Concours Of The Ordinary, The Festival Of The Unexceptional 2021

Hagerty created the Festival in 2014 to celebrate the long forgotten family cars of 1968 to 1989, known as the Unexceptional Era. For 2021 the selection offered one of the best concours lawns in the seven years of the event. The cars coming from across the UK to be judged as being one of the best.

When was the last time you saw an Audi 100E, a Fiat Strada and a Mazda 929? What about a Lancia Trevi?

Base models were remembered with a Ford Escort Popular and a Daweoo Espero, which had an exceptional ownership story.

The Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional took place on Saturday the 31st of July and celebrated the more ordinary motor cars of the past.

The seventh annual event saw record numbers attend Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire, an event that grows each year.

This year’s outright winner was the 1989 Proton 1.6 GL Black Knight of Jon Coupland with second place going to the 1991 Peugeot 106XN graduate of Danny Wilson.

The winning Proton is one of only 201 examples and the only one still remaining. The previous owner parked the Black Knight in a garage in 1993 with only 3,600 miles on it. Now the car has only 13,000 miles showing and is immaculate. Understandably the star of Coupland’s three Proton collection.

The second place 106 was a car that cost only £500 and was bought from Facebook Marketplace and the owner Danny brought the car back to life himself. The judges noticed that it had a carburettor and choke fitted making it one of the earliest cars produced and a true survivor. Goes to show that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get a concours winning car.

Special mentions went to James Green for his 1989 Nissan Bluebird also Charles Whilems 1986 Volkswagen Polo C Formel E, Chris Howells and his 1971 Triumph Toledo and Simon Hucknall for his 1977 Fiat 128.

Hagerty created the first Festival of the Unexceptional in 2014 as a celebration of long-forgotten everyday family cars from 1968-1989, now fondly known as the ‘Unexceptional Era’. The 2021 selection offered one of the best concours lawns in seven years of the festival, with cars arriving from across the nation to be judged as one of the best of the best.

When did you last see an Audi 100E Avant, or a Fiat Strada? A Mazda 929 Estate drew the crowds as a genuine forgotten hero, and the same was true of an ultra-rare Lancia Trevi. An Escort Popular proved the brilliance of a base model and a Daewoo Espero offered a perfect blend of an unexceptional car with an exceptional ownership story.

Hagerty’s esteemed judges took their Thermos flasks to a tartan rug and debated the winners over countless cups of tea and many custard creams. Eventually an agreement was reached, and the 2021 winners were announced.

Festival Best Dressed - Mark Pallat 1979 Ford Escort

The Best Dressed award was given to Mark Pallatt who brought his 1979 Ford Escort whilst wearing a flamboyantly coloured suit.

The Feast of the Unexceptional, or best picnic, went to Matthew Long who brought it in his immaculate 1986 Volvo 340DL. The picnic was even period correct.

The Festival car park provided its own show as usual with a diverse array of cars from multiple decades, parked around the grass outside Grimsthorpe Castle. Some of the highlights include a Skoda 1000MB, a Mk1 Ford Granada Coupe, several Skoda Estelles and Favourites and a Sril Lankan Toyota Tercel to name just a few.

Festival Of The Unexceptional Concours

This is a car concours unlike any other. now world famous the Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional 2021 was a sell-out success.

Thousands of mundane cars were displayed with a record number of car enthusiasts for what has to be one of the best concours events in the world.

Grimsthorpe Castle, the setting for the event is a 1516 architectural masterpiece of Tudor and Baroque splendour. 50 carefully selected cars were parked on manicured lawns. The owners and vehicles faced a committee of six judges and their demanding inspection techniques and tough questions. Some did attempt bribes with cake, biscuits and someone even offered a glass of sherry.

Paul Cowland, television presenter, Hagerty columnist and judge of the Concours de l’Ordinaire who is new to the event, said that it was great to see younger drivers embracing and saving old, everyday cars. “For me, it is the diversity of the scene and the affordability and accessibility that makes events like the Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional so appealing. The fact that the second-placed car cost just £500 car shows how inclusive this scene is – everyone is welcome and there are no egos.”

Speaking at the event James Mills, Hagerty’s UK Editor, said “What stood out for me this year was the number of fantastic cars fielded by younger entrants. It’s great to see the next generation of enthusiasts showing a real passion for everyday, ordinary, and unexceptional classics and demonstrates the growing love for this accessible scene. Our Festival started out as a small, cult event but today we saw thousands of visitors make the trip to admire the unsung heroes of the classic car world.”

Lee Mathewson, Managing Director of Hagerty UK, added “This was my first Festival of the Unexceptional and I really enjoyed the friendliness, enthusiasm and dedication shown by both the vehicle owners and all the visitors joining in the fun. It was a delight to see so many people enjoying a welcome return to car shows, sharing stories with like-minded enthusiasts and enjoying celebrating car culture once again. Hagerty is proud to be at the forefront of the unexceptional movement and looks forward to hosting the Festival of the Unexceptional once again in 2022.”