Coupland with his Saga and runner-up Danny Wilson with his 1991 Peugeot 106 XN Graduate special edition. — All photos from Hagerty
PETALING JAYA: An old Proton created waves at the 2021 Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional when it won the top prize.
The 1989 1.5GL Black Knight Edition Saga trounced 49 other rivals to emerged top in the Concours de' Ordinaire award. It was every bit a tongue-in-cheek affair and great fun for the 3,000 visitors who flocked to the event at Grimsthorpe Castle, in Lincolnshire.
The Saga owner, Jon Coupland, 30 took home the golden-coloured Hagerty trophy shaped like a tea mug. It was his first time competing in the festival.
Coupland, a policeman, said he had bought the Saga in 2019 and rarely drives it except to car events. At the time when he bought the Saga, it had clocked less than 22,000km.
Proton started production of the Black Knight Edition Saga in 1989 but managed to sell a measly 201 units in the UK.
The Saga competed with other brands such as Toyota, Saab, Peugeot, Volvo, Ford, Nissan, Austin, Volkswagen and Lancia.
Festival of the Unexceptional celebrates cars that were once a common sight but are now a rarity on UK roads.
It is a classic car show concept utterly unique in the UK that for the past seven years has successfully showcased the best examples of some of the most mundane cars ever built.
