Why did the Ferrari Club of America tighten the Concours Rules?

Here's a thread to stir the pot - many owners won't care, but some owners will.

The FCA has announced newly tightened rules for Concours judging. Until 2016, 3 levels of awards were available, Platinum (Premiodi Platino), Gold (Premiodi Oro), and Silver(Premiodi Argento).

"At the start of judging, each car is assumed to have a perfect score of 100 points. As each component is judged, deductions of 0-5 points will be made as appropriate. Each car in either the regular or Preservation class will be judged by a team in the same manner."

In the past for each judged model class, an unlimited number of cars could be awarded Platinum, as long as they scored 95+ points, one car (only) could be awarded Gold if it scored 90+ points, and one car (only) could be awarded Silver if it scored 85+ points. Under that scoring system, it would seem that one car scoring 90 could be awarded Gold, while another also scoring 90 could be awarded Silver. Never made much sense to me, but that is the way it was until the end of 2015.

For reasons that some bigwigs in the FCA would need to explain, the FCA in its wisdom apparently decided that too many cars were being awarded Platinum so it raised the standards for each category for 2016 and beyond.

From the FCA 2016 guidelines - "A minimum of 97 points is required for 1st place (Platinum), 92 points for the single 2nd place (Gold), and 87 points for the single 3rd place (Silver). Platinum winners are eligible for major awards consideration. The one exception is Pebble Beach where there are first, second, and third place awards; the first place winner is eligible for Best of Show. An age adjustment factor will be incorporated in Preservation scoring."

It is unclear whether this means that there can only be one Platinum winning car in each model class under the new standards. It also is unclear as to why there is even a points listing for Gold and Silver (other than as absolute minimums) because assuming that there is at least one 97+ scoring car and at least one 96 scoring car, and at least one 95 scoring car, that those cars should take all of the marbles. If there are two 96 scoring cars, shouldn't they both get a Gold/Silver Amalgam award?

Is the FCA just trying to save money with the new arrangement? Did it cost too much to award paperweights or to print pieces of paper as award certificates?

It seems to me that the FCA simply wants to discourage owners from entering their cars in judged events. Or, the FCA never considered the probable unintended consequences.

Also, is it fair for Euro Market Dinos to compete in the same class with U.S. Dinos, what with all of the extra pieces of safety and pollution equipment that U.S. Market Dinos were required to have to be legally sold in the U.S.?

I think the solution to this last issue is that U.S. Market Dinos should not be required to have all of their pollution equipment on the car and/or functioning, and that they also should not be required to have seatbelt warning lights and alarms, and other devices unique to U.S. Market Dinos, on the car or working either.

Alternatively, if you have a Euro Market Dino, then you should be allowed to enter it in a Ferrari Concours in Europe, but not to be judged in an FCA event in the U.S.