Car Show Photo Report: The 2024 Festival Of The Unexceptional – Part 2 – Unexceptional But Exceptional, And Not British

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– Posted on October 10, 2024

I recently posted a photo report from the Festival of the Unexceptional held this summer, in which I focussed on the British built (and badged) cars. Here’s a quick photo centric scamper through some of the imported models.

Long time Curbivores may be aware of my views on the Volo 340/360 series. As I don’t want to trigger another health warning, I’m able to report that this 1989 1.7 litre 340 is white, and in a tidy condition.

This is a 1971 Volvo 144 automatic, with just 63,000 miles – but do you remember 1970s Volvos in such colours? Alongside is a 2004 Rover Streetwise, a Rover 25 hatchback jacked up with crossover and SUV style cues, one of Rover’s last acts in the battle for survival.

Now part of the wider Volvo story – a 1972 DAF 44 saloon with the Renault engine and van Doorne CVT.

An inheritor of the van Doorne history – the Volvo 480 hatchback; the lower one seen alongside a second generation Opel Manta and a Rover 200 (R8) convertible.

Staying Swedish, a 1979 SAAB 900 Turbo S, the long nose derivative of the original 99 Turbo and with what are perhaps still the best alloy wheels ever. Alongside is a 1997 Volvo V90 2.9 litre.

A 1962 Volvo PV544, with the later 1.8 litre engine, and a very unusual sight in the UK.

Maybe you’d prefer a 1979 Alfa Romeo Alfetta 1.8, in an unusual but not unattractive colour? Alongside are a Citroen BX, in red, and another Rover Streetwise in blue.

Or how about an Irish registered 1998 Alfa Romeo 156 2.5litre V6, and its Busso violin? Not unexceptional, but still worthy of your time!

Staying Italian, a 1977 Fiat 128 saloon – another once familiar but now very rare sight. Like several cars here, it had a one family ownership story and carried childhood memories for the current owner.

The 128 was superseded by the Ritmo, or Strada in most Anglophone markets. Another absolute rarity, given its vulnerability to the rust worm and the general British disinterest in smaller Fiats and older Italian cars in general.

This is a 1982 1.5 litre example, and has covered only 30,000 miles.

The Strada, in its calmer second series, was also offered with a folding roof in a rather Triumph Stag like format. The styling may have been calmer; that’s also a code for more anonymous as well.

A 1986 first series (1983-1988) Fiat Uno, in the always rare Selecta format. Selecta denoted a CVT transmission, developed with van Doorne of the Netherlands, then part owned by Fiat.

The Uno was ultimately succeeded by the Punto – this is a 1998 example, the last year of the first generation.

The Strada was succeeded by the Tipo, another vanished sight. This is a 1992 Tempra, the saloon version of the Tipo, seen here in 2.0 litre form.

And this is the Marea, the estate version – a 1996 2.0 litre example.

The Fiat Panda was Fiat’s entry model, sold below almost all other European cars, from the early 1980s. Through the 1980s, SEAT was a Fiat affiliate rather than a VW offshoot, and the SEAT Marbella was the Spanish built version. There was also a van version, known as the SEAT Marbella Terra.

Compact without doubt and not overpowered by its 903cc engine, but it could be converted into a usable motor caravan or RV, though no doubt lacking some of the amenities of larger vehicles.

Fiat had many off shoots and affiliations across Europe, probably more than any other maker, lasting through to the 1990s. Best known was probably the Russian link, with the Fiat 124 spawning the Lada saloon and estate (sold in Russia under the Zhiguli brand) from 1970 and lasting in gently evolved and adapted forms until 2012 in Russia and to 2015 elsewhere, notably Egypt. Russian production totalled at least 14 million.

This is a 1976 1.2 litre in estate form. Now a rare sight in the UK, not least because for a period in 1990s and 2000s when the UK became a net exporter of Ladas, as cars were shipped back to Russia for a second life.

When did you last see one of these? A 1988 Zastava Yugo 45, in the concours section? Yugo and concours in one sentence – it was that sort of day. Related to the Fiat 127, distantly, and made to familiar Iron Curtain standards, it sold on price and not much else.

Further up the tree at Yugo was the Sana (or Florida in North America). This was a big step for Zastava – Giugiaro design, licence built Fiat engines and, alongside the Skoda Favourit, arguably the most advanced car to come from the eastern bloc. Some have described it as Giugiaro’s Tipo and his next step from the Fiat Uno – big claims I suggest for something that was not as well developed in any way to meet such standards.

This is a 1991 car with the 1.4 litre engine. Sales in the UK ended very soon after this, as a consequence of the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

But my pick of the eastern bloc cars was this –  a 1993 FSO Caro, the later derivative of the FSO Polonez, itself built on the platform of the 1967 Polski Fiat 125p. Newer engines, sourced from Ford, Rover and Citroen helped the entry in western European markets.

This car was first registered in the UK in 2017, brought over by a Polish immigrant who is now showing it proudly to the British. Not glamourous, not fast, probably not going to get you a hot date but clearly durable and dependable. All good FotU criteria. Alongside is a Skoda Felcicia Fun –  a pickup conversion with a bulkhead that converted to a second row of seats, out in the open bed when deployed.

You don’t have to look too hard in the interior to see Fiat roots – who else had a gear lever at that angle?

France had some representation too. A Talbot Samba cabriolet and a Citroen LNA 11E, denoting a 1124cce engine. Both were based on the Peugeot 104. Extra points to the Citroen owner for getting a number plate that so aptly describes his car – it is the real deal. The Samba was the Talbot brand’s last roll of the dice, and only relevant new product after the Peugeot takeover.

The LNA was succeeded by the Citroen Visa; Tatra87 told us all we need to really know about these recently. This is a 1983 series 2 car, with the same 1124cc engine as the LNA.

And then came the 1986 Citroen AZ, a car that some say was originally destined to be a Talbot. And still with the same 1124cc litre engine

One day I’ll do a full CC on the Peugeot 305, perhaps the best family saloon from Europe in the late 1970s. In the meantime, here’s a late model 1987 1.6 litre estate.

The 305 was up against the Renault 9 (Renault Alliance) in its later years – this is a nice tidy example of a car we don’t see anymore.

Going back to the 1970s, the familiar Renault saloon was the 12 – this is a 1980 example, close to the end of the run.

But does it really compare with a 1983 Citroen GSA? Not for me, or any other Curbivore I suggest.

The GS and GSA had a big brother – the immortal and far from unexceptional CX. Was this the best four cylinder saloon of the 1970s? This is a 1988 example, with the 2165 cc Douvrin engine shared with Peugeot and Renault, and the sleeker plastic bumpers. Cool wheel trims too.

This CX Safari is German registered –  you didn’t expect any Germans to spend their holidays bringing a forty year French car to a British car show that celebrated the ordinary did you, but some did.

The CX, born in 1974, was finally superseded in 1989 by the XM, platform sharing with the Peugeot 605 but carrying many Citroen genes on. This is a 1998 car.

A 1982 Renault 14 – Tatra 87 gave us a masterclass on this car recently. Hard to spot, but this is the facelifted second series. Complete hen’s teeth in the UK, and just about anywhere else.

A 1981 Talbot-Matra Murena coupe – a successor to the Simca-Matra Bagheera and the last in a long line of Matra sports cars based on Simca engineering. This was based on a reversed and mid mounted Simca 1308/Chrysler Alpine drivetrain (with the option of a 2.2 litre engine). Three seats across (not sure why to be honest), largely galvanised construction and an interior full of recognisable Chrysler items, it lasted until 1983 when Peugeot found reason to pull the plug. Peugeot then rejected Matra’s follow up suggestion, which became the Renault Espace instead, built by Matra in three generations until 2002.

Moving on to the Germans…a 1989 VW Polo Mk2, often called the bread van Polo for obvious reasons. This is a 1043cc, entry level car – smarter trims were available.

Larger but probably not much faster…a 1981 Audi 100 Avant (C2), the first Avant from Audi and when Avant denoted a fastback hatchback format not an estate. Slow, as it has 1588cc 85bhp engine.

And a 1980 BMW 316, the entry level BMW of the time in entry level specification and with some aftermarket wheels. Some may say the styling is plain; others that its lack of embellishment allows the basic rightness of the car to come through. Whichever, it is a great example.

And, finally, a couple of Japanese cars. First, an old CC favourite – the first generation Honda Civic, in this case a 1976 1169cc car.

And it’s got Hondamatic to boot!

Or perhaps you’d like this  – a Datsun 120Y (or B210 depending where you live) which clearly escaped the attention of the tin worms that claimed so many of its family and friends and family?

So what’s your nominee for an FotU award? And what do you think I should have included instead of leaving lurking in the background?