Chief Judge

The 2021 Cadillac Fall Festival is honored that Kip Wasenko was the Chief Judge and emcee of the Awards Presentation Drive-by Ceremony. Kip was Chief Designer of the Cadillac Studio and is best known for design of Cadillac Evoq that offered to the public as the  XLR. He applied the same design philosophy to the CTS-V.

During his illustrious 40-year career at GM Design, he was also Chief Designer of Saturn, Chevrolet Studio, Oldsmobile Studio, Advance Studios,and the GM Performance Division. A long-time amateur sports car racer, he designed the Cadillac LMP Race Car and the mid-engine Buick Wildcat with its exposed Indy 500 engine. In 1973 a design patent for the Two-Rotor Mid-Engine Corvette now on display at the Corvette Museum.

Since his retirement from GM Design in 2008, he has remained active in the car hobby by serving as a judge for many concours, as Honorary Chief Judge for Keels Wheels, The Cincinnati Concours and the Santa Fe Concours, and providing seminars on design in many venues.

Judging Criteria

All cars in Classes 1 to 7 will be judged in three categories – Design (50%), Function, Condition, & Authenticity, (30%)

and Elegance & Emotion (20%).

Design will assess Exterior Proportions, Front & Rear End Design, Wheels & Tires, Paint, Instrument Panel, Seat Design, Door Design, Upholstery Materials, and Color & Trim Combination.

Function, Condition & Authenticity will evaluate Engine Start & Run, Lights & Signals Operation, Engine Compartment, Body & Top, Chrome Trim & Glass, Weatherstripping, and Panel Fit.

Elegance & Motion will consider Design Harmony, Exterior & Interior Design Significance, Iconic or Trend-Setting Design and the “Wow Factor”.

Preservation Class cars will be judged on the Extent of Originality, Degree of  Preservation, & History Documentation

along with the categories mentioned above.

The evaluations of each car will not be disclosed, and the judges’ decisions are final.