Festival of the Unexceptional 2024 - the best car show in the world?!

[@49commander]

Keep using is better for the enviro than junking and buying new ones every 4-5 years! Totally agree Steph!!!

[@josephmifsud8261]

Its a great looking show, and more importantly, comes across as friendly and welcoming. To me, seeing these brings back memories, and well done to all who chose these over a Euroblob

[@martinneumann7783]

The problem is: people believe that a new car is good for the environment. They want to believe this marketing strategy because they want a new one. And there are some folks who use old and “uncomfortable” cars as a daily driver. My only car is a 2009 Citroën C1 low spec. That is economic driving and repairing without A/C and power steering like in the eighties. I hope I can keep her forever… 🚗💨🇫🇷 Thanks Steph, for the pictures and the interviews! See you next time »»» Martin

[@pauldeacy9989]

You have a great instinct for finding very interesting people to interview. The lady with the citroen and the guy with the carina estate more than deserved screen time and your interview skills gave them space to tell their story. Here in Ireland it's very difficult for a first time buyer to get insured on an older car. We don't have ulez yet but I'm sure it's on the horizon. The amnesty idea is a good one. Great vid!

[@giuliopedrali4794]

These cars are the cars that we had saw and admired in our life, not only the Ferrari's the exotics and prototypes...

[@Commentator541]

had seen?

[@giuliopedrali4794]

@@Commentator541 I'm Italian, i not know well english, i write why our festival are exceptional, thank you for the advice

[@Toy0w0ta]

That's me with the Carina estate! I also followed in directly behind that Lhd Fiesta and was wondering about the story behind that. All my Christmas tapes were gone by the end of the day! Great video, and thanks to everyone I met for making it a great show too!

[@idriveaclassic]

You were so lovely! Keep enjoying life, you’re doing so well xx

[@marktrevarthen5017]

We enjoyed serving you at the Cafe Allez! HY van. Glad you had a brilliant day

[@Toy0w0ta]

@@marktrevarthen5017 Yes! The chocolate cookie sandwich was so good!, I debated getting a second one!

[@brownsoverlane6384]

@@Toy0w0ta Dec 2024: Now where did I put those Christmas tapes?

[@sakaspuds]

i think i recognise your voice are you in the failrace filming crew ? @toy0w0ta

[@SmashingPistons]

9:13 Yay! Gen-z there in the right. ❤

[@collinhunter9792]

bloody ace. thank you, steph.......and kudos to the young guy who had all the cassette tapes n likes dr hook and loves driving n listening. he's a keeper for someone!!!!!!!

[@randlcars4582]

I missed this fantastic show but will be there next year thanks for putting it up

[@yuusasa4283]

Well-kept luxury cars are nice, but popular and family cars that have been in regular use have a different charm, with a history of ownership.😀

[@giuliopedrali4794]

Yes is the best show of the world, and the unexceptional become exceptional

[@streetkaaccord344]

Great review Steph! I'm loving your channel more and more these days, and find myself watching less of similar channels in the same space as yours. You speak so eloquently the same way good writers write! Keep up the good work, and nice interview with Twingo Chris...(I actually bought one from him earlier this year!!)

[@hjw1001]

Great video Steph! Always look forward to this one!

[@idriveaclassic]

Thank you xx

[@MattysCars]

Nice to see you again Steph glad you got there in the end

[@idriveaclassic]

I was really worried I wouldn’t. It’s been a sleepless week. Thank god for Andy @ APS Classics. What a hero!

[@andreasbenning]

My preference would be mainly american cars from the 1920s to the 1960s, traditional customs and hot rods. But sometimes you want to see something different, that's what I like about your channel! And I do feel nostalgia when I spot cars that were common when I was a kid, but that have vanished from the streets, so I would love to go have a look-see at this event! Thanks for uploading! Greetings from Sweden

[@austendallaston3537]

What a great show, lovely to see such a great verity of normal vehicles that are loved. I passed my test in 1982 and took over ownership of my parents 1961 series 5 Morris Oxford, she was 21 years old at the time and that seemed ancient then, im nearly 60 now and my daily driver is a 25 year old Freelander 1 that doesn't seem that old lol. Proof that age means nothing, if you like it, keep it. Keep the videos coming 😊

[@robertngreen6]

Great review, Steph! I loved the Toyota Estate and its very enthusiastic owner! I am with you on the ulez and general waste - totally agree with you! It's such a worry on how to keep certain age cars on the road when they are quite capable, just dont meet modern random targets.

[@maxrockatansky1654]

I love to see a lot of my childhood cars in here... i remember the first car i've driven when i was 12 was a '95 fiat punto

[@potterg04]

Thanks for sharing these awesome car stories. Viewing from Tennessee USA

[@giuliopedrali4794]

To keep in beautiful conditions, popular cars of the last decades is a great demonstration of knowledge

[@idriveaclassic]

Couldn't agree more!

[@mattpipes5106]

What a great show! I live in the US in California… so most of these cars were not available here which makes this video a visual treat! I drive a 1982 Mercedes 300td… and it is grandfathered in because of its age and because it is a diesel, so I don’t have a hard time keeping it registered even with California’s strict emissions regulations… I use mine as a daily, but if I didn’t I could register it as a classic vehicle that would give it less stringent registration requirements if I only drove it occasionally. Thank for this video, this car show looks incredible!

[@Vince_uk]

Great video Steph and for me the car of the show has to be the Twingo van, I love it so quirky and unusual.

[@idriveaclassic]

I would’ve loved to see Chris win.

[@allanmollison6971]

Awesome show Steph, thanks for sharing 😊👍

[@idriveaclassic]

Thanks for watching!

[@martinhew981]

Great video. I must visit next time. I do totally agree with your views on ULEZ and the perfectly good cars which are scrapped. Its time the do gooders stopped getting their way and the realistic and practical people started getting listened to.

[@MDC-ht5qd]

Thank you, I absolutely love this car show and I agree the Hilux was the best.

[@bri77uk1]

Great review of the show, Steph. It was an amazing day, as usual! :-) My MR2 at 10:11 - Maybe too exceptional (even if it is just an old Toyota ;-) ), but I have to attend this show.

[@christopherbutler7588]

Great video thanks for showing. I have a 1954 Austin A30 and it drives lovely. Have a great weekend

[@robinhughes8822]

People forget that in the 1990s if you had a car from the 60s or 70s it was considered a classic ,it’s the same age gap for the modern classic ,got to go next year ,loved your video as usual x

[@Extreme_Rice]

Yep, I’ve got a book called “Cars The New Classics” from when I was a kid, where “new classics” means post-1945. That book is older than most of the cars in this video…

[@Paulainsworth-rf5jj]

Thanks for the channel Steph, love your look, love the content and youngsters watching will love it as well

[@TygonBC]

That's so surreal, I was at work today doing something a little bit mundane and repetitive, and suddenly remembered Doctor Hook. My Dad was a fan back in the day and I was trying to remember their songs (I remembered two!). Great video Steph =)

[@brownsoverlane6384]

I remembered two, too: Sylvia's Mother and When You're in Love with a Beautiful Woman 👍

[@TygonBC]

@@brownsoverlane6384 I remembered WYILWABW and Sexy Eyes.

[@TygonBC]

@@brownsoverlane6384 I remembered WYILWABW and Sexy Eyes, but almost forgot You Make my Pants want to get up and Dance 😀

[@richardsutcliffe8036]

I know nothing about cars but love their different designs...The technical anecdotes are lost on me but when someone says, for instance, 'I really like boxy looking cars', I can really relate to that...Always enjoy your videos.

[@daviewhatley3665]

You video always make my day thank you

[@jimg492]

Great video Steph and a great show. In answer to your question I love cars of all ages. I love the 80s and 90s as that's what was on the road when I grew up. I love 60s and 70s because of the looks and how they feel to drive. I also love pre war as they are bare bones motoring

[@trevatkin4869]

It makes me want to go out and buy something to restore. I always wanted a TR7 when I was younger. I have to say your videos are amazing now Steph, really professional. Well done you.

[@idriveaclassic]

Go for it!

[@G6PBS]

Amnesty for all vehicles over 20years. Great video Steph, will definitely try to get booked in for next year.

[@michaeljensen5020]

Hello from Texas! I LOVE this car show! There is a place for both this show and the show for the classics that are considered "upstream". These cars hit a spot in the hearts of people who work; Nurses, Teachers, Grocery Store Workers, Restaurant Workers; those of us who pull the freight for the "system" I would be proud to be seen driving any one of these lovely cars in preference to, just for discussion, a Tesla Truck! I drove a 1989 Geo Metro (Suzuki Swift) back and forth from Portland OR to San Francisco several times, about 650 miles one way, without any issues. The Metro had spent well over 20 years on the road when it was acquired by myself... The Geo The Geo made 57mpg or 4.1 liters to 100km! I really miss that car! It was the "station wagon" or 5 door version. I am a nurse in the USA. The Aides would make fun of me for driving a "sh1t box" on my salary. I asked one of the Aides, who drove a Mercedes 300 class, "How much is you car payment per month" The reply, "About 700 dollars a month Nurse Mike." Another question of the Aide, "How much is your insurance per month?" The Aide replied, "About 300 dollars a month." So, the Aide was spending close to 1000 USD a month for "status". I explained to this Worker the fact I could drive a Mercedes or just about any car myself. But, the Geo is fun, inexpensive to operate and it is "paid for with cash." The Geo cost me 500 USD. I sold it on for 1500 USD after driving back and forth to San Francisco from Portland, several times. Love the car you drive. Currently I drive a 1973 Chevy C20 sold originally to the US Border Patrol, as my daily driver!

[@flightis3dollars]

Excellent video, many thanks.

[@dappergent9422]

Superb video and thanks for sharing. Gosh, this is a trip down memory lane! And It reminds us of the modern souless crap of today's cars. Yes, the older cars in this video had problems, but they had character which many cars now simply do not have.

[@joshuanishanthchristian5217]

Great overview of the whole festival! And neat, At 23:35 there's a cameo by @EdsAutoReviews' Hyundai XG!

[@roymcneil6026]

Great video Steph ❤

[@idriveaclassic]

Thank you!!

[@christesta2521]

Looks like an awesome show!!! Beautiful grounds where the show took place. Great to here that the people in the U.K. are into classic cars!!! Here in the U.S. we have many good car shows as well. Thanks for sharing.

[@peterbonnez]

My first time there, very impressed. Good to say Hi to you, thanks to Guy L for alerting me to you..

[@jonperkins8696]

The car show was most amazing, thanks again for another great episode.

[@kiwidave9416]

I've got a 1992 Subaru Omega which has been in our family since my mother bought it brand new for her small tour business. Like you say, there is a period with all cars where they aren't considered old or rare enough to be valued. This is the time when they all end up as scrap metal, when in another ten or 15 years people would start to notice them. That ten or 15 years is when they are most vulnerable.

[@ludovicleroux9190]

The best vedeo ever, indeed.

[@anthonyfoley5576]

Loved the I had to get quite a trot on comment. Never change Steph you're amazing.

[@roygardiner2229]

That was smashing! it's so interesting to hear the comments from the owners and, of course, from Steph herself. I agree with all her comments about the unnecessary scrapping of perfectly usable cars.

[@SAM-zt2uy]

Doh totally forgot about this really wanted to go after the video last year, some amazing cars and looking fab Steph!

[@99AmethystZJ]

Good video Steph, thanks! Great show as always...You got my Fiat Ulysse in at the end🎉👏😊

[@idriveaclassic]

Hurrah!

[@bondbug73]

Super video Steph on a nice day. What an event!

[@huguesgillet1967]

Hi Steph ! We were there yesterday, great day and overwhelming display of cars. We enjoyed the day with ou english Friends. I saw you but I didn't want to bother you while being interviewed. However, my friend Sue and her sister Jane had a photo with you 😉. Take Care, Hugues from France 😘

[@Mk2Mitch]

Cheers Steph, that’s my red mk4 fiesta van 😎 My first time at the show and it was a brilliant day!

[@lambphiiip]

What a fantastic show Steph....such amazing, interesting people too ...GREAT

[@19892CV]

Great video. It is nice to get a feel for the show with the interviews. Much better than trying to rush through showing all the cars

[@Phiyedough]

The biggest headache with keeping the future classics going will be electronics. With something like the Minor there are lots of people who can fix anything that could go wrong but most of those would not be able to do component level electronics diagnosis and repair. Not sure if it exists already but it would be possible to make a universal conversion kit to replace faulty engine management computers.

[@billgreen4388]

First time I’ve heard of this show. Looks great. 🤓

[@davidhinkson8856]

I must say I always enjoy watching the coverage of this show. There are so many cars we took for granted growing up that have now become so rare it's a joy to see them and remember some of the people who passed through our lives who would have owned similar cars, or we may even spot our first car among them. It's kinda hard to believe that cars that came out in the mid-90s and early 2000s are now between 20 and 30 years old.

[@chrisbury4635]

What an amazing show Steph, and it's great to see so many younger people have a passion about car's that were brand new when i started my career in the motor trade back in 1991 😊

[@markcross6864]

Was a great day. That’s me and my son at 35:30 in his Corolla e11 😎

[@lfsmithme2]

My son and I were so delighted to meet you at the festival love your friends from the USA

[@licensedsalesassociatemich3157]

I am 59, so many of the cars don't look old to me since they are the ones I grew up with. Being in the US, I appreciate seeing foreign versions of the cars sold in the US. The Toyota Carina wagon was interesting to me. Although discontinued earlier than the model year shown, it was a Toyota Corona in US. I love the 1960's vibe of the clothing worn by the host of this video/channel! Here in the US, cars older than 25 years are exempt from many inspection requirements. My brother owns a 1989 Jeep Cherokee. It is exempt from the annual smog test. I live in Florida, where we have no auto inspections. However, most people maintain their cars there, so I have seen very few clunkers on the roads there. My dream car is a RHD convertible with manual, on-the-floor shift and suicide doors. I get so excited when I see a RHD car here in the US. I wonder if citizens of the UK have the same sense of excitement when the see a LHD car in the UK? My first car was a 1980 Toyota Tercel with a 4-speed manual transmission. It was passed on to me by Mom and Dad. Although I am far from being mechanically inclined, I could easily change the oil, rotate the 12" tires, and change the brake pads easily. My first new car was a 1990 Acura Integra sedan with a 4-speed manual shift, followed by a 2002 Honda Accord sedan with a 5-speed manual transmission. Sadly, a drunk driver hit me while I was waiting at a traffic control signal. My current vehicle is a 2013 Toyota Camry. It is my first car with an automatic transmission. It has paddle shifters, but I only tried using those one time. One day, I will own a manual transmission car again. My dream car since childhood is an MG B. I also like the MG C. So, I have been thinking of buying a Mazda Miata to fulfill my MG craving. I also love to see classic Volvo station wagons. I am considering buying a 2025 Subaru Outback to fulfill the Volvo desire. Yes, buying a modern car to fulfill the desire of the classic car isn't quite the same. However, if I keep them long enough, one day my modern cars will become classics.

[@MrStinker101]

Thank you for making this video it was so good to watch

[@idriveaclassic]

Thank you 🥰🥰

[@craigyllyn]

Last minute issues stopped me going. Thanks for sharing the event with us! 😊

[@Poppy323F]

Amazing show and brilliant overview Steph ❤

[@mishumihai223]

I love this show! I love unexceptional cars.

[@johnjtm1097]

Great show report Steph. Just the sort of cars I like here, the ones I used to see parked in a side street or outside someone's house while I was growing up in the 80s & 90s. I get more enjoyment out of things I would have seen in person during normal everyday life.

[@asdreww]

Great video. I need to attend this show. Sadly I don't think I have anything unexceptional enough of the right time period to take along.

[@michaelhalsall5684]

I love looking at some of the British and European cars that were never sold in Australia. The version of the Nissan Bluebird shown here is quite different to the Bluebird sold in Australia. The Honda Jazz shown in the video was sold as the Honda City here. Very interesting and educational video!😊

[@CARP100]

Hi Steph enjoyed your video very much didn't even know about this festival. Sadly I didn't see my car represented there in any of your footage I believe at the moment it is the only one on the road in the UK a 1995 Renault Espace tdi, very sad.

[@TheDarkPhoenix23]

Being in the US, these are all pretty much exceptional to me since we never had them here. Great video Steph!

[@ianchambers2731]

Aha! Thanks to the guy with the Toyota, I now have three new tapes that replaced some I had taken from my car at another car show 😮. Although some may dispute the quality of the music from 70s, Motown and Barry Manilow, the sound quality on all 3 was absolutely A1! Great for my drive back down to Sussex last night 😊

[@stanwbaker]

Speaking as someone so very, very far away: I was dreading missing virtual attendance of this wonderful event. Lord and Lady Seabrook (or however you people do that) took a well earned respite from this year's show. I am thanking the occasionally merciful fates for our Stef.

[@idriveaclassic]

I really missed Carly. I’ve got a present for her

[@peterriggall8409]

Great to meet you Steph. What an awesome day it was. Back to Tasmania on Tuesday. We have had a great 3 weeks. Lots of bucket list things ticked. 😊

[@robertlambert8719]

What a fantastic show! All those cars you just don't see any more. What to choose as my favourite..? From sleek Citroëns to a humble Lada, big Fords to a tiny Twingo. I did just glimpse a Lada Niva, which I owned three of back in the day. Brilliant off-road, slow and very thirsty on it! Totally agree with you on ulez. To me, it is just one more way to fleece motorists. The rot set in early this century, when the scrappage scheme was introduced, supposedly to help the British car industry. The net result was many perfectly good cars dumped, and small foreign cars bought. Brilliant (!) An exemption seems the way forward, but politicians are so obsessed with green issues I can't see it happening. All I can suggest is enjoy your cars as much as you can, and don't drive into cities to feed greedy councils!! Brilliant video as always!

[@shauntvr4312]

Lovely to see cars that i owed in the 80s and 90s thanks

[@ClunkerCars]

I didn’t make it so love this! For me, I love this age range of car as it’s nostalgia for the cars I remember. And some of the cars I owned when I started driving. Thanks for the video!

[@ceejaywilson1671]

Fantastic show - kept missing you ( you were very busy!). Great to see the Proton

[@idriveaclassic]

Aw sorry we didn’t see each other

[@samjones9179]

Myself and a good friend were discussing ULEZ and high road tax for older cars. We both reckoned there should be some sort of road tax discount that encourages people to look after cars and keep them running much longer, which we all know is better long term from an environmental perspective than buying new cars every 5 years or so. Less said about big heavy, expensive EV's the better. We figured tax discounts starting at 20 - 25 years old increasing at the 30 - 35 years old age bracket before finally reaching 40 years old and becoming fully exempt. Keep the ULEZ discussions up. As owner of a 1993 Citroen Xantia who works in central Oxford the up coming bus gates and Zero Emission Zones are a very frequently discussed topic for us car owners.

[@idriveaclassic]

I’m sick of this throwaway culture we live in!

[@chrismc1977]

@@idriveaclassic it’s a sad fact that the UK government have long held the view that our roads are full of dirty ‘old’ cars polluting the environment. Not everyone wants, needs or can afford something modern & throwaway full of the latest tech. I’d love both my kids to own some kind of classic that I can help them maintain & improve, & they can learn with & enjoy. Seems to be sadly missing with so many young adults nowadays!

[@jonnygti]

Being born in the 80’s, I like the 80’s, 90’s, early 00’s cars. The old 50/60/70’s stuff doesn’t interest me, I do appreciate them, but I would walk past to the cars that do interest me. By the way, you are are really good interviewer, asking the right questions, and questions that everyone would want to know, and thanking them for bringing their cars is a nice touch 😁👍🏻

[@Zeem4]

Thanks for the great video. A friend of mine invited me to come along to this show, but I couldn't make it due to prior commitments. I particularly liked the Fiat Ulysse and Lancia Zeta. Also nice to see 6D Diesels' 305 estate roll past in one shot.

[@idriveaclassic]

Please do come next year!

[@chrismc1977]

Enjoyed the show! My only suggestion for Hagerty would be extra toilet facilities with a reliable water supply. Extra vendors/stalls would also bring a bit of something more to the party!

[@idriveaclassic]

Hard agree on the toilets. Vendors, it’s been super hard to pull vendors on events this year, were dirt cheap for Rustival stands and the take up hasn’t been enormous.

[@rickroberts1344]

I like seeing all kinds of cars at classic car shows, but what is most interesting, is meeting the owners and hearing their stories.

[@JulesAtCumbria]

Steph, don't know about the show, but that walkaround was Exceptional! Highlights for me: that first gen Honda Jazz - never seen one (and I've run three later models!). Also, a silver Polo Country, just like the one we owned from new and drove until it died 17 years later (sob). And there was a Polo Harlequin hiding in the distance - haven't seen one in years! Yes, love this show (perfect for the Honda Logo you were picking up!) and I prefer this format - just like the ordinary car parks of my youth ... just as they are, in usuable form. Thanks so much!!

[@owensmith8467]

What an amazing show, I'd love to visit. Great to see Citroën ZX getting some love. Bought one as my first car 24 years ago (that makes me feel old!!), great cars, smooth, comfortable with fantastic handling. 😃

[@idriveaclassic]

Love that. They’re good cars

[@eagle50043]

great vid. people (or the organisers) need to pay attention to the key word in the name of the show...Unexceptional. far too many going that dont meet this criteria.

[@graemew7001]

I will have to get to that show next year and make a weekend of it. I'm with you on the ULEZ stuff, there's not enough classics to make a difference and also making a newer car causes more pollution than keeping an older one would or should I say it would take years to recoup the difference back. You're also correct on "what's a classic?" moving forward, ten years ago I would have said "a Maestro? a Nova?....get real!!" but now they are rare and are a classic, life moves on.

[@idriveaclassic]

Absolutely. I hate all the gate keeping x

[@Alex_Tremist]

That purple Micra is GORGEOUS!

[@lucythemoggy1970]

Wow steph, I didn't realise that to enter the concours it didn't have to be literally concours! My morris minor is due to be finished this year, after 5 yrs off the road and a bill of approx 14k! You interviewed me at kelmarsh hall way back in 2018 with my moggy lucy, and it was my first national rally since joining the club, so that has inspired me to enter lucy in the concours section nxt year!

[@russellwilcox1180]

Great video - I haven't been to FOTU for a few years, but it will definitely be in next year's plans. I can't believe (but am really pleased) how much it's grown in popularity. As you mentioned, it's great to see younger drivers becoming interested in owning older cars - I thought it was just a generational thing to lose interest in new ones. According to 'How many left', there are 2 Citroen LNAs on the road in the UK - I saw 2 in your video. Superb! Plus the Fiorino in the thumbnail must be the only one left. In the meantime, I am looking forward to Rustival 2!

[@idriveaclassic]

Rustival 2 is going to be awesome 🥰

[@alexandermathar7780]

The Honda Jazz- Motocompo combination Was ahead of its time. A City car with a scooter in it..

[@mikejames4540]

A showcase for the ‘unexceptional’ is a lovely concept.

[@kenmoore589]

Well done everyone.

[@Pidge0386]

We clipped you with the marea's wingmirror on the way in 😂😂 Sorry about that 😂😂😂😂had a great day and it seems like you did as well

[@peterowen4456]

Great review of this show. It looks fantastic. Just on ULEZ, I'm all for clean air but how big a problem are classic cars in city and town centres? I'd favour some sort of amnesty as well.

[@grumpytorque8905]

Fantastic video Steph, makes up for me not being able to attend yesterday 😊

[@idriveaclassic]

Next time!

[@James-ld2jc]

Rustival was brilliant, everything welcome and a surprise at every turn. These older cars should be used.

[@michaelhalsall5684]

The young guy with cassette collection! Are cassettes back?😊

[@AtheistOrphan]

There is a growing specialist market for them. Time to invest in a Nakamichi Dragon!

[@jamesdecross1035]

Aaahh... sorry to miss this, this year!

[@idriveaclassic]

Ahh sorry you missed it. Next year we’ll see you there x

[@MartiA1973]

Good to see a few vans; the even less loved, poorer relation to the unremarkable cars. My first business used a Nissan NV200 van and I still love the site of them as they represent business success with my name and logo on the side. I now have a better van - just not so special. Well done Steph'.

[@VincentLander]

While Ferrari as a marque is certainly exceptional, the widely unloved and much derided Mondial that entered the frame during the last 20 seconds or so of your coverage certainly fits the spirit of the show. Thank-you for another great vid of FOTU.

[@idriveaclassic]

Great point!