Only at the Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional can an unmodified 1982 Toyota HiLux farm ute win best in show.
For those unfamiliar with the annual event, it celebrates everyday family cars from 1968 to 1989, which insurer (and event sponsor) Hagerty calls the “Unexceptional Era”.
The event is designed for people to bring “ordinary cars to whom a large majority of people can truly relate; the first car you drove, your parent’s car or simply the car you admired on your neighbour’s drive”.
This year’s show, held at Grimsthorpe Castle in the UK, was the 10th Festival of the Unexceptional, with a whopping 2000 cars and 4000 people showing up.
The winning HiLux, owned by Mitch Lewis, had been used on a fruit farm since new and has never been modified. He simply cleaned it and drove it to the event.
Second place went to a 1998 Renault Clio which owner Amy Jaine had inherited from her grandmother, while the Retro Repmobile award went to 21-year-old Luca Alpert and his 1991 Nissan Primera who drove all the way from Hanover, Germany.
Vauxhall Nova 
Hillman Avenger
Finally, the Chairman’s Award went to Colin Corke and his 1981 Austin Metro.
Highly commended entrants were a Citroen Visa, a 1993 Fiat Panda, and a Daewoo Lanos, the latter being one of just five examples left on UK roads.
Past winners of the show include:
- Nissan Cherry Europe, an Italian-built cousin to the N12 Pulsar
- 1978 Ford Escort 1600
- 1980 Morris 575 pickup
- 1983 Datsun Sunny 1.5 GL
- 1977 Chrysler Alpine
- 1977 Morris Marina Estate
- 1989 Proton 1.5 GL
- 1994 Vauxhall Astra Merit
- 1991 Daihatsu Applause
The inaugural 2014 show’s winning Nissan Cherry Europe 
2019’s Best in Show, a Morris Marina
“Festival of the Unexceptional is an important part of securing the future of classic cars, with many young enthusiasts attending to show their FOTU-era cars,” said Hagerty International managing director Mark Roper.
It’s similar to RADwood in the US, another event organised by Hagerty which celebrates cars from 1980 to 1999.
There don’t appear to be any regular car shows in Australia that follow a similar theme to these events. That leaves a distinct opportunity for a venue to showcase humble Camiras, Sigmas and Lasers.
MORE: It’s time for Australia to celebrate the unexceptional cars of its past
