Hagerty’s Festival of the Unexceptional returned for a 10th-anniversary special last weekend, with over 2,000 cars and more than 4,000 guests enjoying the Lincolnshire sunshine at Grimsthorpe Castle. Celebrating the finest everyday cars of the 70s, 80s and 90s
, a Toyota Hilux pickup took the top prize against some unexceptional family-car competition.
Hagerty started the Festival of the Unexceptional in 2014 to celebrate everyday family cars from 1968-1989, now known as the ‘Unexceptional Era’. Over the next 10 years, the event has grown in size and reputation.
The 2024 event was the biggest yet, with thousands of FOTU cars filling the castle’s lawns. Highlights included a live Smith and Sniff gameshow and a live podcast recording, both of which drew large crowds.
Owners travelled hundreds of miles to display their FOTU-era cars, ranging from a Vauxhall Belmont to a base-spec W140 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The 50 cars in the main Concours event were deemed the finest mundane cars in the world, with Lead Judge Danny Hopkins calling it the best selection in the event’s history.
The 2024 Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional winner’s trophy was awarded to Mitch Lewis and his immaculate 1982 Toyota Hilux. The car has been a workhorse for much of its life, having been used on a fruit farm since it was new, but it remains completely original and is absolutely immaculate. To prepare for the event, the car was simply cleaned well and driven to the event. Bravo, Mitch.
The judges also highly commended Lewis Dickson for his 4,000-mile Citroen Visa, which had been stored outside near his workplace for years before he bought it. Christopher Lloyd was also commended for his rare Daewoo Lanos, one of only five left in the UK. Damian Brannigan received the final commendation for his original 1993 Fiat Panda.
The Chairman’s Award went to Colin Corke and his Applejack Metro. Colin, who had entered the competition for eight years without winning, showed that persistence pays off. The Retro Repmobile Award was given to Luca Alpert and his Nissan Primera. Luca, 21, drives the Primera daily and travelled from Hanover for the Festival, showing great enthusiasm.
Second place went to Amy Jaine and her 1998 Renault Clio, initially owned by her grandmother. Amy rescued it from being scrapped and now uses it to take her grandmother on outings, keeping their tradition alive.
“Ten years of FOTU is something to be celebrated, and this milestone was celebrated in style,” commented Mark Roper, managing director of Hagerty International. “I would like to thank the thousands of enthusiasts who came to enjoy it with us, and for our special guests who brought the main stage to life. Festival of the Unexceptional is an important part of securing the future of classic cars, with many young enthusiasts attending to show their FOTU-era cars. Hagerty is committed to continually supporting UK car culture, and will continue to grow both the Festival of the Unexceptional and RADwood for years to come.”
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