Toyota New Zealand explains big gathering didn’t meet Guinness criteria.

A RECENT large gathering of Hilux utilities seems unlikely to be recognised as a world record effort - and Toyota New Zealand now says comment it generated alluding otherwise was humour.

The national distributor’s rejoicing of how 1440 examples of the Kiwi rural icon vehicle were corralled to a Southland farm on March 2 has been followed by an admission of doubt.

TNZ says intent to involve the global brand that documents record-breaking achievements didn’t work out.

Without Guinness World Records' involvement, the feat appears to have no standing as a recognised record in its annually published reference book, a distinction that was lost on major media outlets and at least one podcast, all of which dutifully reported to the contrary.

“We were in touch with the Guiness (sic) World Record people as we did want to get this officially sanctioned,” a spokeswoman at TNZ national headquarters in Palmerston North told MotoringNZ.com by email after being asked to explain the ambiguity of the wording.

“However it was not possible due to their criteria.”

Exactly how it fell short and when TNZ was advised by Guinness has not been explained.

Guinness cites on line that to achieve recognition, any record bid primarily requires independent verification, expert witnesses, proof of measurement and specific documentation.

A TNZ spokeswoman enforced that, because of the circumstances “… the reference to an official world record (in the TNZ media share) is more tongue-in-cheek, hence the ‘unofficial official’ reference.”

Was the humour too well-veiled?

The company’s March 4 release is headed ‘New Zealand smashes world record as 1,440 Toyota Hilux gather in Southland’

It then immediately relates how “on a stunning day at Real Country Farm in Southland on Sunday 2 March, Kiwi (sic) from across the country gathered to completely smash the world record for the highest number of Toyota Hilux ever gathered in one place.”

This proposal has also been repeated on TNZ’s own news site, though in that the word ‘unofficial’ is used in the opening paragraph.

The TNZ public relations and communications spokeswoman whose contact details were provided with the release was contacted by MotoringNZ.com on March 6. She replied a day later.

Directly overseen by the region’s Toyota dealership, the celebration of a rugged and reliable ute that has been a workhorse of farmers and tradespeople since the 1970s was a huge feat of organisation. Aside from lots of pre-planning, there were specific events and celebrity involvements on the day and celebratory apparel.

An invitation to involve went out to Hilux owners of all models and vintages to register. Some travelled from the North Island.

The region’s biggest circulation daily newspaper was among those to report it as a bone fide achievement. It said organisers were “blown away by the uptake of the call to gather, after people from the deepest South to the Far North got in their Hiluxes and headed for Kingston.”

Some drivers opted to drive in convoy on the way to the mass meet-up and the state highway leading to the gathering spot was jammed in both directions with Toyotas.

Shared brand comment from a TNZ senior manager was celebratory, highlighting how a truly iconic Kiwi vehicle had brought people together.

The inspiration for the gathering was from 495 Hilux vehicles having been brought together in South Africa in 2010.

That occasion was also described as … an unofficial world record.