7th Lotus Vintage Car Beauty Contest and Luxury Car Show

Through the eyes of the organiser:

As 21 April was drawing nearer and nearer, my colleagues and I were getting more and more excited and intrigued. Several months spent making arrangements, loads of application forms and photos galore suggested that the big day was just around the corner and the participants would turn up in flesh and blood soon. Then on 19 April, I welcomed several of the contestants as if they had been my friends, since it was not the first time that we had met.         
After sorting out the facts and figures swiftly at the registration desk installed in the hotel foyer, we had all the data forms, as many as fifty of them, completed, so just before 3 pm, the engines revved up and led by police escort, the procession of the vintage cars, the “Tour d’Elegance”, started out. By today this programme has developed into a sort of tradition and crowds of people line the streets along the procession route to admire, if possible from the very first row, how the rare cars come alive and shine in their glory.  
This year we organised our first in-house competition, the so-called 1/100 challenge competition. Motorists were enthusiastic and took part in it gladly, because it is timekeeping, rather than speed, that really comes first in this competition. To my great joy, and to a lot of gentlemen’s surprise, a lady contestant proved to be the most skilful to tackle the challenge.  

Quite a number of beautiful vintage cars dotted the hotel park and luxury cars also turned out in force. Already on Friday the latest NISSAN Leaf was the first to arrive, straight from the Check Republic. Rolling off the trailer, the sleek electric car ran its first meters noiselessly. The flagship eco-car was soon joined by models from BMW, Citroen, Hyundai, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Opel, Peugeot, Renault and Toyota. This year we focused on the alternative and electrically driven vehicles which nicely supplemented the range of cars displayed at the event where models of the past, present and future were equally represented.
By 9 on the public day morning, people filled up our park where obviously the cars played the leading role. Everybody could have great fun as there was retro music playing, grill tents offered savoury food, car enthusiasts could go on test drives and children could choose from lots of programmes. All the happy hustle and bustle created a real May Day atmosphere.  
Then it was time for the award-giving ceremony, a real highlight of that wonderful Sunday. At the ceremony conducted in a dignified and worthy setting, the owners of the magnificent vintage cars could stand in front of the audience and receive the award from the expert jury which, via the award, appraised and recognised the hobby in which the participants had invested so much time and energy. And here are the final results:  

The most beautiful vintage car built before and up to 1919: Opel Torpedo (1911)
The most beautiful car in the period between 1920 – 1931: Nash Special Six (1926)
The most beautiful car in the period between 1932 – 1946: Citroën Traction 11BL (1937)
The most beautiful car in the period between 1947 – 1961: Messerschmitt Kabinenroller KR 200 (1960)
The most beautiful car in the period between 1962 – 1971: Mercedes Benz 250 SL (1968)
The most beautiful car in the period between 1972 – 1982: Škoda S100 L (1973)

The most beautiful car in „mint”condition: Mercedes – Benz 320 Cabrio B (1942)
The most beautiful interior: Mercedes – Benz 170D (1949)
The most beautiful German car: Mercedes – Benz 170DS (1953)
The most beautiful Italian car: Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce (1980)
The most beautiful French car: Renault Monaquattre (1931)
The most beautiful British car:  Jaguar XK 150 (1958)
The most beautiful Asian car: Nissan 280 ZX (1979)
The most beautiful American car: Ford Mustang GT (1968)
The most beautiful convertible car: Amphicar 770 (1964)

The most beautiful grille shell: Hudson Hornet Club Coupe (1951)
The most beautiful fender: Jaguar MK V (1949)
The most beautiful car from the socialist era: Volga M21 (1959)

Lotus Therme Special Award: Ford Mustang GT cabrio (1966)
Vulcanet Special Award: DAF 44 (1969)
MAVAMSZ Special Award: Citroën Traction (1956)

The award of the Best of Show went to an Excalibur Phaeton (1974) which was white as pure snow and bagged most of our visitors’ votes.