Chasing perfection: What it takes to win a Cobra Concours
Ever wondered what judges look for when judging a Cobra Club Concours event, which generally attracts the best of the best Cobras, Daytonas and GT40s in the country? At the final Cobra Concours, which recently took place at the highly successful Killarney Motor Show in the Cape, this publication decided to follow the clipboard-holders around to see what exactly constitutes the top step of the awards podium.
At the outset it must be said that entries (open to both members and non-members of the Cobra Club) are not judged on originality but rather on presentability – with all vying for the Hi-Q Grand Prize worth R20,000 – along with every entrant receiving a certificate of attendance, and the top ten entries receiving trophies (and major bragging rights). The grand prize winner at Killarney also scored ‘Xignature’ custom removable number plate holders, a custom-fit car cover from Supercar Covers, merchandise from Shelby South Africa, and a free annual club membership for 2026.
So, what exactly does it take to literally show your mettle at these gatherings? It comes down to four areas, really: engine bay, interior, exterior and a smaller section called other, with the first three carrying individual prizes for the best representations. In the horsepower department, owners need to show an engine bay with meticulous attention to areas like paintwork, panelling and bracketry; wiring needs to be neat and tucked away, and piping needs to show presentable hoses and sterling clamps, while general overall cleanliness and neatness as a category interestingly carries the most points – a trait we noticed in other sections too!
It gets a little trickier on the interior scoring front, with more considerations on the cards from the team wearing the gloves and doing the rounds. Here, the judges begin by examining the condition of the dash and gauges, as well as the switches and, my personal favourite, the ‘idiot lights’ (also known as warning lights!). Next up are seats, door panels, and the centre console, followed by carpeting and safety belts, which get their own point allocations. Then it’s on to fittings, like the handbrake, gear lever, and steering wheel, for inspection. Interestingly, the luggage compartment is a section on its own under interior, with some dedicated points up for grabs – but like with the Engine Bay category mentioned earlier, the lion’s share of points again lies with the final section termed general overall neatness.
It must be said, though, that judges tend to do one section at a time across various cars, versus working through the entire scoresheet spread on one car at a time, which, if you ask us, is clever, as you’re comparing apples to apples for a real sense of what each criterion translates to across the variety of cars on the judging floor.
Next up on the scoreboard is what the public notices the most, be it a Concours or simply these specimens on the road – yup, you guessed it, the exterior. Naturally, paintwork and body panel alignment are high on the radar, but judges also look at rims and tyres, general fittings (lights, mirrors, bumpers and badges), and then, again, the overall cleanliness category, which, based on weighting in every category, seems like the wildcard to make up some points and even the playing field.
The last stand-alone section on the menu, titled “Other”, simply asks judges to check for a valid licence disc on display but does also pique one’s interest with a huge points weighting (100 points) under a subsection called “overall impression of vehicle”. Meaning that while there are very specific questions already mentioned earlier per section, there are certainly subjective opportunities interspersed, allowing judges some poetic licence around their personal views of what they are assessing – which makes perfect sense if you consider the length and breadth of knowledge these judges tend to have and can apply to each car individually.
In the case of this final Cobra Club Concours event in the Cape, the judges included Brian Maritz (the only judge who attended all three events this year and represented the Gauteng Porsche Club), Dave Alexander (Chairman of the Crank Handle Club), and Peter Lindenberg (Owner of Shelby South Africa).
With 21 entries received and 19 cars pitching, special cars worth calling out included a brand new Backdraft Cobra delivered literally the day before and shipped in, belonging to David Ash from the well-known Cobra Experience in Cape Town (who run cars for guests in the Cape Peninsula), while a Superformance specimen with under 300km on the clock, worth just over R2m and belonging to Andre Barnard, was another example of the variety of marque your budget can get you. Sure, the Superformance cars carry endorsement from the US and feature in the official Shelby registry, but chatting to Backdraft owners on the day, it becomes apparent that these cars are well made and well loved, with some examples on show having done some serious miles, and owners showing some serious smiles.
As final Concourse events go, the Cobra Concourse choosing the Killarney Motor Show as the home of the Cape event was a stroke of genius. The organisers, the Western Province Motor Club and the Cape Multi-Car Club, have since confirmed no fewer than 13,500 spectators, helped along by great weather and an expansive array of displays and memorabilia. The motor show was electric on the day, with crowds simply buzzing, and the variety of exhibitors on display ensured that there was more than enough to see for hours on end. The Cobra Club den on display wowed adults and children alike, with Cobra owners having to keep a keen eye to ensure Instagrammers were not sitting on the bonnets or in the cockpits. Based on public feedback, we would not be surprised if there are a few new budding Cobra owners planning to stash keys under Christmas trees following this Killarney extravaganza.
It almost seems irrelevant who won on the day, as once again the camaraderie shown by the various owners is always heartwarming to see. The Cobra venom runs deep with these owners, and the pride and passion they have for their snakes, young or old, is always very evident. But it is a Concours after all, so hats off to overall winner Cliff Timlin, while on the second step was Andre Barnard, followed in third by Dane Greyvenstein.
Timlin’s stars were indeed aligned when he further scooped both Best Interior and Exterior awards, alongside David Ash, who showed the best engine bay. Interesting here, though, and coming back to how the judges do the overall scoring, is that while Barnard and Greyvenstein were on the main podium, they didn’t feature in overall wins for the smaller categories, reminding us that the judges’ scoreboard can indeed permutate in various ways.
“It’s bittersweet getting to the end of the three Concours events which made this year a national outing for the club, but it’s the first time we’ve managed to do this in the three big provinces, and that’s mainly due to the invaluable support of the team from MUA Insurance, who understand the value communities like the Cobra Club add to the motoring and classic car landscape,” mentions Club chairman Kenneth Ella. “Next year the club turns 40, and we’re hoping to grow our fangs from strength to strength, keeping together the legacy and enjoyment that only a Cobra can bring an owner! We thank every owner that participated this year, along with the Cobra fans who took the time to visit us in each province.”
MUA Insurance CEO and evident petrolhead Vajra Singh was equally ecstatic with the trendsetting insurance company’s participation at the various Concourse events. “It’s been an absolute privilege sharing the stage with this well-established national club, its members, and the exceptional metal they exhibited to the various communities. The curtain may be closing on the year, but the passion both the club and the owners showed throughout the year, come rain or shine, is exactly the kind of passion that, as a business, we can relate to. We understand that cars can often be far more than just the sum of their parts, especially when it comes to the passion that is shown through the owners, and it is with this ethos in mind that we aim to create the relationship between MUA and its clients. We look forward to partnering with the Cobra Club next year and, of course, working with Cobra owners on tailored insurance solutions.”
