Festival of the Unexceptional, Stowe House, Buckingham

[bent8rover]

Took the VX 4/90 along to this and apart from one shower, the expected deluge held off right until Danny Hopkins (Practical Classics) finished reading the awards from the steps of the house.  Even had some sunshine for a bit, so took some photos.

Other celebs in attendance were a Nick Larkin pawing over my Vauxhall, who asked to run an article on it in Classic Car Weekly, plenty of other recognisable faces amongst the other staffers from the classic press - oh and Ed China was there too

Some photos of the Concours d'Ordinaire:




















Some photos of the 'chod park'.  I spent some while annoying both the Quintet and Delta owners.  This was the Quintet I deliberated over two years ago and it's fantastic that it is back on the road.  And why? It is the sole UK survivor.  Other highlights include my old Trevi having an appearance.





































Some other 'interestings' amongst the public car park














Awards gathering followed by the expected deluge that waited until right after the last few breaths -  then most folks cleared-off




Sat out the rain in one of the BetaBoys' Lancia Betas for a bit until it calmed, then drove home.  Up front was Danny Hopkins in his Avantime (following a RAC van, handy)

[hbpeter]

Excellent. If the red Firenza is the one I think it is, he now owns the White 2300SL Viva I was driving 2 years ago. Love the R12.

Peter

[zeebra]

Nice to see the more expensive stuff consigned to the car park for a change. What was the actual criteria to be eligible to enter a car for the show?

[bent8rover]

celebrates the much maligned and long forgotten ‘ordinary’ classic cars and commercial vehicles of the late ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

It is open to classic cars and commercial vehicles from across the globe that were built between 1966 and 1989

[chris1850]

What was the Citroen light 15 doing there, then?

[bent8rover]

More to the point why was my 1962 Vauxhall given a ticket, as it does not fit in the span either!

The priority for the event was the Concours d'Ordinaire and that's what it really applied to, hence the prize-giving was solely for that selection.

All other comers were to be part of the party, not part of the assessment.  It was called 'classic cars forward' parking, which in truth meant parked behind the half-hearted picket fence away from the prize cars, but still on the gardens of the house and not relegated to the 'public car park' with all the BMW Minis and Audis.

It was really a tongue-in-cheek event and not officious, even though it might sound like it.  For example, the E-Type was left parked next-but-one to Nissan Bluebird with peeling laquer.

Will definitely go next year.

[bent8rover]

My friend and fellow attendee Tony took these photos:

www.flickr.com/photos/tonysphotos/albums/72157683357019742



Press coverage:



Hagerty's own:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSwa3PALx-A

www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/features/festival-unexceptional-2017-celebration-ordinary-cars-pictures/
www.cetusnews.com/tech/Festival-of-the-Unexceptional-2017-%E2%80%93-a-celebration-of-ordinary-cars--in-pictures.Bk7YMOoXIW.html
www.motoringresearch.com/car-news/features/festival-unexceptional-pictures-2
news.classiccars.com/sunny-shines-hagertys-festival-unexceptional/
www.conceptcarz.com/a22374/Datsun-2017-Hagerty-Festival-Unexceptional.aspx


Expect a good spread in Classic Car Weekly this Thursday and next month's Practical Classics.

[genegenie]

Well I must say, Brilliant! A great for an event, I really must re arrange things next years Saturday and try and go to this with the Escort...... which I noticed the RWD Escort was not represented. Will have to rectify that, but the more appropriate models would be 1100 and 1300 low trim versions, kept completely standard. (Although I gather the actually quite rare white 4 door 1.6L featured in Practical Classics a couple of years back was there one year).

Thanks for the photos Ben