Celebrating a car show that honours the motoring mundane

Visitors to car shows around the world usually flock to the fastest, rarest and most beautiful machines, but there’s one automotive showcase that caters to a very different type of tyre-kicker.

The annual Hagerty Concours de l’Ordinaire provides an opportunity to take in some of the most humdrum and underappreciated cars ever made.

Celebrating the world of mundane motoring with a tongue-in-cheek take on the familiar concours format, this year’s Hagerty’s Festival of the Unexceptional takes place on July 30 in Lincolnshire, UK, showcasing 50 classic but unexciting vehicles built between 1967 and 1997.

This procession of the prosaic celebrates Fiestas rather than Ferarris, and favours Mazdas over Maseratis. There’s no need for blazers and chinos at this concours as the dress code is smart casual with little emphasis on the smart, say the organisers.

This year’s line up includes a Fiat Panda Italia, a special edition launched in 1990 to mark Italy’s hosting of the World Cup and Fiat’s sponsorship of the tournament. The UK version of the Panda Cup was based on the 750cc Panda L, and there are thought to be just a handful left on the road.

Another “highlight” is a 1992 Ford Fiesta Fanfare that was used daily before being put away in the family garage when the 87-year-old owner decided it was time to give up driving. With a 1.1l carburettor engine, this Fiesta proudly wears its ordinaire tag.

Rare Mazdas have become something of a festival tradition. Last year, a 1982 Mazda 929L Estate found its way into the concours, and this year sees a 1971 Mazda 1800 on the lawn, a car so rare that even the most ardent fan of the unexceptional might struggle to recognise it. This 1800 saloon was styled by Bertone and is thought to be one of only three in the UK, as well as one of the earliest surviving imported Mazdas.

A Renault Mégane Scénic with 100,000km on the clock will be on the concours lawn, reminding visitors of a time when large herds of mini MPVs roamed the roads instead of today’s SUVs and crossovers.

One of the most recognisable British classics at the festival will be a 1969 Reliant Regal, a three-wheeler that has been the butt of jokes over the years and often seen in Mr Bean episodes.

Other examples of the motoring mundane include a Vauxhall Astra 1.4, a first-generation Ford Ka and a 1992 Hyundai Elantra with no air-conditioning.