Festival of the Unexceptional

[Clevtrev]

Anyone seen this? Just seen it myself on AR Online. Sounds right up Autoshite alley! Forgive me if this has been mentioned already.

 

Hagerty, the classic car insurers, will host the inaugural Festival of the Unexceptional, a tribute to cars from ‘an utterly undistinguished era’ – the 1970s to mid-1980s – on 26 July at Whittlebury Park Golf Club in Towcester. The aim is to create a true festival vibe for the less-celebrated, but equally well-loved, classics that your parents used to drive, and it’s right up our street…

It’s a fond retrospective of the family cars that we all know and love, and will be the country’s first ever ‘Concours de l’Ordináire‘, a unique car show concept in the UK that showcases the best examples of some of the most routine cars ever built, promising to be the antidote to top-end concours events, stuffed with cars that only the super-rich can afford to own. The Festival of the Unexceptional will be will run concurrently to an altogether more conventional car festival, the Silverstone Classic.

Participation is open to unexceptional classics from 1968-’85 and their exceptional owners. We’ll bring together the 50 best examples of a wide range of models to be judged by Hagerty’s handpicked group of unexceptional ‘experts’, including Keith Adams. An award of dubious value will go to the overall winner. Petty bribes for the judges are strictly encouraged, as is period dress. Registration is free, but space is limited to 50 cars.

The organisers aim to attract a gathering of family cars, and are actively encouraging owners of classics such as the Austin Allegro, Morris Marina and Triumph Dolomite, to make the trek to Towcester, and show the classic car world that there’s as much love for the average cars of yesterday, as there is for the more conventional exotica that usually gravitates towards such motoring festivals. There will be a prize for the car of the day, and Keith Adams will be one of the judges.

Angus Forsyth, Managing Director Hagerty International, said: ‘There are no shortage of car shows and concours d’elégance that showcase the glorious examples of some of the best cars ever made. We love the traditional concours as much as the next classic car enthusiast, but we wanted to put a twist on the quintessential car show and celebrate the cars that are rarely celebrated.

‘The Festival of the Unexceptional is meant to humorously highlight the serious attrition rate of cars produced in the 1970s-1980s. The paltry number of these cars either licensed or on Statutory Off-Road Notice is truly frightening. Remarkably, there are more Porsche 911s in daily use in the UK than there are Ford Sierras. The Unexceptional Era of roughly 1973-85 when you could have your car in any colour as long as it was beige, mustard or brown, when plaid seats, vinyl tops and bogus Rostyle wheels ruled.’

[quicksilver]

Sounds like it could be interesting and Whittlebury is only 8 miles from me so I'll probably take a look.

[Squire_Dawson]

I don't want to piss on anyone's chips, but I could argue until the cows come home about the 1970s being a decade of ghastly good taste. The music, the clothing and hair styles, the colours - orange, brown, grey, purple, lime green, brown, Harvest Gold &c &c, the architecture, LED watches and calculators, declining industry and politics all combine to make it one hell of a decade to have been there, IMHO.

 

Many of those 1970s shitboxes are still giving sterling service, being well up to the job.

[dugong]

Sounds intriguing. 

[Split_Pin]

Sounds a grand idea but the car entry requirements sound just like the subject matter of most classic car shows, therefore the event itself is unexceptional.

 

Ironic.

 

A truly exceptional unexceptional event would be for cars from 1980 to 2000, such as Nissan Sunny (ies), MK5 Escorts, Corsas, Samaras, Protons and such like.

[Guest Breadvan72]

I don't want to piss on anyone's chips, but I could argue until the cows come home about the 1970s being a decade of ghastly good taste. The music, the clothing and hair styles, the colours - orange, brown, grey, purple, lime green, brown, Harvest Gold &c &c, the architecture, LED watches and calculators, declining industry and politics all combine to make it one hell of a decade to have been there, IMHO.

 

Many of those 1970s shitboxes are still giving sterling service, being well up to the job.

 

Agreed.  The idea that the 1970s were rubbish is frankly rubbish  The clothes, the cars, the music, all fab. OK, lots of dross in those fields too, but some amazing fashions, car designs, advances in technology, the steady growth of liberal and progressive ideas about women, gay people and ethnic minorities, and much else besides.

 

The 1980s were a bit shit.  Triumph of the creed of selfishness and fuck youism. Crap clothes. Music started OK but turned to shit with the growth of manufactured pop.  Good cars.  

[Ratdat]

I just sent in an entry for my Cherry Europe GTi to this which I would think is perfect material... early 80's, ill conceived and subsequently ridiculed and now largely forgotten. It's has also previously been in a concours event where it placed 2nd so I'm sure it would meet that criteria too. We'll see...

[trigger]

I thought about this and then realised the shows only on for a few hours and it seemed hardly worth bothering with in the end, unless you live 30-60mins away it's not worth the journey time getting there.

[Ratdat]

I like driving my cars so that's not a problem. The Silverstone Classic is on that weekend too but it's pretty expensive.

[Junkman]

I like driving my cars so that's not a problem.

I like driving my cars so that's a problem. When I attend such evets, I don't drive my car, I park it all day.

 

For example, it took me a while to understand, that 'Drive It Day' is the exact opposite of what the title suggests.

It's in reality 'Park Your Car All Day At Some Daft Venue That Isn't Really A Car Show And Bore Yourself To Death Day'.

Consequently, when taking it literally on the last so-called Drive It Day, and puttering around most of the day in good company

(until a Ovlov threw its toys out of the pram, that is), precious little other chod was encountered on the roads.

 

Oh, did I just piss on anyone's chips?

 

Sorry!

[Jim Bell]

My chips taste like piss.

 

Ffs JM.

[Ratdat]

I like driving my cars so that's a problem. When I attend such evets, I don't drive my car, I park it all day.

 

For example, it took me a while to understand, that 'Drive It Day' is the exact opposite of what the title suggests.

It's in reality 'Park Your Car All Day At Some Daft Venue That Isn't Really A Car Show And Bore Yourself To Death Day'.

Consequently, when taking it literally on the last so-called Drive It Day, and puttering around most of the day in good company

(until a Ovlov threw its toys out of the pram, that is), precious little other chod was encountered on the roads.

 

Oh, did I just piss on anyone's chips?

 

Sorry!

 

 

That's why this event sounds like a winner. 5 hours of driving plus to get there and back but the event is only 3 hours long. Cruise down, park up and have a gander at all the other chod then drive off to a pub for a spot of lunch and amble back home in the afternoon.

 

Last Sunday I went to Louth classic car show. Whilst the show itself was a rather sleep inducing affair, consisting of giving trophies out to 'the known faces' in their shiny MGs, Jags and Triumphs... the pre-cursor to it was country lane cruise around the wolds for 30 miles or more with a few dozen other old motors. That bit was great, so next year I might do the driving bit then go home.

[Six-cylinder]

I wanted to take my Visa but it is a year too young. 

[Ratdat]

So is my Cherry but I sent in an application anyway based on the fact that most were sold in '83 and '84 and mine is the only one left so it's not like they'll ever get an earlier one!

 

Besides which, it says on the website it's up to '85 but on the T&Cs it says up to August '84. Make up your minds!

[dugong]

I entered my Charade. SO THERE. I think they came out of the factory dented. 

[Six-cylinder]

I did think of lying about the year of my Visa but Hagerty is my insurance company so I don't think that is a good idea!

[dieselnutjob]

I tried to take the photos that they want to enter but the battery on the 604 is too flat so currently not doing well.

[Bren]

Agreed.  The idea that the 1970s were rubbish is frankly rubbish  The clothes, the cars, the music, all fab. OK, lots of dross in those fields too, but some amazing fashions, car designs, advances in technology, the steady growth of liberal and progressive ideas about women, gay people and ethnic minorities, and much else besides.

 

The 1980s were a bit shit.  Triumph of the creed of selfishness and fuck youism. Crap clothes. Music started OK but turned to shit with the growth of manufactured pop.  Good cars.

 

The 70's was not as bad people believe - hot summers, the electric light orchestra, space 1999, spangles, I could go on and on. Lots of very good cars as well - if you look there was quite a leap in terms of styling from stuff made in the 60's - unlike now, where everything is just bloated and overweight, and a smart car weighs more than a ford zodiac ( or so a man in the pub told me).

[Alusilber]

A car show that finishes at 11:30 am is just plain bizarre. Was the park booked for something else in the afternoon?

[gordonbennet]

Damn, i'd have loved to go to that, only half an hour or so away too, but i'm on shift such is life.

[Ratdat]

Got an email from these peeps saying my Cherry Europe has been accepted as an entrant. I'm kind of hoping that this event will be successful and then maybe expanded into a bigger annual event for unloved old chod.

[AnthonyG]

The 1970s were great if you liked being on strike. That leisure time you got used to was good practice for being on the dole in the 1980s.

[New POD]

I actually would like Autoshite renamed to Auto-mediocre.