Is it elitist not to want replicas mixed in with authentically old cars at concours?

When I broached this question on this forum somebody complained I was elitist. Not at all, I want to own a replica, just that they don't make a replica of the car I want (Bizzarrini GT5300 Strada).TThere's no space here to spell out my beef against concours that mix 'em up but did on this website for those who have an interest in this subject.

http://motorsportsmarketingresource...og/what-makes-for-a-world-class-concours.html

 

I think in the long run the Shelby brand ones will be accorded a special status

I have a friend who ordered an alloy bodied Shelby Cobra replica from Shelby
even after he found he could get virtually the same car from
another brand, with an alloy body, at a lower price. But his reasoning was: "It is a Shelby."
So I think, if there is good documentation of the ones that Shelby built (it all depends on the documentation in classic car circles) those have more of a chance of being considered a cut above the replicas made by others in terms of history if not craftsmanship. Note when billionaire Larry Ellison ordered a Cobra with a die cast frame he ordered it not from Shelby but from the guys in Utah, and paid $1 million bucks! But as someone who is going to the more expensive concours (not the cars n' coffee impromptu events) to see real cars made in the original era I am glad you recognize that need of the showgoers who expect to see original era cars. Also since the approach of each different replica maker is different, how are the judges supposed to judge the replicas if they are mixed in with the actual era cars since there is no standard for replicas, one maker may use square section tubing, another round, etc. as well as different fasteners, gauges, etc. etc.

 

The Pantera is a better example of modification vs. originality

This comparison may be somewhat related. Over in another forum, in a Pantera appreciation thread, I was the only nay sayer, saying that I thought the problem with Pantera owners as a group is that 99% of them have already changed the
-intake manifold
-carburetor
-exhaust headers
so the car runs better and certainly looks better under the hood but the problem is that, in a concours, they are judging originality. So the problem is, if you run it the way Ford sold it, you get worse gas mileage, worse performance and the lot. But I think the purpose of the fancier concours is so you can look at a 100% dead stock car and judge how it compares with other restored cars, not custom cars. The trouble was Ford was building a semi-exotic to a price ($10,000 seemed high at the time..) and had to cut corners here and there to do it. They "put the money on the outside" as they say in Detroit.
So there's a case where the quality is not so good at the original OEM level but if you want your Pantera to win Best Original you'll have to put the stock parts on. So far, too many Pantera owners are enjoying their cars to want to go in that direction but I think once the factory GT/4 race cars start going for a million bucks those with less storied cars will began to think originality has its merits..