Here’s what the judges will be looking for
Head judge Andy Reid will be looking to check some specific boxes before a car takes home the top honors at the upcoming Future Classic Car Show.
“I’m looking for, ideally, really great examples that are largely original of what we would call important cars of the more modern area,” he said. “Not a (Toyota) Camry.”
Reid said he and other judges wouldn’t be put off by cars with a lot of miles on the odometer. In fact, an oft-driven car could be a good thing.
“If it has 400,00 miles and it’s in extraordinary shape, all the better,” he said. “If it’s got 400,000 miles and it’s in extraordinary shape and it’s all-original … better yet.”
But originality won’t be the only determining factor in the judging process. Reid said the car’s story will play a part.
“The story is almost as important as the car,” he said. “Say we’ve got two equal third-generation Supras, right? They’re both equally quality cars and some guy just bought his at auction for $56,000 and the other guy bought his — it was a little rough — and he painted and stuff like that himself and he told us that story.
“They’re still equal cars but his story is going to make his car win over the other,” the head judge said, adding that the story has determined show winners in the past.
Reid also pointed out that modified cars aren’t automatically out of the running. He said changes that would, for example, create a car only sold overseas could be in the final conversation.
Still, those modifying their cars are urged to bring build sheets, photos or other documentation with them to demonstrate the car stands out from the crowd.
“If you’ve got documentation for the car and how you built it — whatever you did — bring it with you,” Reid said. “We’ll go over it. We’d love to see it.”
Though full tuners are unlikely to be considered, the build quality can change everything. A heavily modified 1998 Toyota Supra won the top prize last year.
Reid will oversee a group of judges, a few of whom have experience working at some of the world’s best car shows. He wants to re-create those experiences at the Future Classic Car Show.
“What I love to do is treat our Future Classic guys like the people are treated at Pebble Beach or Amelia Island, where it’s like, ‘Hey, don’t just tell us one-owner. Walk us around it. Tell the story. Do the whole thing’,” Reid said.
The final suggestion Reid offered seems to be simple: “Clean your car, and don’t just take it to a car wash,” adding that “clean” includes a full cleaning of the engine compartment and interior.
The fourth annual show will be held on January 13 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Scottsdale Quarter in Scottsdale, Arizona.
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