Hagerty Festival Of The Unexceptional 2024

Hagerty’s Festival of the Unexceptional is celebrating its 10th anniversary at Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire on Saturday 27th July 2024. The event will feature thousands of everyday cars on display, including a special selection of the UK’s rarest ordinary vehicles in the Concours de l’Ordinaire.

The Festival of the Unexceptional is the only car show where guests can admire rare models from once-common brands that have now faded into history. This unique celebration is made possible by dedicated FOTU fans who lovingly maintain these ordinary cars long after their manufacturers have disappeared from showrooms.

10 Brands To Look For At The Festival Of The Unexceptional

Austin – Herbert Austin founded his car company in 1905 and the Austin name was quietly dropped for good in 1988.

• Last car produced: Austin Montego
• Car most likely to be seen at FOTU: Austin Metro

Daihatsu – Japan’s Daihatsu made its first engine in 1907 and, in 2013, Daihatsu made the decision to withdraw from Europe.

• Last car produced: Daihatsu Sirion
• Car most likely to be seen at FOTU: Daihatsu Charade

Datsun – Datsun’s roots can be traced to 1911 with the first DAT car being produced in 1914, however, the Datsun name was phased out in favour of Nissan from the early 1980s.

• Last Car: Datsun Micra
• Car most likely to be seen at FOTU: Datsun Cherry

Daewoo – Originally established in 1937, Daewoo entered the UK market full of promise in 1995, before going bust in 2002.

• Last Car: Daewoo Matiz
• Car most likely to be seen at FOTU: Daewoo Espero

Lancia – An illustrious history that began in 1906 came to a grinding halt, in the UK at least, in 1993, but there is a chance that a newly-electrified Lancia could return to the UK in the future.

• Last Car: Lancia Delta
• Car most likely to be seen at FOTU: Lancia Beta

Morris – William Richard Morris started WRM Morris Ltd in Oxford in 1912, and the Morris name disappeared when the last Ital was produced in 1984.

• Last Car: Morris Metro van
• Car most likely to be seen at FOTU: Morris Marina

Mitsubishi – The Mitsubishi automotive arm was established in 1970 and, despite being an early adopter of hybrid technology in family cars it closed for business (in the UK) in 2021.

• Last Car: Mitsubishi Outlander
• Car most likely to be seen at FOTU: Mitsubishi Colt

Rover – Rover built cars from 1904 and was eventually sold to BMW – who then famously sold out to the Phoenix Consortium in 2000 for a single pound. Overambition and financial mismanagement saw production end in 2005.

• Last Car: Rover 75
• Car most likely to be seen at FOTU: Rover 200 Series (SD3 model)

Triumph – In 1921 Triumph acquired the Dawson Car Company and built its first four-wheeler and the brand was acquired by Leyland in 1960. The final vehicle to bear the name was a badge-engineered Honda, the Acclaim in 1981.

• Last Car: Triumph Acclaim
• Car most likely to be seen at FOTU: Triumph Acclaim

Yugo – In 1980 the Yugo was born as a reworked 128, and a UK importer was found in 1981. However, as the wars of Yugoslav succession unfolded, exports halted, and the UK operation was closed in 1993.

• Last Car: Yugo Zastava Koral
• Car most likely to be seen at FOTU: Yugo 45

Classic Barn Finds At Auction

Hampson Auctions has an incredible list of cars up for sale at its Oulton Park Gold Cup sale, taking place on the 28th of July 2024 at the Oulton Park circuit. Highlights include two literal barn finds: a 1970 Jaguar E-type 4.2-litre 2+2 and, the car it lived with, undisturbed since the mid-1980s, a 1975 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. The auction also features a restored 1956 Bristol Drophead Coupe, a rare right-hand-drive Ferrari 308 GTB ‘Vetroresina,’ and a 1978 Maserati Merak SS.

Managing Director Zach Hamilton said getting the cars out of the barn was good fun. The Jaguar E-type Series 2, purchased by the vendor’s late husband for his 21st birthday in the mid-1970s, has been untouched in the barn since 1986 after a theft attempt outside Woolworths. The 1975 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, another of the vendor’s husband’s cars, joined it a few years later. Both cars, requiring full restorations, are offered with no reserve.

In contrast, the 1956 Bristol 405 Drophead Coupe has recently undergone a full bare-metal restoration, with the vendor suggesting it could be a show-winner. It has coachwork by Abbotts of Farnham and the original toolkit is included too. Estimated sale price: £160,000-£180,000.

The 1978 Maserati Merak SS was originally delivered to an American owner and later displayed in a museum from 2001 to 2017. Its exceptionally low mileage of 29,000 is credible, though not warranted. This left-hand-drive vehicle, imported to the UK in 2020, retains its period-correct interior, including a 1970s Blaupunkt cassette player, and has recently received new black wool carpets, costing a four-figure sum. It is estimated to sell for £55,000-£65,000.

Among several Ferraris in the auction is a 1976 Ferrari 308 GTB ‘Vetroresina,’ one of only 154 right-hand-drive models, estimated at £90,000-£110,000. The sale also includes a 1991 Ferrari Testarossa (£80,000-£100,000) and a 1975 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4, maintained for the past two decades by its engineer owner specialising in classic and rally cars, offered at no reserve.

Other no-reserve lots include a well-preserved 1973 BMW 2002 Tii in Seventies-style BMW Motorsport livery, a charming 1933 Austin 10/4 Saloon, a charismatic 1991 Nissan Figaro, and a 1954 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn, complete with the cherished ‘PGH 2’ registration number.