Old Cars Meet New Fans At Festival Of The Unexceptional

Photo by Matthew Pitts

When you think of a motor show you think of glitz and glamour, of low-slung sports cars and high-tech concepts showcasing what we’re all supposed to be driving in the coming years. But on the last Saturday of July at Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire a very different sort of motor show was taking place…

The first sign upon arrival was literally a sign – one that read ‘exhibitors’ pointed at a coned-off road accessible only to a privileged few, while another saying ‘modern cars’ aimed in the direction of a field that served as a car park. Having arrived in a modern car, I was directed down the latter path, where I found myself amongst aggressively styled SUVs, a bevvy of Bentleys, a handful of open-top sports cars and even a McClaren hypercar hunkered down against the uneven ground. But these weren’t the stars of this show, because this was the Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional.

First held in 2014 when it was attended by just 300 people, Festival of the Unexceptional has grown over the last decade to become one of the highlights of the automotive calendar. It’s a celebration of the mundane – the cars that 40 years ago could be seen on every street across the country, but are now a rarity on our roads after decades of neglect, various scrappage schemes and general disinterest. In the grounds of Grimsthorpe Castle were proudly displayed the survivors of bygone times – everything from Vauxhall Astras and Ford Escorts to quirky old Citroens and boxy, high mileage Volvos. In one corner is a beautiful black VW Beetle; in another a beige Austin Metro – utterly nondescript when it first went on sale in the 1980s but now a sight to behold. Nearby is a bright yellow K-reg Mazda 121 – a tiny, pebble-smooth saloon that looked absurd against all the compact hatchback competition in the 1990s but now looks, well, absolutely terrific on a grey July day.

Photo by Matthew Pitts

There are Renault 4s and 5s – the originals, not the touchscreen-filled electric reboots that have just gone on sale – glorious original Minis (were they really that small?) and Rover 200s from a time when Britain’s last big car manufacturer really did have a class-leading car on its hands. But it’s a motor show – surely there must be some exotics to drool over? How about some classic Porsche 911s? Or a couple of diminutive Honda Beat roadsters that look like they shrunk half a size in the rain that sporadically washes over the site. In the back is a stunning Delorean DMC-12, famed for its role in the Back to the Future movies but here without the baggage of the films’ time-travelling paraphernalia that corrupt its remarkably clean and still-striking lines.

The owners of these cars can often be found nearby – or sheltering in their pride and joy when the heavens open – happy to talk about the motors they’ve brought along. Some have been lovingly restored, others just well-maintained over the decades they’ve been on the road. Many still show their age with pride, their metal bodies showing unique rust patinas, or simply faded paintwork that varies in colour depending on which body panel you look at.

There’s even a concourse section in the courtyard of the castle showing the very best in show. This year’s winner is a Skoda Favorit that has been lovingly restored by its young owner.

Photo by Matthew Pitts

And it’s that passion that is a key factor at Festival of the Unexceptional: there’s a palpable sense of it, from the owners exhibiting to the thousands visiting. Few of the cars here are remarkable – or rather they were never intended to be – but what they all do is tug at the heartstrings. Walking the length of the show you can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over you, from seeing a Nissan Micra that’s almost identical to your mum’s first car, to a Ford Cortina like you dad had – you know, the one with the black vinyl seats that all these years later you still remember burning your legs against on a summer’s day in the early eighties. These cars are both unremarkable and yet wholly remarkable at the same time. Each one a survivor with a story to tell, that unites people both young and old in automotive appreciation.    

And then as late afternoon arrives they begin to disappear, slowly making their way through the crowd to the castle gates, and from there back to the garages and driveways where they will be washed, polished and lovingly maintained until next year’s festival, when even more exceptionally unexceptional cars will gather to enjoy their long-deserved moment in the spotlight.

Words by TJ Leng