HELP! Lotus Concours Classes

THe LOG concours is popular vote. Consequently cars win that often would totally passed over in a real concours. Newer cars like Elise/Exige usually win because of color selection. Older cars win because they look like their in good condition. Often cars win because they've been tarted up (in the M100 class there is little to differentiate one car from the next so someone who tarted up the engine bay and put aftermarket wheels on draws attention.

Car shows can be a mixed bag. At some the individual marque clubs are left to determine their own winners. THe Jaguar and Corvette clubs tend to be extremely nitpicky. Lotus poeple are very casual about the whole thing and often (like myself) don't give a crap about an award.

Having said that, the standards for Lotus should be those of a concours in general. Cars that are in the best and most original condition should be the winners. If there are a large number of Lotus then there can be multiple classes. At LOG individual models get their own classes, and are often even subdivided (S1 and S2 Europa in one class Europa TC in another) or groups can be historic ("50's through '74, '75 through '87, '88 through '04, '05 through present). PALS often looked at the number of cars present and how many awards the show organizers were willing to give, then figured out the fairest way to subdivide and award the trinkets.

Keep in mind it is not particularly "fair" to award a 3 year old Elise best Lotus, when there is a '68 Elan in original and good condition present.

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I would offer the following comments;

M100 is a difficult model to place, may be amoot point because it is rare. Since styled by Stevens could go in with Stevens Esprits to balance classes if needed.

Other Lotus is only really the Cortina as other Other Lotus would all technically be race cars. Cortinas can go with L4 group.

If needed S1/2 Esprit can go in with the L3 group as they were contemporaries.

Doubt a significant number of VI, Eleven(real not replicas), etc would show up, but they can get their own class.

Seven - what exactly are you including in this group. Lotus?, Caterham?, Birkin?
In my opinion, and this is contravestial and will likely engender animosity from certain owners. The only Sevens that should be in a Lotus concours are Lotus Sevens. Catherhams are not Lotus. They are Catherhams. They usuall show up with and get lumped in with Lotus. At LOG they get their own class. Your Lotus derived class is appropriate for them along with all of the other Seven like vehicles, or because they truly are the real descendants of Lotus could get their own class.