Fifty wonderfully ordinary vehicles will compete in the 2025 Concours de l’Ordinaire celebrating everyday classics on July 26.
The shortlist is in for one of the quirkiest and most beloved motoring events on the calendar. Hagerty has announced the finalists for the 2025 Festival of the Unexceptional, set to return to Grimsthorpe Castle on Saturday, 26th July, with fifty delightfully ordinary vehicles to be judged in the Concours de l’Ordinaire.
Celebrating its 11th year, the Festival honors the everyday cars that once filled British roads, from modest hatchbacks to humble estates. With record attendance in 2024—over 2,000 vehicles and 4,000 attendees—the 2025 event promises to be even bigger, blending nostalgia, humor, and genuine appreciation for automotive underdogs.
“This year’s entries were better than ever,” said Mark Roper, Managing Director of Hagerty International. “These cars may have been unremarkable in their day, but today, they’re rare survivors—each with a story, and each worth celebrating.”
Among the ten finalists previewed ahead of the event are some true working-class heroes:
- 1982 Austin Allegro 1.3 HLS – the epitome of British Leyland’s divisive design choices, complete with a quartic steering wheel.
- 1986 Bedford Rascal – a white van classic with a 970cc engine and heated-by-the-engine brown vinyl seats.
- 1992 Skoda Favorit Forum – a no-frills Eastern European hatchback rescued from the scrapyard.
- 1998 Perodua Nippa EX – a Malaysian marvel so modest its wheel trims had to be 3D-printed.
- 1984 Volvo 240 DL – affectionately preserved by its new owner and still known as “Mary’s Volvo.”
Other standout finalists include a pristine 1984 Ford Escort 1.1, an incredibly original 1976 Datsun Cherry, and a well-travelled 1997 VW Polo 6N—brought home to the UK all the way from Poland.
The event will feature a live taping of the Smith and Sniff podcast, interactive stage shows, guest speakers, live music, and food and drink for all ages. Gates open at 7:30 a.m., with activities running through 5 p.m., giving visitors a full day to revel in the wonderfully unexceptional.
For enthusiasts who believe that ordinary can be extraordinary, Grimsthorpe Castle is the place to be this July.