Nothing. And Everything.
The "nothing" is that all convention participants are free to enter either one. If you are a registered convention attendee with your Corvair you can enter the car in your choice of the Concours or the Car Display.
The "everything" is that the two events are not at all alike.
The Concours is a formal judged event. Exacting and precise criteria are used to classify and judge the cars, and the resulting scores are an accurate measure of each vehicle’s condition and a yardstick against which each vehicle can be compared to others.
The Car Display is an informal show in which awards in several categories are selected by popular choice. A winning car may not necessarily be the "best" but it will be the one that people like the most.
While CORSA has held a Concours at every convention since the first one in 1971 (in fact, the Concours is a convention requirement per the CORSA by-laws), the Car Display was added in 1984 to provide an alternative. Some Corvair owners felt that their cars might not be of sufficient quality to be entered in the Concours, while others simply did not wish to go through the preparation and processes necessary for the Concours.
The Car Display was created also to ensure that every Corvair at a convention, from work-in-progress to show-winner, was put on display. This goal remains paramount for Sturbridge this summer and is why the Car Display is scheduled for Saturday, when the greatest number of participants and spectators are likely to attend.
A further distinction is that the Concours is limited to pre-registered participants, only. It is not possible simply to show up the day of the event and enter. CORSA policy dictates that while the formal judging takes place on Friday, all Concours cars must go through a rigorous classification process that begins Thursday afternoon, and there is a Concours participants’ meeting on the schedule as well. So all Concours entrants must be signed up and on-site in advance.
This is not to say that the Concours committee will not accommodate individual hardships or other special cases, but suffice to say that entering the Concours takes a level of commitment that is distinct from what is required for the Car Display.
The Car Display is open not only to those who register in advance, but also to those who sign up on-site. Come Saturday morning, unregistered arrivals will be welcomed – at least, to the point where we run out of room to park the cars! Given the high concentration of Corvair owners in the Northeast, we are expecting – and striving for – the largest gathering of Corvairs in one place since they left the factory. Plan on being a part of it!
As an added bonus, at the Sturbridge Host Hotel it will not be necessary to move the Concours cars from their Friday location on the lawn once the judging is complete, so the Concours cars can be viewed alongside the Car Display entries all day on Saturday.
So whether your own a Corvair that you wish to be judged to CORSA’s high standards, or a Corvair that you simply want to put on display for everyone to enjoy, this convention offers you that choice.