Toyota Hilux takes top trophy at Festival of the Unexceptional 2024

The 10th anniversary of the Festival of the Unexceptional proved to be a sell-out success, becoming the biggest show in the event’s history. 

A record attendance saw 2,000 mundane motors, along with 4,000 fans of unexceptional cars, flock to Lincolnshire’s Grimsthorpe Castle on Saturday.

Guests at the event were treated to 12 hours of live entertainment, including a pub quiz, live music and more.

However, the highlight would be the near-endless display of automotive mediocrity, plus the crowning of winners across an array of categories – including the overall victor, a remarkable Toyota Hilux pickup survivor.

Biggest FOTU to date

Along with the many unexceptional cars lining the castle grounds, 50 outstanding vehicles were picked to form part of the central concours competition. 

Included in this collection were a Citroen Visa with just 4,000 miles on the clock, and a remarkably unremarkable Daewoo Lanos. The latter was said to be one of five examples remaining on British roads. 

Both the Citroen and Daewoo were highly commended by the judges in the Concours event, as was a 1993 Fiat Panda.

Awarding-winning mundanity

The 2024 Festival of the Unexceptional saw trophies awarded in a number of categories. These included the Retro Repmobile Award, which was given to Luca Alpert and his Nissan Primera (pictured above). 

Alpert had driven his Nissan all the way from Hannover in Germany to take part in the show. 

The Chairman’s Award went to Colin Corke and his Austin Metro. A regular at the event, Corke finally received a trophy on his eighth Festival of the Unexceptional entry. 

Taking second place in the Concours event was Amy Jaine and her 1998 Renault Clio, originally owned by her grandmother.

However, the ultimate prize in the Concours category was given to an unrestored 1982 Toyota Hilux pick-up truck. Owned by Mitch Lewis, the Hilux had spent much of its life working on a fruit farm. 

Despite a hard life, it remained completely original, proving that the Hilux really is indestructible. Lewis simply needed to give the Toyota a thorough clean before driving it to the event and taking concours glory.

Keeping average motoring alive

First created in 2014 to celebrate forgotten family cars, the Festival of the Unexceptional has grown into a must-visit annual event.

Mark Roper, managing director of Hagerty International, said: “Ten years of FOTU is something to be celebrated, and this milestone was celebrated in style. I would like to thank the thousands of enthusiasts who came to enjoy it with us, and for our special guests who brought the main stage to life. 

“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. Hagerty is committed to continually supporting UK car culture, and will continue to grow both the Festival of the Unexceptional and RADwood for years to come.”