RE: Festival of the Unexceptional | PH Gallery
Discussion
I have to admit that I am struggling with this.
I'm always going on about the difference between a "classic" car and an "old" car, most of the above fit in to the "old" bucket for me i'm afraid.
I know it's subjective but just as an example:
Ford Cortina 1.3 L = Old
Ford Cortina 1600E = Classic
BMW E30 316i auto = Old
BMW E30 320i and above manual = Classic (anything with the 6 cylinder and preferably manual)
I think it needs to have been desirable in the past for it to become classic today?
That's not to say I would not enjoy going to a show with all those present, but might cringe at a few of them.
I'm always going on about the difference between a "classic" car and an "old" car, most of the above fit in to the "old" bucket for me i'm afraid.
I know it's subjective but just as an example:
Ford Cortina 1.3 L = Old
Ford Cortina 1600E = Classic
BMW E30 316i auto = Old
BMW E30 320i and above manual = Classic (anything with the 6 cylinder and preferably manual)
I think it needs to have been desirable in the past for it to become classic today?
That's not to say I would not enjoy going to a show with all those present, but might cringe at a few of them.
Truckosaurus said:
sidesauce said:
...I think they've all dated horribly ....
I was thinking just the opposite, how modern some of these 30yr old cars look (eg. compare the '89 Cavalier with a 10 year older Cortina and there seems more of a gap in technology in that decade than between the Cav and a nearly new Insignia without the satnav option ticked).Makes me more and more want to buy a cheap current banger to enter an event like this. 80s and 90s cars are disappearing at an alarming rate and I reckon it could be time to buy a cheap late 90s or early 2000s car which hasn't reached modern classic status.
WJNB said:
What a delight to witness so much approval by Phers proving that we are not all badge snobs.
Am reminded how at a recent Brooklands Breakfast meet the car getting the most attention was a scaby old Austin 7 in ex-barn condition yet running.
Ditto Bicester & Goodwood meets where endless lines of Porsche's MG's even McLarens etc has become a cliché. It must get up the nose of those spending thousands on a flash car to show off then be ignored for something ordinary but with much more relevance.
Loved the picture of the red Mk4 Cortina in what looks like factory fresh condition just like my first company Cortina collected new from Zenith Motors (I think near Tower Bridge). With a turd brown cloth interior, a clock, headrests etc I'm STILL not ashamed to admit I thought at the time I was the dogs thingy's.
Isn’t it a mk5 cortina?Am reminded how at a recent Brooklands Breakfast meet the car getting the most attention was a scaby old Austin 7 in ex-barn condition yet running.
Ditto Bicester & Goodwood meets where endless lines of Porsche's MG's even McLarens etc has become a cliché. It must get up the nose of those spending thousands on a flash car to show off then be ignored for something ordinary but with much more relevance.
Loved the picture of the red Mk4 Cortina in what looks like factory fresh condition just like my first company Cortina collected new from Zenith Motors (I think near Tower Bridge). With a turd brown cloth interior, a clock, headrests etc I'm STILL not ashamed to admit I thought at the time I was the dogs thingy's.
fernando the frog said:
sidesauce said:
I may be alone here but I look at all of these cars (which were around in my youth, my dad had that Cavalier CD in a powder blue) and am glad they no longer represent the typical car on the streets nowadays. I think they've all dated horribly and the idea of wanting to drive around in any of them nowadays is something I could not contemplate - not least because that, in an accident, I wouldn't want to be in any of them in comparison to newer cars.
Still, to each their own and all that. Carry on.
just because they're not as safe as modern cars or "dated" doesn't make them any less interesting Still, to each their own and all that. Carry on.
greenarrow said:
Makes me more and more want to buy a cheap current banger to enter an event like this.
These are not "bangers", and they are not particularly cheap 
Some of the cars featured in the photos (Cortina Mk V, Alfa 33, Citroen BX) cost a good few thousand these days for a top condition, low-mileage "show quality" car. Even the "survivor" cars that get handed down from an elderly relative will have required significant paint and mechanical work.
Not my bag, but respect to the owners who keep these cars polished and maintained.
Nice as rows of better than new E Types and the like are, this is the stuff most of us grew up with, whether it was any good or not doesnt matter.
When you stick your head into some old Peugeot, Nissan, Ford or Vauxhall etc, you generally get the same smell as back in the time you got carted to school in one or whatever, some are very distinctive and because of the way your brain processes smells it can completely blindside you triggering memories of all sorts.
The whiff of a Nissan interior takes me back to next doors Silvia Turbo, my uncles selection of Bluebirds, My Aunties Nissan Cherry and strangely, the Bullet train at the National Rail Museum that smells very similar, even my 2007 350Z had a hint of Eau de Datsun.
So seeing them is one thing, but its the smell for me that takes me back, even the way the exhausts smell, the aromas of a freshly thrashed 2.0 Pinto is quite distinctive.
When you stick your head into some old Peugeot, Nissan, Ford or Vauxhall etc, you generally get the same smell as back in the time you got carted to school in one or whatever, some are very distinctive and because of the way your brain processes smells it can completely blindside you triggering memories of all sorts.
The whiff of a Nissan interior takes me back to next doors Silvia Turbo, my uncles selection of Bluebirds, My Aunties Nissan Cherry and strangely, the Bullet train at the National Rail Museum that smells very similar, even my 2007 350Z had a hint of Eau de Datsun.
So seeing them is one thing, but its the smell for me that takes me back, even the way the exhausts smell, the aromas of a freshly thrashed 2.0 Pinto is quite distinctive.
I'm particularly into retro motors so this is great to see, I hadn't heard of this as an event. Although I'm a sucker for modifying it's good to see these standard cars surviving. All ready to be demolished on a furture episode of Top Gear no doubt...
My mum had a white Y plate, 5 door Citroen Visa just like this whenI was only a few years old, brings back some memories, has to be my first car recollection in fact...
My mum had a white Y plate, 5 door Citroen Visa just like this whenI was only a few years old, brings back some memories, has to be my first car recollection in fact...
Really should get along to this event. Great to see normal cars which, because they are not the "best of breed" so to speak, generally get forgotten. When in reality, the memories of seeing a lot of these cars on a daily basis when they were new was common place and stirs the memories. The Mk1 Astra's for example are great to see as a 1.3LS in China Blue was my first car.
The sheer range of colours, sizes, styles between the manufacturers back then is certainly in stark contrast to a lot of the modern dross on the roads today! Come to think about it, not sure whether it's because of this or in fact the associated memories, that strikes such a cord with enjoying seeing these cars still loved and enjoyed.
The sheer range of colours, sizes, styles between the manufacturers back then is certainly in stark contrast to a lot of the modern dross on the roads today! Come to think about it, not sure whether it's because of this or in fact the associated memories, that strikes such a cord with enjoying seeing these cars still loved and enjoyed.
I've attended the Festival of the Unexceptional several times over the past few years and one thing that seems not to have been mentioned here (yet) is how pleasant it is to chat to the owners of these cars - all their stories of why this particular car of theirs has played such a big part in their lives, why they chose it, what they like about it etc, etc.
Plus, the owners are, for the most part, pretty self-deprecating and full of humour. They don't take it all too seriously and hardly ever start talking money/investment, etc. It's this aspect of the show as much as the variety of the cars themselves that make it such a good day out for all car enthusiasts - whatever your marque preferences.
So don't hesitate - it really is worth giving the Festival a go.
Plus, the owners are, for the most part, pretty self-deprecating and full of humour. They don't take it all too seriously and hardly ever start talking money/investment, etc. It's this aspect of the show as much as the variety of the cars themselves that make it such a good day out for all car enthusiasts - whatever your marque preferences.
So don't hesitate - it really is worth giving the Festival a go.
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