Zone 8 Concours Banquet
I had the honor recently to be presented with the 2024 Zone 8 Concours, 1st in Class Award, at a luncheon in Huntington Beach. It was the culmination of a year long effort campaigning our 2015 Mahogany Metallic Cayman S at several region-level concours events. There to help present the award and represent SDR was our outgoing President, Eric Marc-Aurele.
These Zone 8 awards go to club members who participate in at least half of the Zone’s seven regional concours events, accumulate a minimum number of points earned through volunteer participation in a variety of positions during the concours season, and score the highest judged combined point total for their class during the year.
This was the first year my wife and I presented our Cayman. We normally concours our 1966 Bahama Yellow 911, but, for part of the concours season it, along with several other SDR member’s vehicles, was part of the Power of Porsche exhibit at the San Diego Automotive Museum, so that made it unavailable. So, not wanting to miss out on the season, we decided to try our Cayman. Not the restored vintage car that our 911 is, the Cayman is our club rally car, our back country drive car, our DE car, essentially everything short of grocery getter car (though it has done that duty on occasion, including a few runs to Home Depot). Point is, with a little bit of effort, any Porsche, regardless of whether it’s a unique PTS car, a limited edition car, an UnStock car, or a daily driver, or all of the above, can be a concours winner. Also remember, under Zone 8 rules, it doesn’t have to be original. Essentially, if the body has a Porsche serial number stamped on it (somewhere), you’re in. Presentation is what is judged.
The idea of participating in a concours can be a bit intimidating for the first timer (even for some of us old timers). The Zone 8 and SDR websites have lots of information to help get you off on the right foot. A good place to start is the “Detail and Shine” division where only the interior and exterior are looked at. Concours events also provide great volunteer opportunities, so if looking at beautiful Porsches versus cleaning your Porsche (ok, uber-cleaning) is more to your liking, please consider volunteering at one of the Zone 8 events.
Concours season will begin with the California Inland Region in May and runs through our SDR event in the late Fall. Please watch the Zone 8 events email for details on all the “when and where’s,” as dates and venues often change each year. I, and the other Zone 8 judges, look forward to seeing your Porsche “out on the lawn”.