- Festival of the Unexceptional run for the 11th year.
- New wave of younger enthusiasts for old, ordinary cars.
- 33-year-old Skoda named overall winner.
A 1992 Skoda Favorit Forum owned by 22-year-old Simon Packowski has been named overall winner of the 2025 Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional in the UK.
The Skoda is so basic it doesn't even have a radio; Simon rescued the car, which was about to be scrapped for a failed head gasket, and brought it back to its former glory, once driving 1600km to buy a set of original headrests. The Skoda also won the People's Choice award.
Hagerty, a US-based company that runs a number of businesses supporting car culture, 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, FOTU 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, cars chosen to represent the finest mundane motors. A panel of expert judges selected the winners.
A 1999 Ford Mondeo took second place. Owned by Callum Bailey, he spotted the red base model Ford being transported on a truck, about to be turned into a banger racer; he bought it on the spot.
Third place was awarded to a bright yellow 1979 Citroen Visa Club owner by Andy Smith. One of only three still surviving, the car is immaculate.
The judges also gave special mentions to Lucas Split for his Talbot Solara, not least for his 1600km road trip to get to FOTU. Glyn Hayler was commended for his Fiat Multipla, Paul Frost for his Bedford Rascal (aka Suzuki Carry), Matthew Coleman for his Rover 214si and Jason Crawley for his immaculate Citroen Berlingo van.
A host of special guest cars appeared at the event too, including a selection of British Leyland prototypes, supplied by the British Motor Museum.
The British Motor Museum team also presented their own award for their choice of car of the show. Stephen Tearle took that trophy for his Nissan Micra 1.0 Celebration, family-owned from new.
