MAFCA vehicle judging

Sanctioned vehicle judging is held at all national conventions and most regional events.

Unlike other forms of car shows, Model A judging is not a competition. Quoting from the Judging Standards (JS): “Judging is a process that measures each car against a uniform standard of authenticity and quality of restoration, not against other entries”. “The MARC-MAFCA standard for judging Model A is to compare each vehicle with how it would have appeared coming off the assembly line.” Additionally, each car is judged against information in the JS only, and not by an individual judge’s own ideas, knowledge or opinions.

Four categories are offered in what is commonly called Blue Ribbon or Fine Point Judging: Restored, Original, Touring, and Modified classes. Vehicles are judged using a points system of 500 (or 5000) points maximum. Teams of judges cover 23 separate areas, evaluating authenticity, condition, correct part/finish/assembly, etc. Every car starts out with full points, and points are deducted for discrepancies within each area.

The different classifications cover most As. Not all judged cars are high-point blue ribbon trailer queens. Most safety items are not penalized, and some performance enhancements, such as overdrives, are allowed in touring class.

To promote participation, a new Restorer’s Class was developed for the everyday driver. It offers a less scrutinized Evaluation with a maximum of 450 points.

If you are interested in having your car judged, take a look at the JS and see how your vehicle might attain a higher score with a few simple improvements. Then, ask a club member or members with judging experience to evaluate it. Sample score sheets will be available soon on MAFCA’s website to give you an idea of what the judges look for.