Me again I'm afraid - I was accused of knowing all the judges, which is just untrue (one I hadn't met before!!). The event according to the incorrigable Mr Roberts is at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/classics/2015-festival-of-the-unexceptional/
Everyday classics celebrated
The second Festival of the Unexceptional championed the unsung, ordinary cars that were once common and are now seriously threatened. Andrew Roberts reports
Winners of the 2015 Festival of the Unexceptional, celebrating everday cars of the 1970s and 1980s
Winning charms: from left, People's Choice winner Chris Reed and his Hillman Avenger Estate, overall winner Barry Williams with his 1978 Ford Escort Mk2 1600L and second-placed Gavin Bushby’s Fiat 127
27 July 2015 • 8:59am
When you are attending a major classic show, it is essential to arrive in an appropriate vehicle. To create the right impression at the 2015 Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional, there could be only one choice; Tanya Field’s 1984 MG Maestro 1600.
On arrival, the talking dashboard immediately attracted attention – “Handbrake on,” warned Nicolette McKenzie in the tones of a stern headmistress – and as with all good shows, the car park alone was worth the journey. The presences of Natasha Lee’s 1969 Ford Transit “Hippy Camper’, a Hyundai Sonata “Gold Medal” and a Vauxhall Cavalier SR, together with an Austin Maxi 1750 and two Austin Ambassadors all promised an event far more exclusive than any conventional classic gathering. Plus several owners dressed as a nightmare version of Jason King.
Many of the cars on display were far from unexceptional. Richard Watt’s yellow Cavalier is the actual launch car from the 1975 Motor Show and the Fiat 128 3P was a very desirable small coupé. What the event celebrates is not an “‘ironic” show of dire cars of a bygone age but vehicles that were virtual street furniture in their heyday but are now rarer than your average Bugatti.
Some exhibits were owned by younger classic enthusiasts; 22-year-old Sean Greenwood took a walk on the mild side with his 1985 Ford Sierra 1.6L E-Max and 24-year-old Richard Hughes favoured a base model Austin Maestro that looked positively sober compared with his parents’ Vauxhall FE 2300S.
For older visitors, the nostalgia factor was overwhelming, from the Mk1 Vauxhall Carlton resplendent in Orange Tan paintwork to the Hillman Super Imp in Kingfisher Blue. Some cars had almost entirely been forgotten, such as the Renault 6 or the Vauxhall Firenza SL in Flamenco Red; the 1970s certainly was the heyday of flamboyantly named colour schemes.
Nicholas Parsons at the 2015 Festival of the Unexceptional
Nicholas Parsons admires the Hillman Super Imp in Kingfisher Blue
Making the day even more enjoyable, the show was attended by Nicholas Parsons, whose previous classics include the Alvis TF21 (“My only complaint was that it was not fitted with power steering”). A Hillman Minx Mk8a present at the festival looked as though it hailed from the 1950s comedy films he often appeared in, while a Ford Fiesta Popular Plus in Cordoba Beige was certainly evocative of “This week’s star prize!” on Sale of the Century.
Parsons said: “What a joy to celebrate Britain’s forgotten and much maligned automotive legacy. The festival has proved to once again be truly exceptional.”
Angus Forsyth, managing director of event organiser Hagerty Insurance, said: “The majority of British drivers were born in the 1970s and '80s, yet so few preserved examples of the everyday runabouts and workhorses that littered the British roads of their youth remain. The 1980s may have enjoyed a fashion and pop revival yet so many of UK’s once-popular family cars are on the verge of disappearing completely. The Festival is a great opportunity to celebrate these unusual classics and to recognise their lasting impact.”
With such an array of unassuming cars, the judges were faced with a near-impossible task. Would prizes be awarded to the Skoda MB1000 and the Austin Allegro Mk3? Would victory be gained by the Morris Ital 1700 HLS described as “automotive porridge” by its proud owner?
Second place went to Gavin Bushby’s Fiat 127 (“With the detachable ‘man bag’ on the door”) and first to Barry Williams’ 1978 Mk2 Ford Escort 1600L, his family’s car that was rescued from being written off.
A special “People’s Choice” prize went to Chris Reed’s Hillman Avenger Estate in Grasshopper Green, before Nicolette ordered us to “Fasten seat belts” and we departed in a convoy of Mk1 Vauxhall Astras and Citroën GSA Estates.
Let us hope that the 2016 Festival is even more unexceptionally wonderful.
Not that mine is in any way concours fit, but it is unrestored.....
