Hagerty’s Festival of the Unexceptional (FOTU) celebrates its 10-year anniversary at Grimsthorpe Castle, Lincolnshire on Saturday 27th July.

I didn’t know there was such a thing, but I love the way it gently sends itself up!

Festival of the Unexceptional, a show dedicated to great everyday classic cars, was launched by Hagerty in 2014 and has since earned its place as a must-attend event in the automotive calendar. Showcasing much maligned and long-forgotten ‘ordinary’ classic cars of the 70s, 80s and 90s, it remains the only event to celebrate the everyday cars we all know and love, placing them into a traditional classic car concours setting.

And there are prizes!

• Concours d’Ordinaire: With more entries than ever for the Concours, and spaces limited to just 50 cars in the main competition, the quality of cars being entered gets better every year. Who will win this year’s battle of the blands?
• People’s Choice: In addition to the main Concours there is now a special award to be chosen by festival-goers. Guests can check out the cars on display, before voting for their favourite.
• Retro Repmobile: Another festival favourite returns in the shape of Retro Repmobile – a celebration of the best company cars, with more chances to win prizes. If you’ve got a poverty-spec Peugeot 405, a base-spec Cavalier, or a simple Sierra then this is the place for you.

Mark Roper, Managing Director of Hagerty International, said “The 2024 Festival of the Unexceptional will be the best show to be presented in its 10-year history. We will soon announce some very special guests and activations to further enhance the greatest display of unexceptional cars in the world, making this a unique event not to miss.”

Tickets are just £35 per car, or just £7 per person for five people in an unexceptional family car. Fill every seat in an early Espace and you’ll not only get the kudos of arriving in Gallic style, but you’ll pay just £5 each.