Concours d'Elegance

Supported by the Connecticut Valley Chapter

Chairperson: Kathy Kehoe-Lee
Volunteers: Ginny Shepherd, Randy Shepherd, Barbara Bisset, John Bisset, Lonny and Lou Ann Shirk

The Oktoberfest Concourse is the jewel in the crown

A concours d’elegance—literally, a competition of elegance—is basically a car show. But what a show! From the manicured lawns of Pebble Beach to the splendid palace of Italy’s Villa d’Este, the concours displays rare and beautiful cars, restored to perfection and gleaming like the multimillion-dollar jewels they are. In such venues, cars are judged by various criteria, including historical accuracy as well as the elegance of their presentation—and a “100-point car” is a rare gem indeed.

But you don’t have to be a millionaire collector to buff up and enter your car in the BMW CCA Oktoberfest concours. Indeed, most CCA chapter concours events have more to do with members’ slavish attention to cleanliness and preparation than to authentic details, though the judges do pay attention to historical accuracy and technical merit—as well as fanatical housekeeping.

In the early days of the Club and our Oktoberfest celebrations, the Oktoberfest Concours was held early in the proceedings, but somehow the Friday tradition evolved; this meant that concours entrants spent most of their Oktoberfest week cleaning their cars, and then waxing them, and then waxing them again, then chasing those elusive wisps of lint with Q-tips and camel-hair brushes. This year we’re returning to the earlier tradition, holding the 2008 Oktoberfest Concours d’Elegance near the beginning of our event instead of at the end; we hope this will enable participants to relax during the rest of the week and enjoy the many other driving events. And for those who spend the weeks before Oktoberfest buffing their cars, this will give them the chance to put them on display before they get dirty again!

The concours is not a contest of speed, but of excellence—and of course the best-prepared cars garner reward and recognition! But there’s room for other members, too—the ones who think life is too short to spend so much time cleaning and waxing and rewaxing their cars. For those a little less compulsive than the Q-tip brigades, there is a non-competitive display class, where you can roll your BMW out without being judged.

This year’s concours theme is BMW Innovation—a celebration of evolution. Whether you’re a concours fanatic or just want to share your BMW pride with your fellow members, we encourage all BMW enthusiasts to unwrap and uncover their most prized possessions and collector cars and roll them out on the lawns of Logan Winery. So bring it on!

Our concours will be part of the many activities for the public to enjoy. There will be music, vendor displays, arts-and-crafts booths, and wine-tastings—and the day will conclude with a tasty reception. It’s a day for Club members to come together and enjoy each others’ company as well as display their BMWs at their very best.

There are eleven classes in the Oktoberfest concours; you even select the degree of preparation for which you want your car to be judged (see classes below). Of course, you must be a member of the BMW CCA to participate—but the concours also traditionally draws a crowd of onlookers from outside the Club who come to see the history and beauty that make up BMW’s heritage. And whether you’re entered in a concours category or just showing off your favorite car—and enjoying the display of seven decades of BMW heritage—you’ll want to be part of this exciting day.—Linda Axelson

Class	Models	Presentation Level
Vintage/Classic (Vintage 1923-1960s) (Classic 1960-1970s)	700, 1600-2000 4-door, 1600-2002, 2000C/CS, E3 Sedans (Bavaria, 3.0S), E9 Coupes (2800 CS, 3.0 CS), E21 3 Series, E12 5 Series	CL & SC
Second Generation 1980s	E30 3 Series, E28 5 Series, E24 6 Series, E23 7 Series and M1	CL & SC
Third Generation 1990s	E36 3 Series, E34 5 Series, E32 7 Series and E31 8	CL & SC
Fourth Generation 2000s	E46 3 Series, E39 5 Series and E38 7 Series	CL & SC
Fifth Generation New Current Production	E87 1 Series, E90 3 Series, E60 5 Series, E63 6 Series and E65 7 Series E88 X3 and E53 X5	CL & SC
Z Cars	Z1, Z3, Z4 and Z8	CL & SC
Race Cars	All	CL
Concours Original	All	CO
Concours Modified	All	CM