The Festival of the Unexceptional and its anti-elitist Concours de l’Ordinaire will return to Whittlebury Park on 25 July for the second year in succession, with this year’s event promising to be bigger than ever before.
Last year’s event was headlined by Princess Diana’s Mini Metro, while the entry for the upcoming show has focussed on overlooked cars from the world of television. They include a Hillman Minx that featured in Call the Midwife, the Vauxhall Cavalier used in James May’s Cars of the People, plus an award-winning Citroën Dyane, a 1963 Ford Cortina and a Rover SD1 police car.
The judging panel will be led by former director general of the British Security Service Jonathan Evans, backed by award-winning author Giles Chapman.
“The Festival is a great opportunity to remember the seldom celebrated cars that were once so common,” said Hagerty managing director Angus Forsyth. “Don’t let their boxy appearance fool you – some of these mass-produced motors are now rare than the supercars of the time. Indeed, there are more Lamborghini Diablos on the road than Hillman Hunters.”
His thoughts were echoed by Chapman: “Cars are like people – just because they have failings doesn’t mean we don’t love them. What’s so special about the Festival of the Unexceptional is that everyday models from the past are brought together in a wonderful environment of forgiveness.
