Festival of the Unexceptional crowns familiar, everyday cars at Grimsthorpe Castle

The Festival of the Unexceptional features 2,500 cars which were all manufactured between 25 and 50 years ago (Picture: Chris Lowndes/Cover Media) It’s the event where being boring is the whole point. Every year thousands of fans travel from across the world for the Festival of the Unexceptional (FOTU) at Grimsthorpe Castle, in Lincolnshire. Created to champion the most basic cars you can imagine, the grounds are packed with around 2,500 much-loved but largely forgotten family vehicles now rarely seen on Britain’s roads. The event this weekend was in its 12th year and entries must have been manufacturedbetween 25 and 50 years ago to qualify. Fifty are selected to compete for top prize with this year’s judges included editor-in-chief at Autocar Steve Cropley, content creator Steph Hoy, motoring journalists Richard Bremner, Jesse Billington, Antony Ingram and Gary Axon, as well as TV presenter Jon Bentley. The event takes place in the grounds of Grimsthorpe Castle and is now in its 12th year (Picture: Chris Lowndes/Cover Media) First place went to Gordon McNeill and his 2001 Volkswagen Polo E, which has been owned and loved for 20 years. It was Gordon’s first car and – despite having battle-scarred paintwork – is still the only car he has ever owned, racking up 176,000 miles. In second was a very rare 1992 Toyota Previa, owned by Matt Swinn, who uses it to haul his band and their equipment all over the country. Despite its heavy use, Matt has kept it meticulously maintained. He is so dedicated that he even framed the 1990s sweet wrappers, receipts and other period rubbish found under the seats when he bought it. The festival celebrates the most basic cars, many of which are now very rare, and is usually a sellout (Picture: Chris Lowndes/Cover Media) Third place went to a 2001 Ford Focus owned by Jake Seddon. The car originally belonged to his grandad and was restored by his father. It was displayed alongside many family photos, and the judges commended the condition of the car and its family connection. Other special mentions went to a 1991 Ford P100 TD owned by Jack Duxbury, a 2000 Kia Clarus Wagon owned by Marwin Jansen, a 1986 Citroen Axel owned by Rick Martens, a 1982 Fiat 127 owned by Maia Egan and a 1994 Honda Civic Bali owned by Emma Rowe. Away from the cars on the main stage was live music and interviews. Follow Metro on WhatsApp to be the first to get all the latest news Follow us to receive the latest news updates from Metro (Picture: Getty Images) Metro’s on Whatsapp! Join our community for breaking news and juicy stories. People travel from around the world to visit (Picture: Chris Lowndes/Cover Media) The festival is hosted by insurance provider Hagerty. Mark Roper, the company’s managing director, said: ‘Wow. Just when we think the Festival of the Unexceptional can’t get any bigger, it grows again and is more spectacular than ever. ‘What a delight to see the lawns of Grimsthorpe Castle covered with thousands of FOTU cars, being enjoyed by 4,500 people from all around the world. ‘Thanks to each and every person who came for their dedication, passion and support of all things FOTU.’ Best of the most boring (Picture: Hagerty/Cover Media) Gordon McNeill took first place with his 2001 VW Polo E, which may be a little battle-scarred but is still the only car he has ever owned. (Picture: Hagerty/Cover Media) Matt Swinn with his 1992 Toyota Previa, which came second. He has framed the rubbish he found under the seat when he bought it. (Picture: Hagerty/Cover Media) Third place went to Jake Seddon and his 2001 Ford Focus. The car originally belonged to his grandfather. Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source

Well-used Volkswagen Polo was the big winner from the annual celebration of brilliantly mundane motors Find me another car show, if you can, where the victorious car is 25 years old, has done 176,000 miles, was its owner’s wedding car and has been his daily driver ever since he bought it 20 years ago. The car I’m talking about is a 999cc, 49bhp Volkswagen Polo C owned by Gordon McNeill, winner at the 2026 Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional, held last weekend at Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire. Not only has McNeill only ever had this one car, but he and his wife swear they have no plans ever to buy another.  So far the Polo has been to the Nürburgring, has lapped Silverstone, has run at Santa Pod and recently returned from a long holiday in Spain. In 20 years and 140,000 miles, it has had one valve job and one sill replacement, the second repair so thoroughly botched by a 'specialist' that McNeill himself took to studying car body repair techniques so as to manage the restoration himself.        It's a dozen years since a bunch of inspired people came up with the idea for an entirely different kind of car show designed to embrace mundane, everyday and largely forgotten cars, called Festival of the Unexceptional.  In its earliest days there was a big tongue-in-cheek aspect to the whole deal. The eligible cars, which had to be made in a rolling 30-year zone that began 25 years earlier (and thus advanced) by one every year, were deemed to have very little value and largely to be figures of fun. But in 12 years a remarkable thing has happened: the whole thing has become gradually more serious and worthwhile. I’ve witnessed the progression from the inside as a member of the judging panel of eight to 12 people.  There’s still a certain levity attached to the whole exercise (nobody is trying to pretend that a 1995 Austin Maestro about to join the ranks of the great cars), but it has become clear that many of the eligible cars last and function much better than their ancestors used to, and that for many owners they have an emotional connection far stronger than any casually bought classic car. McNeill is a prime example. This year’s event was by every measure the best yet. The weather was perfect for the 5000-plus people who arrived in more than 2000 cars – the biggest number ever, filling the long castle front avenue to capacity. The quality and relevance of many casual arrivals matched that of the 40 pre-selected finalists, parked as usual on the inner castle lawn. From these a first, second and third prize winner were selected, as well as a bunch of 'special mentions'. Second place went to a beautifully preserved yet relatively high-mileage Toyota Previa; third to a Ford Focus whose young owner had conserved the car in honour of his departed grandfather, the original owner.   More than ever, the joy of ordinary car ownership was enormously evident. Many owners were in their 20s and 30s, attracted by a competition that involved cars they remembered from childhood and could afford to buy and mend. The role of elderly drivers in preserving these cars of yesterday was also recognised: many an entrant brought a car stored for a decade after its owner had stopped driving and simply garaged the car. The condition of many cars was near-faultless, as was the research into their histories. Remarkable stories surrounded a huge proportion of the cars. Among standouts was a battered, basic-spec Ford Sierra 1.6 whose owner had two others but preferred this one because of the colourful life it had led: it had been stolen twice and broken into regularly as well, although all the thieves had only ever taken a screwdriver. Another entrant who brought a faultless, rare-in-Britain 2000 Kia Clarus from the Netherlands, found a new way of getting the judges’ attention by wearing a specially made T-shirt with a pattern echoing that of the car's flamboyant velour upholstery. From start to finish this was a joyous event, remarkable for the youth of its entrants and the fact that the vast majority of those who came to Grimsthorpe 'got' the rules of the competition and did their best to bring an appropriate car. Britain abounds with car meetings and competitions at this time of the year, but for sheer, unalloyed car love, I would argue that Festival of the Unexceptional beats them all.