The simplest answer to the title question is “Yes”–but few things in life are simple so MyStarCollectorCar decided to explain why trophies may be a hot button issue at car shows.
We have attended thousands of car shows over the years, plus we have covered them for MyStarCollectorCar over the past 15 years, so we have a solid working knowledge of what makes car guys tick at these events.
Car guys and girls are understandably proud of their vintage rides because most have invested a considerable amount of time and money in their beloved vehicles. The owners are the frontliners in the hobby and want to share their vehicles with a very curious public who attend the shows.
The owners also attend shows at their own expense and generously donate their time to travel to a show. Most of them view the car show experience as a solid way to mingle with other like-minded car guys and girls who share their love for retro rides.
We at MyStarCollectorCar see examples of car guy camaraderie at every car show because the vintage vehicle hobby is a place where everybody is welcome, and people are more than willing to extend a helping hand to others. It is the kind of world where lasting friendships are built and maintained over the years.
Fortunately, the warm and fuzzy side of the car hobby is on full display at a car show and represents the prevailing attitude at most of them. Unfortunately (as mentioned in the title), it’s complicated–not unlike most relationships where human beings call the shots.
One major car show complication is the trophy issue because awards at car shows can become a controversial issue. It is a reaction we have encountered at car shows when real or perceived injustices affect the trophy allocations when they are awarded to car show participants.
The typical award at most car shows is a trophy that winners receive based upon a judging or voting system created by the host club. As mentioned, MyStarCollectorCar has attended many car shows over the years and we get plenty of feedback from the participants about the events.
One of the most contentious issues is the award system because some entrants feel they may have been left out of the trophy hunt since they do not belong to the local host club and believe they look after their own when it comes to trophies.
Their suspicions may be correct if the local club members win all the categories in the show and leave with all the trophies–or most of them. The net result is a car owner who traveled to the event at his or her own expense may be less inclined to come back to the show if he or she believe the game was rigged in favor of the locals.
The easy solution is to create an award system that does not tilt toward the local club. Categorize the local club entries as hosts and allow the visitors to compete for the trophies, while allowing the locals to compete for trophies within their own membership.
It may not be a perfect system, but a host club would not be under fire for favoritism if they chose an award system that encourages out-of-town entries at their shows. The alternative may end up as a much smaller show that draws fewer non-local entrants and is a tough sell for the organizers.
The decision to tip the scales in favor of the locals may be a costly one.
Jim Sutherland
BY: Jim Sutherland
Jim Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer whose work has been published by many major print and online publications. The list includes Calgary Herald, The Truth About Cars, Red Deer Advocate, RPM Magazine, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Windsor Star, Vancouver Province, and Post Media Wheels Section.
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