Today is the annual gathering of all things weird, boring and wonderful. But what to take?
The Festival of the Unexceptional (FotU), described by organiser Hagerty UK as a “celebration of the mundane motors that were once commonplace”, returns to Grimsthorpe Castle, Lincolnshire, today (Saturday 25 July).
Only cars registered between 1971 and 2001, and preferably in entry-level trim, will be eligible for entry to the display area and to the the main event, the Concours de l’Ordinaire.
The judges will be looking for the quirkiest, most charming and original examples of unexceptional classics to award the top honours to.
Hopefuls will also need to have a good story to tell about their car and, on the day itself, dress to impress in period clothes. We wish all entrants the best of luck.
But if you’re tempted to take part in this impressive display of mundanity, here are 10 cheap and unexceptional cars no older than 2001-reg that we’ve found for sale that could make ideal contenders for next year.
Skoda Favorit
A Favorit won FotU last year. Launched in 1987, it was Skoda’s first front-engined, front-wheel-drive car and this, plus its crisp design, were what persuaded Volkswagen to buy the company.
We found: Skoda Favorit 1.3, 1990/H-reg, 63,000 miles, £2695
It’s always been garaged and has a full service history. “No power steering, no central locking, no CD/radio, no electric windows, no electric mirrors,” brags the seller.
Rover Metro
Including the later Rover 100, more than two million Metros were sold during the model’s 17-year production run. Alas, its good name was tarnished by the 100 version’s dismal crash test performance.
We found: Rover Metro 1.1L, 1991/H-reg, 42,000 miles, £2995
Described as “superb”, this Metro has been garaged all its life. Being the Rover version, it should ride smoothly thanks to its interconnected, front-to-rear Hydragas suspension system.
Daewoo Lanos
The Lanos’s main attraction when new was its reputation for reliability – amazing considering that just three years before the model was launched in 1997, Daewoo had been churning out rebranded Vauxhall Astras and Cavaliers. A Lanos featured in the 2024 Concours de l’Ordinaire.
We found: Daewoo Lanos 1.4 SE 5dr, 1999/T-reg, 99,000 miles, £800
This “sold to clear without warranty” part-exchange looks a bright little thing and is described as a “cheap little runaround”.
Nissan Primera
Like its Bluebird predecessor, the Primera was built in Sunderland. In fact, the Mackems did such a good job that some of them were exported to Japan. Just as my neighbour’s 2002-reg example is, many surviving Primeras are still putting in the hours.
We found: Nissan Primera 1.6 Precision 5dr, 1996/N-reg, 59,000 miles, £2500
This first-generation Primera comes with a service book groaning with stamps – 24 of them no less, all with supporting invoices. Apparently, it “drives like new”.
Daihatsu Charade
Autocar readers of a certain vintage will recall the turbocharged and intercooled Charade 1.0 GTti of 1987. This is not that car. Instead, it’s the later fourth-generation Charade, which took dullness to new depths.
We found: Daihatsu Charade 1.3 GLXi auto 5dr, 1998/S-reg, 35,000 miles, £1495
The service book of this one-owner car has 22 stamps. Being a GLXi, it’s replete with features such as electric windows and central locking.
Peugeot 309
The 309 was overshadowed by the 205 hatchback it was based on. Still, it was reliable and resisted rust tolerably well. It was designed in the UK but you would hardly call it pretty, with its stumpy, notchback boot. It’s a true FotU underdog.
We found: Peugeot 309 1.6 GLX, 1990/G-reg, 45,000 miles, £3000
“Starts and runs but just needs a bit of TLC,” says the seller. We’re not entirely sure what they base that on because it was last MOTed 18 months ago. It looks tidy enough, though.
Rover 25
The roundly capable 25 was launched just as BMW sold Rover to the Phoenix Four for £10. At the time, sales rose on the back of public sentiment. Five years later, the company went bust. Driving your humble 25 to FotU will be like tipping your hat to the poor folk who built it.
We found: Rover 25 1.4 G727 WKV Impression 3dr, 2001/Y-reg, 40,000 miles, £1490
This example is finished in unblemished Sienna Gold and has a full service history and only three previous owners.
Volkswagen Golf Convertible
For this soft-top variant of the Mk4 Golf, VW restyled the Mk3 cabrio to look like the later model. No matter: as a Mk4 Golf it enjoyed the protection of a 12-year anti-corrosion warranty – a rare thing back then and a gesture of confidence justified by the many rust-free examples around today.
We found: VW Golf 1.6 SE Convertible, 2000/w-reg, 76,000 miles, £1499
No soft-top car has yet won FotU but that doesn’t rule out driving to the event in this. It’s a bright-looking thing with a new hood and, says the seller, a “folder full of service invoices”.
Citroën BX
The BX takes us back to a time when Citroëns were genuinely weird creations. In 2019, a 1989 BX DTR bagged the Junior Judge’s Choice award at FotU, its owner having a strong personal story to tell about it. (The car was first sold by the same garage his father had bought his Citroëns from.)
We found: Citroën BX 19 TGD, 1990/H-reg, 106,000 miles, £2500
“A well-maintained BX,” claims the seller. Apart from some lacquer peel, the body appears to be in good condition and free of rust.
Hyundai Pony X2
In 1982, when Hyundai came to the UK, the first model it offered sceptical buyers was the Pony, which was loosely based on the Ford Cortina. Forward 10 years and when its successor, the Pony X2, came out, Hyundai had raised its game. With styling by Giorgetto Giugiaro and engines by Mitsubishi, the new, well-equipped Pony was a lot more acceptable.
We found: Hyundai Pony X2 1.5 Spritza, 1994/L-reg, 75,000 miles, £2000
This is one of the last X2s in the UK and remarkably free of rust. In Spritza trim and with a fresh MOT and upgraded sound system, it’s ready to WOW the crowds at FotU.
Past winners of FotU
With the exception of the Toyota Hilux, the roll call of FotU winners in recent years betrays a fondness for supremely dull cars of relatively youthful vintage. However, prior to 2021 (due to Covid, there was no 2020 FotU), they were more of a mixed bag, and one or two don’t seem to have been dull enough. For example, the Alpine was a tasty car while the Cherry GTi, albeit the relative of the unloved Alfa Romeo Arna Ti, seems a tad flash.
2014 1985 Nissan Cherry Europe GTi
2015 1978 Ford Escort 1600
2016 1980 Morris 575 pick-up
2017 1983 Datsun Sunny 1.5 GL
2018 1977 Chrysler Alpine
2019 1977 Morris Marina 1.3 Deluxe Estate
2021 1989 Proton 1.5 GL Black Knight
2022 1994 Vauxhall Astra 1.4 Merit
2023 1991 Daihatsu Applause
2024 1982 Toyota Hilux
2025 1992 Skoda Favorit Forum
