worth a try and a good way of meeting new friends. One thing’s for certain: you will find out more about your car at the end of the day than you did at the beginning.

So, do enjoy our video and we hope to see you at an event next year. We’ll bring a duster.

[nigelwest]

When I met my wife she was on the committee of our local Jaguar drivers club (She used to drive an XK120 OTS) we went to a Jaguar international meet and were talking to the Concours judge, He had narrowed the competition down to two XK140s, The winner got the award because the runners up tool kit contained a small adjustable spanner stamped "Jackdaw" (The manufacturers name) rather than the one stamped "Jaguar" as supplied with the vehicle, The same spanner in every way other than the name