ClassicCar

It depends upon who is judging the "originality". For most purposes (such as at AACA or other club "judged" events) it does not take away the originality. That's because it's assumed that most of the car has been restored to what it would have looked like at the factory, but this involved "new" chrome, paint, glass, upholstery and welded-in panels. The car "looks" original but of course it's not "truly" original -- then it would be a "barn find", so to speak.

Most people are trying to "restore" to the original "look", and the trophies are presented on that basis. There are, of course, some cars that have miraculously survived, looking "like new" and in many cases the owners are willing to live with faded paint, a bit of rust, tattered seat upholstery, etc. because they want to "preserve" the car exactly as it was when it left the factory. Even if time has done its worst on the car.

So it depends upon your definition of "original". Again, for most purposes, "original" means that you have done extensive work on the car to make it look factory-new, and at car shows the cars are judged on how well they have been restored to replicate this factory-new "look". But a TRULY original car would have little or nothing done to it, and would indeed look far from "new".