Highlights from an exceptional Festival of the Unexceptional

Ordinary is extraordinary

There’s no event quite like the Festival of the Unexceptional, a show run by Hagerty to celebrate the obscure, forgotten, (often) dull and (sometimes) normal motors that have been lucky enough to have an owner that has taken the time to preserve their little piece of automotive history.

Held at Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire for the first time this weekend (Saturday 31 July 2021), having moved from Stowe House, it’s only going from strength to strength.

Here are just some of the cars that made their presence felt.
 

Old is gold

As many as 50 cars were selected for judging, all vying for the coveted golden mug award for the concours winner.

Among them was this Toyota Carina, plus Peugeot 205 and Renault 11 TXE Electrtonic.

In the background? A remarkable Innocenti Regent 1300.

International allure

Lee Denton’s Fiat Strada 85 added a little bit of glitz to one corner of the courtyard, which had a rather Continental flavour.

Beside it was Brian Wall’s lovely Saab 99 GL and the space-age Renault Espace TXE of Ben Aitken. Beside which was a very dwarfed Twingo…

Front of house

The best view in the house, or of the house, rather, was afforded to this spectacularly unspectacular line-up. 

A two-tone Talbot Solara Rapier, owned by Simon Fixter, parked alongside the Rover Maestro Clubman of Peter Spiers – a scene plucked from any 1980s supermarket car park.
 

Brick by brick

Perhaps I’m biased, as an owner myself, but no group of unexceptional cars is complete without a Volvo 240.

Ed Corrie obliged, dressed in period owner garb of flip-up sunglasses and turtleneck with trilby-and-tie-wearing accomplice. His GL wagon fittingly shows off both AA and RAC badges on the grille.

Wagons roll

Seemingly it was wagon corner, because next to it was this gold Mazda 929L owned by Peter Linn.

Amazingly, having gone so long without seeing one, we also spotted another one on display at the Silverstone Classic that same weekend. That’s two of the three known to still exist…

Dashing Trevi

Just as rare was the Lancia Trevi, owned by Graham Eason of Great Driving Days. 

Only three are thought to be in the UK, and Eason restored this back to better than new.

The best bit? Its bizarre dash full top to bottom of circular buttons. 
 

For the Acclaim

Rather more familiar, but now a rare sight – not least in this fine fettle – is the Triumph Acclaim. 

The last car to carry the Triumph badge, launched 30 years ago this year, it was built in partnership with Honda and was a rebadged Ballade. 

This gleaming CD Triomatic is owned by Julian Rowell.
 

A feature car

Familiar to C&SC readers would have been Simon Hucknall’s Fiat 128.

It was the subject of a feature by Alastair Clements in the May issue, and a copy was proudly displayed on the back seat. And it took home a commendation from the judges, too.

The car certainly put in some miles this weekend, taking in the Silverstone Classic in another survivor-car display on Sunday. 
 

Best dressed Escort

Most familiar of all, though, is surely the Escort. Two of which, bonnets up, were the first cars seen in the curated display area by the sell-out crowd.

Mark Pallatt, owner of the beige Mk2, took home the award for best dressed courtesy of his eye-watering flared suit…
 

Off-road rarity

Another finalist, and a fine curio in itself, was this immaculate Toyota Tercel.

The four-wheel-drive Toyota is a brilliant survivor, with a very fitting US Air Force logo squeezed on to its numberplate.
 

Toyota take two

Amazingly, it wasn’t alone at Grimsthorpe Castle, because nestled under the trees in the car park was this sublime golden Sprinter.

The wheels, colour matched like everything else on the car, really set it off. And its back story is quite incredible, as owner Udara David told Hagerty. It survived a tsunami, a disreputable garage, sun damage, a poor repaint and is still in the family.

There were plenty more treats to be found in the green surroundings, too many to pick. But keep clicking for just some.

Variety show

Like many car shows, you will find gems hidden away in the car park before you even get to the main event.

Some were perhaps on their way back to better days, but out nonetheless, whereas some were finished restorations drawing a crowd.

The little Škoda in the background surely falls into the latter category.

Three wheels too

As unmissable as they were unmistakable was this pair of Bond Bugs. 

Trio, in fact: on the dash (if you can call it that) of the car on the right was a matching miniature. 
 

Taking the Applause

Despite appearances, this is a hatch. A Daihatsu Applause hatch.

Maybe that party piece was the reason its owner saw fit to keep one going in such fine fettle.

In the background you’ll see What Car?’s Chris Haining’s Peugeot 306, too.

Fine Fiat

The Fiat Tempra is a bit of a monkey on my back, because a few years back I wrote an online feature off the back of seeing a rattly Tempra gracing Twickenham.

It certainly didn't look in as good nick as this.

Lada love

While there was no Talbot Matra Rancho (another car I can’t shake quips about in the office), this wonderfully used Lada Niva did stand tall and stand out.

It was quite the sight pottering along the dual carriageway on its way home, too, between the big and soft SUVs that have since become so popular in its wake. Sort of.

Estelle-a Škoda

You never really know what might take someone’s eye at an event like the Festival of the Unexceptional.

Like this Škoda 130 – a guilty pleasure of mine…

A Cavalier pair

Get there early enough and you might find yourself in a top parking spot.

Deserving of a space near the front was this pair of familial Vauxhalls. The company car expresses of sorts, a decade or two apart.

Oh pair

Another paired-up set was this Renault 10 and red 16 hatch. They weren’t early enough to get a prime spot, but it was a brilliant duo to find lurking towards the back of the long, long car park.

And a blue saloon with roof basket and suitcase? Sign me up.

Top marks for effort

As if a Wartburg wouldn’t take a curious eye anyway, this in police spec was never short of admirers.

It no doubt helped that its owner was dressed to match, too.

Delightfully bizarre.

Pre-Duster Dacia

Now a sister marque to Renault, it wasn’t always the case for Dacia.

And that’s something the owner of this 1310 presumably has to put straight fairly often.

The marque was sold by the Romanian government in 1999, long after this left Argeș County.

Commercial success

A rear-engined Fiat 900T is always likely to turn heads, even when it’s not in such a vibrant shade as this little gem.

Inside the cabin was a sort of shrine to Nottingham Forest of the time, adding a fine period charm to the plucky van.

Little Pug

Last of the car park spots, but by no means least, was this lovely Peugeot 104.

Many cars would be worthy of the spotlight from the show, but there simply isn’t enough time in the day to bring you hundreds and hundreds of lost models and forgotten machines.

Next up, it’s the winners…

Runner-up

In second place was the Peugeot 104’s later replacement: the 106.

This was bought by Danny Wilson for just £500 on Facebook Marketplace, christened ‘Minty’ and found to be surprisingly original despite some neglectful owners. And after a steam clean…

A carb model, it could be the last-surviving Mist Green 106 and possibly the earliest known.

Concours de l’Ordinaire winner

Just 200 of these Proton Black Knights are thought to have been made, and this Best in Show winner is the star of a three-Proton set owned by Jon Coupland from nearby Boston  

Completing the mise-en-scène, placed in the tray in front of the gearstick, was even a Proton-branded pen, such is the meticulous nature of its owner (with matching t-shirt).

Bought at just 3900 miles in 2019, it’s up to around 13,000 now and only treated to trips out to shows.

And it was rewarded with a golden mug trophy on this one.