Winner of 2024 Festival of the Unexceptional revealed
This 1982 Hilux was originally used on a strawberry farm
Tenth consecutive iteration of the popular event crowned by a pristine, ex-farmyard Toyota Hilux
The winner of the 2024 Festival of the Unexceptional has been crowned as a pristine 1982 Toyota Hilux, displayed by its owner Mitch Lewis.
Originally bought by an elderly lady who used it on a strawberry farm, it accumulated just 10,000 miles before Lewis bought it. During his ownership, Lewis has added just 10,000 miles.
Treating it sympathetically ever since it was purchased, Lewis notes that it still has small dents from the hit of strawberry punnets in the bodywork, but otherwise it took “just a wash” to make it look as authentic as it does today.
On his win, Lewis said: "I was expecting one of the lower prizes at the very best. I didn't expect first. It's a lovely car, my pride and joy. And I love it."
Jon Bentley, who served as one of the judges this year, said: “Most Hilux’s get used and abused and ultimately scrapped, but here is one which has actually been preserved during life on the farm.
"It did a lot of work but has been treated very gently. And so despite the fact all of its contemporaries have disappeared, here is one in all of its perfect, prestigious condition. Therefore the exceptional has survived and become unexceptional.”
The group of judges, including Autocar’s Steve Cropley, summarised it as “surely the best one in the world”.
During the tenth consecutive year of the festival, more than 4000 people and 2000 cars attended. The Hilux was chosen among dozens of finalists including a Zastava Yugo, Volvo 145, Vauxhall Nova and more.
Second place went to Amy Jaine and her Renault Clio, while the Retro Repmobile prize was given to a Nissan Primera that originally came from Hanover. Highly commendable mentions were given to a Fiat Panda, Citroen Visa and an Austin Metro.
On the festival itself, Bentley added: “The whole point of the show is just cars being preserved which are actually very ordinary, everyday. And you wouldn't normally think to preserve them, they just tend to quietly disappear. But luckily there are groups of enthusiastic people who actually preserve all these things that were once very humdrum. These are not cars that are aspirational, they're not like a Ferrari or Lamborghini or something. They just live forever.”
The festival, the first event for which took place in 2014 and this year returned to Grimsthorpe Castle, is described by its organisers as “A celebration of long-forgotten everyday family cars from 1969-1999, now fondly known as the ‘Unexceptional Era'.”