Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional

Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional

A celebration of long-forgotten everyday family cars from 1969-1999, now fondly known as the ‘Unexceptional Era'.

When and where

27 July
7:30 am – 7:30 pm
Location
Grimsthorpe Castle, Grimsthorpe, Bourne PE10 0LY
Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional
The Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional is back and once again we’re heading back to the beauty of Grimsthorpe Castle!
Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional

Get ready for the Festival of the Unexceptional

We’re busy building our plans for the day, so stay tuned to our website and social media for updates for all the latest news on this year’s Festival!

Tickets are on sale now and can be bought here, while those of you with those exceptional unexceptional cars can apply for the concours here.

Ticket options are simple – whether you’re coming in a classic or your modern, tickets are just £35 per car, so pack your Passat and fill your Fiesta!

The concours for 2024 is open for cars built between 1969 and 1999, with just 50 places available, so be sure to apply as soon as possible!

Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional

When is it?

This year’s Festival of the Unexceptional will take place on Saturday, July 27, and opens at 7.30am.

Where is it?

The Festival will return to Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire this year, with the Concours de l’Ordinaire once again taking place in front of the house itself. The coordinates for the venue are:

52.74679 N, 0.48771 W

Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional

Concours applications

If you own a truly unexceptional car from 1969 to 1999, then your car qualifies for this year’s Concours de L’Ordinaire.

Simply fill out the form here, upload the best quality pictures showing the front, rear, side, engine bay and interior and then tell us why your car is an exceptional example of something truly unexceptional!

Our panel of Hagerty experts will then select the 50 qualifying cars and notify the lucky owners!

Get your tickets now

Gallery

FAQs

How much do tickets cost?

Tickets to the 2024 Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional can be purchased using the following link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/694786624497/

Please note that tickets will not be available to purchase on the day at the venue. Please do not attempt to purchase tickets through resellers as there have been reports of scammers attempting to profit from the popularity of the Festival of the Unexceptional.

Tickets are priced as follows:
Single Classic & Unexceptional car – £35.00
For vehicles registered before 2003
Each ticket is valid for one vehicle and all its occupants

Single Modern car – £35.00
For vehicles registered after 2004
Each ticket is valid for one vehicle and all its occupants

What cars are eligible for the Festival of the Unexceptional Concours?

If you’ve been to the Festival before, then you’ll have a pretty good idea of what we like to see, but as a general rule we’re looking for ‘unexceptional’ cars registered between 1967 and 1997.

Judges will place an emphasis on originality and ordinary, less ‘exotic’ versions of cars. We prefer Ls to SRis, Populars to Cosworths, and Renaults to Rolls-Royces. Judges also like to learn about the story behind the car, as this can make the difference when having to choose between a number of the same make and model. Really sell your car to us when you submit it for entry to the Concours!

To help us narrow down the dozens of entries, good photographs are also very useful in your submission – two or three clear exterior shots (front and rear three-quarter shots are always useful), plus a good, clear shot of the interior. Make sure you show off those base-spec cloth seats…

Concours entry nominations are now open.

I entered the Festival of the Unexceptional before. Does that mean I can automatically take part again?

No. You’ll know from personal experience how popular the event is – and how competitive it is too. So we require anyone wishing to enter the concours competition to submit a new entry for each year’s Festival.

If my car is a prime example of an ‘Unexceptional’ car, can I just turn up and put my car on show in the Concours?

No, afraid not. We’d be delighted to see you and may even direct you to parking where your car will be in good company with other marvellously mundane motor cars, but you’ll need to apply for the Concours in advance like other entrants.

Are children welcome?

Absolutely. The Festival of the Unexceptional is very much a family event, and a great opportunity to show your kids prime examples of the kind of real-world cars that used to roam our roads.

Will there be food at the event?

Yes! We’re laying on food stalls, but you’re equally welcome to bring a picnic or packed lunch too (and there’s usually plenty of space around the cars to put on a spread).

Will there be a bar?

Yes. (That’s all you wanted to know, right? We won’t go into the cocktail or mocktail list here…)

Can I bring my dog?

Dogs are welcome but the venue stipulates that they must be kept on a lead.

Can we camp overnight?

There is no camping available, though if you’ve got an unexceptional camper van we’d love to see it at the Festival. And if the excitement all gets a bit too much, it’d be a fine place to nap too.

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