2026 Festival of the Unexceptional
Where the Cars Everyone Forgot Become the Stars
There aren't many motoring events where a 2001 Volkswagen Polo with 176,000 miles on the clock can steal the show from Ferraris, Lamborghinis and priceless classics. But then again, the Festival of the Unexceptional has never been about horsepower, concours perfection or eye-watering values.
It's about celebrating the cars that spent their lives taking children to school, commuting to work, collecting DIY supplies and quietly getting on with life before most of us forgot they ever existed.
And judging by this year's attendance, plenty of people are remembering them again.
Held again at the spectacular Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire, the 2026 Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional was the biggest yet. Tickets sold out before the gates even opened, with more than 4,500 enthusiasts descending on the estate alongside around 2,500 wonderfully ordinary cars.
Only here could you wander from a Lada to a Yugo, past a Talbot Tagora, before stumbling across a Citroën LNA and Austin Princess and thinking, "I haven't seen one of those for years."
Ordinary? Not Here.
The beauty of Festival of the Unexceptional is that nobody cares whether your car has 500bhp or a Nürburgring lap record.
Instead, people gather around cars that most of us probably ignored when they were new.
A Fiat Strada Convertible. A Toyota Corona Mark II pick-up. A Ford Sierra Sapphire diesel. Cars that spent decades being invisible suddenly become celebrities.
The owners are just as fascinating.
Every vehicle has a story, usually involving years of searching for impossible-to-find parts, countless evenings in cold garages and restoration bills that make absolutely no financial sense.
Thankfully, nobody here is interested in financial sense.
The Concours de l'Ordinaire
While hundreds of fantastic cars filled the grounds, only fifty earned a coveted place on the lawns outside Grimsthorpe Castle for the Concours de l'Ordinaire.
Judged by a panel including Steve Cropley, Steph Hoy, Richard Bremner, Jesse Billington, Antony Ingram, Gary Axon and Jon Bentley, the competition isn't about chrome or polish.
It's about preserving everyday motoring history.
Third place went to Jake Seddon's immaculate 2001 Ford Focus.
On paper it's just an early Mk1 Focus.
In reality it's a family heirloom. Originally owned by Jake's grandfather, restored by his father and now cherished by Jake himself, the car was displayed alongside family photographs, including one proudly held during the trophy presentation. It's exactly the kind of story that sums up what FOTU is all about.
Second place belonged to Matt Swinn and his wonderfully rare 1992 Toyota Previa.
Unlike many concours cars, this one still earns its keep. Matt regularly uses the futuristic-looking MPV to transport his band and all their equipment around the country. Perhaps the nicest touch? When he bought the car, he discovered old sweet wrappers, receipts and other forgotten relics under the seats. Instead of throwing them away, he framed them as part of the car's history.
Brilliant.
And the Winner Is...
Taking top honours was Gordon McNeill's 2001 Volkswagen Polo E.
At first glance, it's about as ordinary as cars come.
The paint carries the scars of everyday life and there's not a luxury option in sight. But Gordon has owned it for twenty years, making it the only car he's ever owned.
Over 176,000 miles, it's been to Spain, tackled laps of the Nürburgring, transported him through everyday life and even played a part in his wedding.
It's still his daily driver.
If there was ever a car that perfectly captured the spirit of the Festival of the Unexceptional, this was it.
Special Mentions
The judges also singled out several cars that deserved recognition, including:
1991 Ford P100 TD
2000 Kia Clarus Wagon
1986 Citroën Axel
1982 Fiat 127
1994 Honda Civic Bali
Each represented exactly what makes the event so special: everyday cars that survived when almost all of their siblings disappeared.
More Than Just Everyday Cars
There was plenty else to explore throughout the day.
The British Motor Museum brought along a fascinating collection of British Leyland prototypes, including the very first Maestro off the production line, the Austin LC10 concept that inspired it and a rare pre-production Austin Metro that starred on the Austin Rover stand at the 1980 Motor Show.
Elsewhere, The Telegraph showcased some of Britain's rarest family cars, including a Fiat Strada 5-Door, Nissan Prairie and the wonderfully forgettable Alfa Romeo Arna.
Live music kept the atmosphere buzzing throughout the day, while Richard Porter and the Smith and Sniff team entertained crowds with their trademark humour before presenting the concours awards.
Why FOTU Matters
What makes Festival of the Unexceptional so refreshing is that nobody is trying to impress anyone.
There are no velvet ropes. No investment portfolios disguised as garages. No six-figure restorations carried out purely for auction catalogues.
Instead, there are ordinary people preserving ordinary cars because they mean something.
A first car.
A family holiday.
A trip to university.
The school run.
The daily commute.
The sort of memories most of us have, but rarely associate with collectible cars. Yet here they become automotive history.
And perhaps that's why the Festival of the Unexceptional continues to grow every year. It reminds us that the cars which shaped everyday life deserve just as much love as the exotic machinery that usually dominates classic car shows.
Long may it continue.
