Walk through the rows of a typical car show, and you’ll see everything from time-capsule survivors to wild customs with candy paint and chrome everywhere. They may all be beautiful in their own right, but when it comes to judging, many shows fall into the same trap:
They group cars by year, make, and model — and then ask judges to compare wildly different vehicles as if they were the same.
It’s a recipe for frustration.
A fresh restoration will almost always “look” better than a preserved original, even if the survivor has more historical authenticity. A heavily modified performance build will never match the mirror-like finish of a show custom, but it might far surpass it in engineering. When we ignore type and judge purely by appearance, the results often feel unfair — and it’s not hard to see why.
The root of the problem is that most shows think about cars the way buyers shop for them:odel?”
That’s great for cataloging entries, but it’s the wrong starting point for judging fairness.
Instead, start by segmenting vehicles into build/condition categories — this way, cars are judged against others with similar characteristics. Only after that should you divide them by year, make, or model to keep group sizes manageable.
Here’s a proven set of classes that covers the spectrum:
Rule of Thumb: An Original car looks like it’s still for sale at the dealership the year it was made. A Survivor looks like it’s been carefully enjoyed for decades.
When you start with these definitions, you level the playing field.
After you’ve placed cars in their proper build/condition class, you can then group them by era, make, or model — for example, “Restored to Original: 1960–1979” or “Modified: Chevrolet 1980–1999.” This ensures fair competition without losing the fun of comparing cars from the same period.
Every show is different, and that’s okay. But make it clear in your event promotion and registration forms:
This transparency avoids day-of confusion and lets participants decide if your judging format matches their car — and their expectations.
When cars are judged against their true peers, satisfaction goes up — not just for the winners, but for everyone. Judges have an easier time making decisions, participants understand their rankings, and spectators get a clearer view of the variety in the hobby.
The next time you plan a show, remember:
Start with what the car is before you decide when and where it fits.
That’s the difference between a show that frustrates and one that people talk about for all the right reasons.
