10. Mercedes 200T
Can a Mercedes be unexceptional? This one was the absolute bottom of the range, it's been in the same family from new and clocked up a huge mileage laden with stuff and towing a trailer. The owner said having it restored was the easiest decision she's ever made - the fact there are people willing to invest large amounts of time and money into undesirable cars is a wonderful thing.
9. Nissan Cherry Europe
The perfect combination of Japanese style and Italian reliability, this is one of only two roadworthy Cherry Europes in the UK and possibly the world. Twin sister of the notorious Alfa Romeo Arna, it won top honours at the very first Festival of the Unexceptional in 2014 and was back in the invitational class.
8. Lada 1600ES
It's a Lada. In a concours competition. Where else would you find such a thing? This fancy ES model would have been the envy of the Russians with all its extra features added by the importers. The searing orange paint is very period too.
7. Hustler 6
Hustlers are cool. William Towns's angular and glassy Mini-based kit car looks like nothing else on the road and attracts attention wherever it goes. This one is even cooler for having six wheels.
6. Fiat Strada
By rights this car shouldn't even exist. 'Hand built by robots' who turned out to be no better than humans, Stradas started rusting the moment they left the showroom, yet somehow this one has survived in totally original condition. Festival-goers loved it and voted it the People's Choice.
5. FSO 125P
It's strange to think this humble FSO was once owned by Jaguar Land Rover, having been part of the famed James Hull collection. It had been off the road for four years and is now about to set off on a 12,000-mile fundraising jaunt through 20 countries. Heroic.
4. Audi 80 Variant
An Audi from a time when they were seen as offbeat niche products and an unusual choice of car - how different things were fifty years ago. I'd never seen one before, not surprising as there are only two RHD examples left. Well done to Audi UK for preserving their heritage.
3. Chrysler Alpine
"My dad/uncle/brother/cousin etc. had one of those" is an expression heard a lot at the Festival. Well, my dad did have an Alpine very much like this one. After two years spent tracking down rare parts, the restoration of this utterly rotten car was completed the night before and rewarded with first prize.
2. Colt Lancer
Early Japanese cars don't seem to survive well and I'd never seen one of these before. It was the very first Mitsubishi imported to the UK by the Colt Car Company and has been retained for posterity in its manufacturer's heritage collection.
1. Mazda 929
The very definition of unexceptional. A bland, boxy and old-fashioned estate that's nothing special, yet now incredibly rare with only half a dozen left on the road. I'd completely forgotten these ever existed.
We may have got to number one but I couldn't restrict it to just ten as there were so many great cars in the concours, so here's a few more Honorable Mentions that very nearly made the final cut.
Datsun Bluebird
A well-deserved second prize winner, Bluebirds are the epitome of unexceptional. Competent but boring family cars that used to be everywhere but have quietly disappeared from Britain's roads. So many must have been worked to death as taxis.
Renault 16
This one has a lot in common with our own Renault 6. It's about the same age and was also taken off the road in 1994. Restoration has progressed rather better than ours though, as despite needing some attention from the RAC man it was driven there and back. Ours doesn't even run.
Ford Sierra
Sporty Sierras are bona fide classics but this one is the total antithesis of the Cosworth and XR4. It isn't quite a grey-grilled base model but isn't much further up the ladder, and I love the '4-speed' badge on the back like that's something to be proud of. It's easy to forget just how radical these early Sierras were too.
I really don't envy the Unexceptional judges as they must have a very tough time, firstly just to decide which of the many outstanding entries deserve a place in the Concours and then to select only two winners from among them. Compiling this top ten was no easy task as there were just so many first class cars in attendance. What do you think of my choices and what were your favourites? Let me know in the comments.
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