- Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional to return to Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire on 26th July 2025
- 50 unexceptional cars to participate in the international Concours de l’Ordinaire
- Concours will celebrate everything from the Austin Allegro to the Volvo 240
- Motoring celebrities, Smith and Sniff to return with interactive live stage show
- Record 2024 event welcomed over 2000 cars and more than 4000 guests
- Full day of events, displays and entertainment scheduled for the whole family
Bicester Heritage: 14th May 2025
The 2025 Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional takes place on Saturday 26th July at the spectacular Grimsthorpe Castle estate in Lincolnshire. Now in its 11th year, this unique motoring event celebrates the unexceptional cars that once dominated motorways and supermarket car parks, loved by families across the country for their affordability and practicality.
2024 saw a record attendance with over 2000 cars and more than 4000 visitors, all celebrating the vital role that unexceptional cars have played over the decades. The 2025 event is expected to bigger than ever, with the return of a live recording of the Smith and Sniff podcast to the stage, a host of speakers and entertainment, live music and a diverse range of food and drink for the whole family.
The highlight will be the Concours de l’Ordinaire, fifty unexceptional cars displayed on the lawns in front of the impressive Grimsthorpe Castle. The fifty finalists have been selected from hundreds of entries and like any concours, will be judged on the day by an esteemed panel of judges.
“Selecting fifty finalists from the long list of entries has been harder than ever,” says Mark Roper, Managing Director of Hagerty International. “While many of the cars might have been unexceptional in their day, today they have a lifetime of memories that make each one exceptional in its own way. We are immensely excited to see this celebration of motoring history assembled on the lawns at Grimsthorpe Castle in what again promises to be a wonderful family day out.”
As a preview to the 2025 Concours, the FOTU selection committee have selected ten finalists that epitomise the spirit of unexceptional cars.
1982 Austin Allegro Series 3 1.3 HLS
The Austin Allegro was British Leyland’s rival to the Ford Escort and it is definitely a ‘Marmite’ car as you either love it or hate it. Clearly many loved it at the time because over 600,000 were built from 1973-1982 but today few cars more clearly define the term unexceptional. Its dumpy styling, oddly shaped ‘quartic’ steering wheel and suspension that could be compared to an 80s waterbed hardly made it a driver’s car, but it was the notchback of choice for many families across the country.
1984 Austin Montego 1.6L
Austin’s answer to the Ford Sierra and Vauxhall Cavalier was the Montego. Produced between 1984-1995, development actually started in the mid 1970s. As the last car to wear the famous Austin name, it has a special place in British motoring history. This standard 1.6 L has only 12,000 miles on the clock and still has its original dealer sticker and number plates.
1986 Bedford Rascal
The Bedford Rascal was indeed a rascal, scampering around towns and villages in the 1980s with drivers trying their best to get the most from its diminutive 970cc engine. Assembled in Luton, the Rascal was the same as the Suzuki Carry in Japan, part of the very popular Kei car culture. It might be a van, but it epitomises 1980s and early 90s Britain, when thousands of Rascals roamed the streets and the only thing exceptional about them was that they didn’t seem to fall over on roundabouts. This example has only 18,000 miles on the clock, is in ‘White Van Man’ white and features a brown plastic dash and matching brown seats which were heated by the engine beneath them.
1976 Datsun Cherry 100A 3dr
The Datsun Cherry was Nissan’s solution for those seeking a small, stylish and affordable small car. It was extremely reliable with a great little A-Series overhead valve engine and styling that was a match for the early Honda Civic. This particular model has driven only 6,000 miles, is completely original and has never been displayed at a show before, which will surely make it popular with visitors.
1984 Ford Escort 1.1
Few cars defined motoring of the 1970s and 80s like the Ford Escort. Exceptional models like the XR3i or Mexico feature at many classic car shows, but for FOTU, it’s a basic 1984 Escort 1.1 with its 49hp engine are steel wheels that ticks all the right boxes. This finalist is completely original, even sporting its ‘Special’ sticker and was acquired by its current owner while on holiday in Portugal.
1998 Perodua Nippa EX
Described by Top Gear in 1998 as a car for those who see “cars as nothing more than a means to an end,” the Malaysian-built Perodua Nippa was the cheapest five-door, four-seater car of its time and a sibling to the equally mundane, Daihatsu Mira. The EX was the entry-level, as basic as they come with steel wheels, no radio and no rear wiper. This example is a true passion, with its owner even having exact replicas of the original wheel trims 3D-printed.
1992 Skoda Favorit Forum
Skoda first used the Favorit name in the 1930s, but revived it in 1987, a time when Skodas were not exactly held in high regard. The opposite was true, with everyone having a joke or two about the Czech-built models. However the new Favorit was something of a success and this 1992 Favorit Forum was the true entry-level model, with a less powerful version of the 1289cc engine, no radio and very basic seats. This model was saved from the scrapyard by its current owner and has clearly been cherished and driven only 30,000 miles during its lifetime.
1982 Vauxhall Cavalier 1.6 L
The Mk 2 Vauxhall Cavalier was a very popular sight on our motorways in the 1980s. Loved by sales reps and middle managers, each trim level became a company car aspiration. This 1982 example has driven only 17,000 miles and is the very basic L spec 1.6 litre version, the staple of the range. It spent many years off the road, but was recently recomissioned by a father and son.
1997 Volkswagen Polo 6N
The Volkswagen Polo celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025, so it’s very appropriate that this popular model features in the list of finalists. Its owner passed his test in a red Polo 6N and always wanted another, but as he got older, they became rare and hard to find. Not to be discouraged, he found one in Poland and drove it back across Europe to the UK where he can now relive his early memories and share them with fellow FOTU enthusiasts.
1984 Volvo 240 DL
The Volvo 240 DL continues to be one of the most iconic models from the Swedish automaker. Renowned for is strength, safety and comfort, it was not the first word in stylish design but it was immensely practical and mostly reliable. The 240 DL was the base model with a cloth interior and steel wheels and this finalist was much loved by its original owner, Mary. Sadly she had to stop driving in 2017 and it was garaged, only to be discovered by its new owner who says it still looks like it did the day it left the showroom and has simply named it “Mary’s Volvo.”
These are just ten of the fifty wonderfully unexceptional finalists that will be joined at Grimsthorpe Castle by thousands of fellow owners and enthusiasts. Gates will open on 26th July at 7.30am so that owners of unexceptional and classic vehicles can make the most of a day packed with events that will continue until 5pm. It promises to be an exceptional family day out as everyone celebrates the memories of cars that for many, are purely unexceptional.