ZJ 5000

carchaeologist · 04-01-2009 6:16pm #1

Anyone else see the piece in the sunday mirror about De Valeras 1949 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith reg ZJ 5000. I thought it was an interesting story.
Originally registered in 1949,and costing the then massive sum £5000 it was used as his state car during his times as taoiseach and president up until he was 90 years old in 1973,when it was presented to him to use for the rest of his life,but he died two years later on the 29th of august 1975 after which the car reverted to state ownership and given to the gardai to look after it.

It stayed in storage until 1977 when gardai wrote to then justice minister Gerry Collins to ask when they could remove it from storage and sell it.
The car was then declared a national monument,meaning it could be sold, but would not be allowed to leave the country or be scrapped.
Since then it has been used by presidents Hillary and Robinson,and last used by president McAleese during her 2004 inaguration.
Do the state still own it now and is it still looked after by the gardai,or is it privately owned?

MercMad · 06-01-2009 11:31am

I dont know the answer.........but I know a man who will. I'll try to find out !

junkyard · 07-01-2009 12:09am

Still owned by the state and was restored a few years ago. There was someone else talking about it on another thread recently and knew a lot more about it than me, it's on the classic cars forum if you do a search. It was on TG4 the other night too, featured on the programme about Irish presidents, I watched it just to see the car (as i would:rolleyes:).