Saturday, July 14, sees the fifth Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional (Concours d’Ordinaire ) – return to Stowe House in Buckingham – and winners from the past four years’ events have been invited back to display their cars.
Originally staged by Hagerty in 2014, the light-hearted Festival of The Unexceptional (FOTU) celebrated the ordinary, run of the mill cars that were once on every street corner. Marinas, Metros, Chevettes, Hunters, Allegros, Corollas and their ilk were the stars of the show; this year, any mundane motor with a backstory built between 1966 and 1990 is eligible for entry.
Hagerty has already confirmed several scarce models for FOTU: a Volkswagen 412 (and base three-door Mk1 Golf), a Volvo 66 DL, Citroën GS X1 and Fiat Strada.
Prior winners of the much-prized Unexceptional award will be invited to return to FOTU for July’s fifth anniversary event. Past winners have included an immaculate and rare Nissan Cherry Europe, a Morris Marina pick-up, a crowd-pleasing Hillman Avenger Super Estate along with an as-new 1983 Datsun Sunny 1.5 SGL. These previous victors, along with the past People’s Choice winners, will be displayed in a special area at Stowe House, along with a handful of manufacturer heritage fleet classic cars; all will return to FOTU inside the new Invitation Class.
Entrants and visitors are also encouraged to take part in the Feast of The Unexceptional, the food festival that promises to out point the cars in terms of banality.
Hagerty’s Managing Director Angus Forsyth concluded: “The Festival is a great opportunity to celebrate these unusual classics and to recognise their lasting impact.”
Entrants have until Monday, May 28th to enter their 1966-1990 vehicle at Unexceptional Cars; free tickets can also be applied for via the same website.
