- Rare models to be displayed include the 1969 Mini 9X hatchback and 1981 British Leyland ECV3 prototypes
- Other FOTU favourites will include a single family Vauxhall Nova saloon
- Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional takes place on Saturday 26th July at Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire
- Tickets on sale now
Bicester: 26th June 2025
Hagerty’s world renowned Festival of the Unexceptional returns to Grimsthorpe Castle, Lincolnshire on Saturday 26th July, with thousands of mundane motors from around the world on display, and a Concours de l’Ordinaire selection of 50 of the world’s rarest ordinary cars.
The 2025 Festival is already set to be the biggest and best yet, with a live recording of the Smith and Sniff podcast, a host of exciting speakers and great live entertainment for all the family. There will also be a line-up of special guests, wonderful food and specially selected exhibitors, all with a love of the unexceptional.
Festival organisers are excited to announce another very special FOTU guest, the British Motor Museum. Working with the Museum team, Hagerty has selected six exceptionally unexceptional cars from their vast collection on display at the museum in Gaydon. Three of the cars fit the FOTU vibe perfectly, being well preserved forgotten cars with a great story. The other three are extremely rare prototypes from the British Leyland era that may well have been FOTU stars, had they made it to production.
Stephen Laing, Head of Collections and Engagement at the British Motor Museum, said, “Britain’s motor industry has definitely created many cars that today would be regarded as unexceptional. The Museum proudly exhibits not just the cars that were regular family transport in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, but also the stories behind them and we are very excited to be bringing some of them to the Festival of the Unexceptional.”
1969 Mini 9X hatchback prototype – At the end of the sixties, the designer of the iconic Mini, Alec Issigonis considered a new small car to replace it. He wanted room for four adults and luggage, with competitive specification and a price that was 5% below the Mini price at the time.
The outcome was a squared-off, two-door, hatchback, a new ‘9X’ 850cc engine and transmission as well as a revised specification and greater ease of servicing. The engine alone had an impressive 40% weight saving over the then current Mini.
Hydrolastic suspension gave way to a new components including vertical struts and independent rear suspension via torsion bars. The new body shape offered increased passenger and luggage space. However, unlike his previous designs, Issigonis’ new hatch did not pass the concept stage as British Leyland management were unresponsive to his ideas. It is regarded by many as a missed opportunity, as European manufacturers introduced their own hatchback cars only a few years later.
1981 British Leyland ECV3 (energy conservation vehicle) – British Leyland merged its individual research divisions into a new department – BL Technology Ltd. – based at the Gaydon airfield site which it had recently acquired. BL Technology was headed up by renowned engineer, Spen King and one of his first projects was to look at energy efficient vehicles for the future.
Energy Conservation Vehicle 2 or ECV2 was based on a modified ADO88 prototype, a forerunner of the Metro. It was rather clumsy in appearance, nevertheless ECV2 managed an impressive 60 mpg (4.7 l/100km) in 1981.
ECV3 was a more serious attempt with a structural aluminium frame, clothed in unstressed plastic panels and bonded windows, making it extremely light for a car of its class. The aerodynamic body gave a very low drag co‐efficient of 0.24Cd. It might have been all about efficiency, but in the spirit of the Mini, there was also plenty of room inside for four adults.
The concept was powered by a new one litre, three-cylinder, fuel-injected, single overhead camshaft engine. Capable of 115 mph, it could deliver an astounding average fuel economy of more than 100 mpg (just 2.8 l/100km). ECV3 was revolutionary and many of its features made their way into car technology in years to come.
1975 Triumph SD2 prototype – This is the only surviving prototype of the SD2, a design which was at one time scheduled to replace the Triumph Dolomite. Although it bears some resemblance to the Rover SD1, both cars being the work of David Bache’s studio team, it has a style uniquely its own.
Proposed engines were the Triumph 1500cc, the BL O-series single overhead camshaft in 1700cc or 2000cc form and, at the top of the range, a fuel-injected version of the Dolomite Sprint two-litre engine with the four-valve head. Despite the badge on the front grille, this SD2 prototype carries the Sprint unit.
British Leyland’s financial state in the late 1970s was poor and a government report had recommended drastic rationalisation. As the project advanced, it became evident that the considerable investment that would have been necessary to put the SD2 into production was out of the question. Instead, Triumph’s history took a different turn, and the Dolomite was replaced by a BL-Honda collaboration that emerged in 1981 as the Triumph Acclaim.
1979 Honda Prelude – Launched in Japan late in 1978, the Prelude was Honda’s response to the successful Toyota Celica coupé. The Prelude was very well appointed little coupé but this particular example also carries some significant British motor industry history.
In 1979, when British Leyland’s chief Sir Michael Edwardes signed a deal with Mr Kawashima to start a partnership with Honda, he was gifted this Prelude. Sadly, after time the Honda became an engineering runabout around Longbridge for many years and ended up in a poor state. Since being saved by the British Motor Museum it has been given a new lease of life and the Prelude has gone on to become a true stalwart of FOTU culture.
1997 Toyota Avensis – Built alongside the Toyota Corolla at the British-based manufacturing facility at Burnaston in Derbyshire, the Avensis first went on sale in January 1997.
Despite being called the British-built answer to Ford’s Mondeo the Avensis didn’t manage to achieve the expected level of fleet sales enjoyed by its competitors.
The Museum will be bringing one of the first Avensis models to be produced at Toyota’s Derby factory, one which benefitted from a thorough restoration prior to being donated to the Museum.
1989 Vauxhall Nova Merit saloon – The Nova replaced the aging Chevette and became a consistent top ten seller through the eighties, before being replaced by the Corsa.
This 1.2-litre, four-door saloon Merit, which denotes the most basic trim level and is a rare survivor. It was donated to the Museum in 2025 after being in the same family ownership from new but had not been used for more than twenty years and kept outside. The car is currently undergoing the first steps in its restoration by the Museum workshop team, ahead of being shown at the 2025 Festival of the Unexceptional.
Fans of the rare prototypes mentioned above will be able to enjoy a live stage talk between Stephen Laing from the British Motor Museum and self-confessed BL geek Richard Porter. If you love obscure BL facts, this is a FOTU stage show you won’t want to miss.
Mark Roper, Managing Director of classic vehicle insurer Hagerty UK, said, “These cars will be a real treat for lovers of unexceptional cars, most never seen outside of the British Motor Museum. These great cars are the latest attraction added of many, making this our biggest and best Festival yet.“
Tickets for the 2025 Hagerty Festival of the Unexceptional are on sale now, giving visitors full access to all of what FOTU has to offer. Entry is free for children under 15 and all tickets include the opportunity to watch a live recording of the Smith & Sniff podcast.