Of course, the majority of these cars on display at the Festival of the Unexceptional are not daily drivers these days and most owners understand how to keep the built-in issues at bay, thanks to the gathered information and owners’ clubs. Simply put, that car becomes very much part of the family. And perhaps like a loved pet, you’re willing to put up with everything from unrecoverable finances to making sure you give it plenty of attention. Most of these cars in attendance come with plenty of rogue baggage, ranging from their manufacturer’s sloppy and underfunded development, the reliance on ancient running gear, to a catastrophic reputation for rust – and in some cases all three.Ī flick through the back catalogue of ordinary cars from the 1960s to the 1990s offers a colourful if somewhat antagonistic array of flawed gems. Interestingly the majority of owners are not necessarily overcome by the rosy glow of nostalgia, wallowing in a bygone era of the Walkman and Crossroads. Since those nine years have passed, the event has become a staple in the calendar, acting as both a social event and an opportunity to see some truly ordinary cars in an extraordinary set-up. It was tapping into the joy of old car ownership, the relationships, and the stories that an ordinary car can bring. That faithful day in August 2014 was a bit more than fancy dress and drip pans though. The Simcas and Allegros that passed them must have caused considerable bemusement as they ambled by, searching for the Fairway while holding their maps and thermoses. As a way of comparison, on that very same day, the nearby County Club hosted a Lamborghini meet. Flicking back through car reviews of old copies of What Car and Autocar magazines, you’d often come across damning verdicts such as ‘unremarkable’, ‘average’, and ‘so-so’, but ‘The Festival of the so-so’ doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.Ĭreated back in 2014 by Hagerty Insurance, the first collection of cars under the banner of The Festival of the Unexceptional was held on the Whittlebury Golf Course near Silverstone. ![]() A gentle semantic shift towards something positive is never a bad thing. The word ‘unexceptional’ has taken a something of positive meaning in recent years, particularly when it comes to the world of cars.
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