Festival of the Unexceptional to return next year

Following on from the success of the inaugural ‘Festival of the Unexceptional’, the organisers have confirmed the show will return next year.

This year's event, aimed at celebrating modern classics many people regard as mundane, was a hit with enthusiasts – 300 people made the trip to Whittlebury Park Golf Club, Northamptonshire, on 26 July.

As you'd expect, there was as strong showing from British Leyland cars, but plenty of other classics were on show. One of the rarest cars at the festival was a Renault 6 and an amazingly rust-free Fiat Strada. In all, 50 cars attended the event.

The car that caught everyone’s eye was a 1980 Austin Mini Metro, once owned by Princess Diana. The car was on loan from Coventry Motor Museum.

But the judges' car of the show was a silver 1985 Nissan Cherry Europe, owned by Ed Rattley. Runner-up was a harvest gold 1975 Austin Maxi.

Angus Forsyth, managing director of Hagerty International, which organised the event, said: ‘It was fantastic to see these supposedly ordinary cars, such as the Triumph Acclaim and Austin Maestro, generate such interest and I must thank all of the owners for making such an event possible.

‘These cars have long been viewed as unexceptional by the general public, but today's event proves that they are anything but.’

Keep up to date with the latest news about the festival at its website. Thanks to Hagerty Insurance for the images.

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