Original Irish Jaguar e-types

cxcully

Hello all.
I was flicking through a back issue of "Irish Vintage scene" during the week and read an interesting article on Irish assembled Jags in Cork.The piece was accompanied by a few pics of the factory and there's an e-type amongst the Mark 2's....maybe being serviced.
My two automotive obsessions are the e-type and the DS...and I'm particularly interested in original Irish cars and their history.Would any of the knowledgeable and ahem....older chaps on this forum be able to tell me anything about Irish e-types...remember seeing any back in the 60s or 70s or anybody that used to own one?rumuors of any in privete collections or rusting away somewhere?
A chap I worked with who knows his cars maintains that a well-to-do family living on the Shannonbridge road out of my home town Ballinasloe used to have one.I haven't got over to any of the big shows in the east of the country but I recall seeing a photo of a lovely yellow Fixed Head Coupe on original plates at Terenure,I think.
Thanks.

ds20prefecture

Hi cxcully

A lot of cars were assembled in Ireland in the 50s and 60s from CKD (complete knock down) kits. This was to get around import restrictions whereby a certain percentage of the models sold in this country had to be assembled in this county.

For example, the ID was assembled by Ashenhurst Williams in Dublin between 1959 and 1965, whereas the DS was imported from Slough. Both were very very expensive at the time (about the average price of a house in Dublin) , and indeed were primarily sold as used demonstrators to the very wealthy (bishops, architects, and so on) in order to sell the car here at all. The cars are indistinguishable from Slough-assembled Citroens.

In all likelihood, the expensive Jaguars were brought to the irish market in the same fashion. AFAIK, this practice generally continued into the 70s where economically viable, but I imagine that the import restrcitions were lifted when we joined the EEC in 1972 (?)

cxcully

ds20prefecture wrote:

For example, the ID was assembled by Ashenhurst Williams in Dublin between 1959 and 1965, whereas the DS was imported from Slough. Both were very very expensive at the time (about the average price of a house in Dublin) , and indeed were primarily sold as used demonstrators to the very wealthy (bishops, architects, and so on) in order to sell the car here at all. The cars are indistinguishable from Slough-assembled Citroens.

(?)

Thanks Dave.Strange regulations...maybe they had a reason for it at the time.Those Irish DSs sound haunting-I recall talking to Noel D. about an ID that his family own that he was working on at the time.Any idea of how many were made and have you seen any floating around Dublin on the old plates-I don't get up there too much and when I do I tend to crash into roundabouts....
Paddy Connor of Western Autos in Castlebar who looks after my DS told me that he only ever sold one from new in '74.Remarkably he has a Familale in the back of the garage on the old plates but it was brought in from the UK at some point.Ultra rare I'd say.Himself and his son may try and restore it.He told me a story of builders in Leitrim who acquired an ex-French embassy DS with all the trimmings.They left it parked under a tree and it was too far gone when he went up a couple of years ago to look at it.Damn.I'm going to get the name anyway and go for a spin up there in the summer.

mike65

In all likelihood, the expensive Jaguars were brought to the irish market in the same fashion. AFAIK, this practice generally continued into the 70s where economically viable, but I imagine that the import restrcitions were lifted when we joined the EEC in 1972 (?)

1973.

I think thats why Ford in Cork closed down ultimatly, the volume of production in a small RHD market when Dagenham could easily supply the cars required meant it was doomed once restrictions ended.

Austin/Rover had a place in Dublin too. dail debate on job losses

Mike.

ds20prefecture

Noel has an Irish assembled ID19 from 1962. It is spectacular, but in need of a lot of repair. According to Noel's dad, who worked in Ashenhurst Williams at the time, no more than 20 cars per year were assembled, so that's about 120 cars. The cars were painted elsewhere (Reg Plunket in Ringsend) and by all accounts the job was not up to factory standards. So your chances of finding an irish built ID are slim and feck all i'd say.

cxcully

120 is still a fair few cars though...is the implication that they've probably rusted away aided by the non-factory paint job?If you haven't seen one on the roads they probably have.

Kevin_Herron

There were 66 Jaguar E-Types's sold new in Ireland between '61 and '74.
1966 was the most sucessful year in which 9 were sold.
All Jaguars were imported through Caveys on Camden street.

E-types were never sent to Ireland CKD.

cxcully

Thanks Kevin,that's fantastic-you know your stuff.It's great to know that some were on Irish roads at that time.Do you have any idea if many have survived?

Kevin_Herron

I could possibly name 15 if I had to. Which is high enough for this country!
People find it hard to believe these cars were sold new in Ireland- The same can be said for Aston Martin and Ferrari.

MercMad

but I recall seeing a photo of a lovely yellow Fixed Head Coupe on original plates at Terenure,I think.

........Stanley Faulkner of ALASTA Autos had one matching that description, as did Gerry Larkin in Swords. Gerry still has his, maybe two !

J.Dickenson who used to restore them down in Artane has an original Irish Reg'd XK120, a white one and he has worked on or owned plenty more !

I have also seen an original Irish reg'd Aston DB5, wine red colour !

The assembley plant in Ringsend was Reg Armstrong , BTW, and he did plently of different cars over the years, finishing with Opel. He in fact died at the wheel of a Commodore GS/E on his way back from his house in the Dublin mountains. The plant was still there until the early 90's (possibly late 80's) and you could still see the name emblazoned across the roof tiles !

I'd love to hear more reagarding Irish car assembley, I know RHD Dodges were bult here too possibly by Reg !

Kevin_Herron

Yes, Gerry Larkins has a 3.8 FHC, AZE reg is memory serves.
John Dickensons XK120 (ZO reg) is the only original Irish XK Roadster on the road, there are others rotting away.
All these were Cavey cars.
Although imported by Caveys, Jaguar and Daimlers were also sold by Crawfords, Wilkinsons, Stanley Woods etc.
Regarding Reg: Thats a fact- his two dogs also died in that accident!
Reg also assembled RHD Pontiac (a little known fact)

Dodge were assembled by O'Neills of Pleasant Street, Chrysler, DeSoto, and Plymouth were assembled by Summerfields on Lower Baggot street, Packard, I dont know, Chevrolet by McCairns and Hudson by Assemblers Garage on Townsend Street.

Aston Martins DB1, DB2 and DB mark 3 were sold by MacArtney-Filgate, Black Bull Motors in Louth.
DB4,5,6 and DBSV8 were sold by Crawfords whilst in Hatch Street.

Ferraris were sold by the then main agent in Townsend Street, Joe Kelly (racing driver). He also sold one or two Bugatti's.
For those of you interested, Delage were also sold here by Robinsons in South King street.

mike65

Speaking of E-types on the market right now - The Daewoo er Chevvy dealer here in Waterford has this tis an import.

http://www.siteset.ie/show.php?site=waterford&vehicleid=8051

Mike.

cxcully

Speaking as someone who has a layman's interest in history (b. 78),I would have always had the impression that the 1950s and 60s were fairly drab and indeed,poverty stricken-it's great getting your preconceptions quashed.There must have been a bit of money in the country at the time.
Would the buyers of these luxury cars have been "old-money" ie the fading old gentry and the professions or would some of the new "captains of industry" and RTE personalities have bought some too.
Shame to hear about Reg Armstrong's (and his dogs) death-himself and his team must have been some mechanics dealing with such a wide range of vehicles.

Silvera

Photo of original Irish-reg E-Type I took at Terenure Car Show c.2 yrs ago.......

Kevin_Herron

Nice car. That belong to Nick Gaye AFAIK.

MercMad

Great info Kevin !

It's odd to think that there were car assembley plants in Dublin City Centre isn't it !

beyondrapid

very interesting thread - would make a great tv documentary

justagirl

I do hope you don't mind me posting on this thread.

Does anyone remember a garage named 'Brooks' in Dublin - I have been told that it was near the Liffey/on the quays?

Any information greatly appreciated Thank you.

w124man

When I worked in Stuarts Garages in Ranelagh back in 72/73 they sold two V12 E types and a V12 saloon during that time. The Saloon was pink in colour and the two E Types were dark blue, a coupe and a roadster

carchaeologist

Informative reading here kids! Even if its an ancient thread!

Red Kev

I've pics of LNI 313 (mid 60's number at at guess) and 7500 RI (1970 number). Both red roadsters taken at Terenure in 2011.

No idea if they were originally registered here or imported, never spoke to the owners.