- 4500 fans and 2500 unexceptional cars attended the 12th Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional on Saturday.
- The sold out event displayed 20 percent more FOTU-era cars than 2025 Festival.
- A thoroughly unexceptional VW Polo took first place in the Concours de L’Ordinaire.
An entirely unexceptional Volkswagen Polo has taken the top prize at this year's Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional, held last weekend at Grimthorpe Castle in the UK.
Organisers say that this years event was the biggest yet, with tickets selling out ahead of the event, and 4500 fans of all things unexceptional witnessing a gathering of 2500 of the world’s most basic cars.
Fans from all over the world enjoyed not only the 50-star cars chosen to be a part of the renowned Concours de l’Ordinaire - that was won last year by an extremely pedestrian Skoda Favaorit - but also a sea of thousands of mundane motors, driven to the event by FOTU fans, that stretched all the way down the driveway of Grimsthorpe Castle.
Hagerty created the first Festival of the Unexceptional in 2014 as a celebration of "long-forgotten everyday family cars, particularly those in base trim". Now celebrating cars from the 1970s to the early Millennium, the Festival attracts guests and cars from around the world, many of them younger enthusiasts.
The very best cars were presented in the Concours de L’Ordinaire on the lawn in front of Grimsthorpe Castle - 50 cars chosen to represent the finest mundane motors still on the road.
This year, these special cars were judged by automotive legends Steve Cropley, Steph Hoy, Richard Bremner, Jesse Billington, Antony Ingram, Gary Axon, and Jon Bentley. After much deliberation and polite argument, a decision was reached.
Third place was awarded to a 2001 Ford Focus owned by Jake Seddon. The car originally belonged to his grandfather, before being restored by his father and is now owned and enjoyed by Jake. Judges commended the condition of the car, its family connection and for being a perfect example of what FOTU is all about – restoring and maintaining a car many would have simply scrapped and forgotten about.
A very rare 1992 Toyota Previa owned by Matt Swinn took second place. Still well used by Matt, including hauling his band and their equipment all over the country, the Previa is meticulously maintained the car and even framed the 1990s lolly wrappers, receipts and other period rubbish found under the seats when he bought it.
But there can be only one winner, and this year the 2026 Festival of the Unexceptional winner’s trophy was awarded to Gordon McNeill and his 2001 Volkswagen Polo E, a car that the judges said "really shows what the FOTU Concours is all about."
Gordon's Polo has battle scarred paintwork but has been owned and loved for 20 years. It was Gordon’s first car and is still the only car he has ever owned. 176,000 miles later, this car has been used for his wedding, laps around the Nürburgring, and has taken him to Spain for a holiday. Still daily driven this base-spec, no frills, Polo is loved and cherished more than any supercar and shows true FOTU dedication and spirit.
So impressed were the judges by the 2026 Concours selection they also had a number of cars they wanted to commend, including a 1991 Ford P100 TD, a 2000 Kia Clarus wagon, a 1986 Citroen Axel, a 1982 Fiat 127, and a 1994 Honda Civic Bali.
A host of special guest cars appeared at the event alongside the competitors, with a selection of British Leyland prototypes, kindly supplied by the British Motor Museum. Cars on show included the very first Maestro to come off the production line and the Austin LC10 prototype that inspired it.
A pre-production Austin Metro was also presented in the Hagerty Drivers Club members enclosure, one of 300 pre-production models created in 1980 and the car chosen to be the star of the Austin Rover stand at the 1980 Motor Show.
UK newspaper The Telegraph also hosted a special area featuring some wonderfully rare family cars as part of their UK’s Rarest car display. Cars included a striking Fiat Strada 5-Door, a capacious Nissan Prairie and perhaps the single most unexceptional car of all time, the legendary Alfa Romeo Arna.
"Wow. Just when we think the Festival of the Unexceptional can’t get any bigger, it grows again and is more spectacular than ever, said Mark Roper, Managing Director of Hagerty UK.
"What a delight to see the lawns of Grimsthorpe Castle covered with thousands of FOTU cars, being enjoyed by 4500 people from all around the world. Thanks to each and every person who came for their dedication, passion and support of all things FOTU. See you again next year."
