Classic car events tend to focus on the rare and exotic vehicles that graced the pages of magazines and took pride of place on bedroom walls many decades ago, yet the cars most of us actually grew up with were rather less impressive. Whereas they were once as common as a cloudy day most are as rare as those supercars we used to drool over.
To give these ordinary classics their chance to shine, classic vehicle insurer Hagerty has been running their annual Concours d’Ordinaire since 2014, an event to celebrate the unexceptional. While you won’t find a pristine Aston Martin DB5 gracing the lawns, you will be able to see something even rarer, like a spotless Austin Maxi or perhaps a light-brown Rover 200 just like the one your dad used to take you to school in.
This year sees the introduction of the Anniversary Class. Among the vehicles chosen for this category are the aforementioned Austin Maxi and Rover 200 and joining them will be the quirky Citroën XM as well. Marketing Director Marcus Atkinson said, “When we first created the Festival its sole aim was to celebrate the unsung heroes of the road. Now, in our sixth year, we not only show the very best of the mundane on the Concours lawn, we now acknowledge the birth date of some once popular but now increasingly rare cars.”
These vehicles will be given their own spot on the Concours lawn where an additional 53 unsung classics will be on display. The public carpark will also be host to up to 500 further unexceptional vehicles ranging from commercial vehicles to motorcycles. Atkinson continued, “We are now seeing an increase in the popularity of normal classics, especially on social media where users excitedly spot and photograph these cars on the street. Today, unexceptional is understood by many car enthusiasts around the world and shows that classic cars don’t need to cost £millions to attract admiring glances. We welcome all fans of the Unexceptional to join us on the pilgrimage to Buckinghamshire on the 20th July to enjoy being in the presence of many past masters.”
The event is intended to be a light-hearted take on the generally rather serious classic car scene and awards will be given for Best In Show, Runner Up, People’s Choice and Junior Judge’s Choice (as voted for by those under 18) plus the traditional, the Feast of the Unexceptional Award for Best Picnic of the day. The Concours d’Ordinaire takes place on Saturday 20 July at the Claydon Estate in Buckinghamshire. Tickets and further information are available on the organizer’s website.
Images courtesy of Hagerty and tonic-collective
