From its beginnings in 2014 as a gathering of unremarkable automobiles in a field, the Festival of the Unexceptional has grown into the biggest bash for bangers in Britain.
Actually, that’s unfair, for all of the 2,000 cars attending the 2024 Festival of the Unexceptional have been cherished and cared for by their owners, with a devotion to the dull worth much more than any monetary value.
Concours de l’Ordinaire judge Gary Axon is on his ninth Festival and is also involved in some seriously swanky car shows but says, for real enthusiasm you can’t beat FOTU fans. “I was at a show for Bugattis and of the seven cars entered only two owners even bothered to show up, and you certainly wouldn’t find them cleaning and polishing their cars. They have people to do that for them.”
A passion for the pedestrian was evident all across the extensive lawns of Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire. Here the fans de l’ordinare swapped stories of Saabs and Skodas, and tell their tales of Triumphs and Toyotas.
New for 2024 was the first outing for the Hagerty Driver’s Club’s hospitality unit and an extended entertainment programme featuring the nation’s favourite motoring podcasters Jonny Smith and Richard Porter – Smith and Sniff. A strong smell of Brut wafted over the main stage and Jonny and Rich conducted their Wheeltrim of Misfortune trivia quiz and recorded an episode of their show. The FOTU audience impressed the duo with their extensive knowledge of motoring minutiae and enthusiastic shouts of “Foooords”.
“I think it’s a beautifully curated event,” said Smith. “I’ve always liked the juxtaposition between the surroundings and the cars within it – the grand surroundings and cars that aren’t grand at all, the tidal wave of nostalgia that people get out of it, and the pride – the pride in a car that’s rare, but nobody cares. But, actually this is a place where they do care.”
Paul Cowland’s pub quiz was another highlight, while Hagerty’s partner Sustain was on hand to bust myths around sustainable fuels, and a host of other companies were on site to offer products and services to over 4,000 devotees of the dull.
In the fields were thousands of ordinary automobiles that would have been lost to rust were it not for the passion for preservation exhibited by their owners. Where else could you expect to see the very last Austin Montego, poverty-spec Protons and de-contented Cavaliers, alongside Reliant Robins, Renault 5s and Rovers?
No car show is complete without prizes – even one as egalitarian as FOTU – and carefully curated in the castle courtyard were 46 cars entered into the Concours de l’Ordinaire. Judges Danny Hopkins, Gary Axon, Steve Cropley, Jon Bentley, Sam Skelton, Tanya Field and Richard Bremner faced the tough task of making the pick of the prosaic.
“It’s the best selection we’ve ever in the ten years of judging. The stories and variety of mundanity is maxed out,” said chairman of the judges Hopkins.
“Every one of those cars deserves an award,” added Cropley.
After much deliberation the judges finally made their decision, with the Concours de l’Ordinaire winner’s trophy going to Mitch Lewis and his pristine 1982 Toyota Hilux. The truck is immaculate, yet completely original, having lived almost all its life on a fruit farm and never being exposed to salty roads. Mitch said that all he had to do to prepare it for FOTU was to clean it.
“It’s the most remarkable vehicle I’ve ever seen at the Festival,” noted Hopkins.
A delighted Lewis said: “I really didn’t expect to win – I wasn’t sure if it would be different enough, or perhaps, as it’s a commercial vehicle, it would be too different!”
The runners-up prize went to Amy Jaine and her 1998 Renault Clio. Originally owned by her grandmother, Amy use to ride in the back seat as a child. When her gran gave up driving she planned to scrap the little Renault, but Amy saved it and now drives it every day – and often drives her gran.
The Retro Repmobile award went to 21-year-old Luca Alpert and his 1991 Nissan Primera. Appropriately the Primera had many miles of motorway to cover to reach FOTU as Alpert travelled from his home in Hanover, Germany, to take part.
Finally, Danny Hopkins dished out a special Chairman’s Award to Colin Corke and his 1981 Applejack Austin Metro. Corke’s dedication to the drab has seen him enter FOTU eight times without picking up a prize.
Highly commended were Lewis Dickson and his 4,000-mile Citroën Visa, Christopher Lloyd’s Daweoo Lanos, and Damian Brannigan’s 1993 Fiat Panda.
As the Festival of the Unexceptional closed its tenth anniversary edition – the biggest and best-attended ever – and 4,000 visitors departed in droves of dreary classic cars, next year’s plans were already underway.
I would have liked to have attended this year but the extortionate entrance fee put a stop to that. Hope everyone had a nice day. Glad the weather held out. Hopefully attend next year if the price is right!
I love the show but having to crawl in the queue through the grounds last year and the previous year for an hour and a quarter to get in is not for me anymore, not even for the excellent gluten-free fish and chips.
If someone posts that it was much better organised this year with reasonable entry access time then count me in for next year.
You missed out, no queue this year and excellent as always.
Fantastic show entry price ridiculously cheap for anyone with friends-been to many other shows and none much better-tiny point lack of loos-otherwise book us in for next year
Always a great show . However I was very frustrated by poor signage and like many others , spent nearly and hour driving round and turning round to find classic car entrance. Coming from Grantham A1 direction I did not see right turn sign after Corby Glen
Also once inside I found the volume of the stage and music far to loud and irritating .
These issues magnified because of the excessively high entrance fee. Nearly went home before entered
No queue once inside but directions very poor in terms of road signs
Plenty of us have friends but most of them have their own cars to display !!
Straight in no queues and as many people as you can get in a car for one price. And all for the best car show on the planet. Fantastic day.
I too stayed away this year because of the reputation it’s gained for queuing to enter. In previous years we`ve had to queue a mile up the hill from the pub at snails pace only to be greeted by a teenager who probably doesn’t even drive yet let alone understand old cars dont like queuing. I found it very annoying to receive an email reminding me to arrive on time & then having to queue. Maybe someone in authority listened cos at least one person commented that they drove straight in inspite of the bad signage. Maybe l’ll try again.
Top Gear made their famous double bill emphasising how exceptional the Toyota Hilux is, and your crew of dolts headline it UNexceptional. You guys may be dedicated to our cause, but your jangly judgement is enough to spook anybody.
You’re right, Sidney. We should have kicked Mr Lewis off the grounds as soon as he showed up. The nerve!
It was much better organised this year with reasonable entry access time.
I guess that’s what the extra entrance fee was for – lots more organisation, stewards, etc.