Old, Long Forgotten Car Dealers

Big Nasty

Great pic. The reg is showing up as invalid on Motorcheck so I guess it went to the crusher long ago.

Any more pics?

exador

steinbock123 wrote: »

The view of the Long Mile is at the junction with Walkinstown Avenue looking in the direction of Clondalkin. The BP garage is where Mooneys is now and the building in centre shot was Ruston Bucyrus, they sold excavators if I'm not mistaken. The site is now Frank Keane Volkswagen, but the building in the picture was there until relatively recently. It was Saab Ireland for a while, then sold to White Bishop Cars. The building to the left of it was the premises of Vigzol, they sold oil, wonder whatever happened to them? Here's a shot of the same junction looking towards the city, with a Consul Classic 375 bombing towards town. Wonder where BLI 777 is now ?? And check out the "footpaths" compared to the present day.

Thanks for that... great photo.. I remember the Ruston building OK

Wishbone Ash

steinbock123 wrote: »

The building to the left of it was the premises of Vigzol, they sold oil, wonder whatever happened to them?

Here's another wider image showing the Vigzol factory and the BP station.

Wishbone Ash

steinbock123

Here's another shot taken at the bottom of the Long Mile Rd. around the same time. You can see a bit of Castle Motor Works "Caltex" garage on the right so I suppose that qualifies it for this thread. That was owned by Kiernans, who still have a Texaco station and oil distribution business down on the Crumlin Rd. The art-deco lamp standards are all gone, the grass area (part of lansdowne valley) between the Caltex sign and the houses was filled in and there's apartments on it now. The Castle Motor Works premises had several lives, the businesses run there included an Alfa Romeo dealer and an O'Brien's sandwich bar! It's now a car-wash. And I might as well include another shot showing a bit of the other side of the road. The side of the Half Way House is clearly visible. The trees on the left were around a large house once owned I believe by the McCann family, owners of McCanns pub, which is just out of shot to the left in the second picture. This house was demolished and a Bank of Ireland was built on the site. And just lately, that was demolished and a new bigger, glassier, brasher bank is just being completed there now.

delthedriver

Hi all, thank you so much for all the photos, bring back happy memories. I recall getting my first ford escort in Walden's. Their slogan was the Ford Centre of Dublin. Gosh it is a lifetime ago. The Merville station has me puzzled? Was it Stillorgan? Or was it in Fairview/Clontarf?
Many thanks again for the memories

johnayo

Superb photos, great to see the "now classic cars" going about their normal business.

BowWow

delthedriver wrote: »

Hi all, thank you so much for all the photos, bring back happy memories. I recall getting my first ford escort in Walden's. Their slogan was the Ford Centre of Dublin. Gosh it is a lifetime ago. The Merville station has me puzzled? Was it Stillorgan? Or was it in Fairview/Clontarf?
Many thanks again for the memories

Fairview - my mother used to shop in the little shop next door.

delthedriver

BowWow wrote: »

Fairview - my mother used to shop in the little shop next door.

Think it became a motor dealership , Fassnidge?

delthedriver

steinbock123 wrote: »

The view of the Long Mile is at the junction with Walkinstown Avenue looking in the direction of Clondalkin. The BP garage is where Mooneys is now and the building in centre shot was Ruston Bucyrus, they sold excavators if I'm not mistaken. The site is now Frank Keane Volkswagen, but the building in the picture was there until relatively recently. It was Saab Ireland for a while, then sold to White Bishop Cars. The building to the left of it was the premises of Vigzol, they sold oil, wonder whatever happened to them? Here's a shot of the same junction looking towards the city, with a Consul Classic 375 bombing towards town. Wonder where BLI 777 is now ?? And check out the "footpaths" compared to the present day.

Prior to the building being occupied by Saab, it was Jaguar Ireland until they moved to Sandyford and set up Spirit Group

Do-more

steinbock123 wrote: »

Wonder where BLI 777 is now ??

I don't know if that was his but there was a local character in Mullingar, I don't know his first name, I just knew him as "The bird" Healy who always had 777 on his number plates. He had a silver Mk2 Jag which I am pretty sure had the reg HLI 777 which he had until he died a few years back, I remember be had it restored in later years. I'm surprised as that reg is not showing up on cartell perhaps it was exported? Anyone know the car I am thinking of?

[Edit] Scratch that, it just came to me in a blinding flash that the bird's reg was HLI 222 not 777. And it does still appear on cartell.

exador

delthedriver wrote: »

Prior to the building being occupied by Saab, it was Jaguar Ireland until they moved to Sandyford and set up Spirit Group

Saab(-sCANVECO) shared the building with - Hispano Cars (SEAT) - Jaguar Ireland - Milano Cars (Alfa Romeo) --- Jaguar Ireland then moved across the road in 94 and then onto Sandyford about 10 years later..

Capri

There was a car dealership on Merville Ave (opp Fairview park footbridge) until recently, maybe still one there

HB Dennis ( 'now part of Joe Duffy motors' ) used to have 777 in all their personal cars ( Jags /R Rovers ), the Dennis's lived on the Howth rd near Harry Byrnes.

(just opp Harry Byrnes does anyone remember the house that had a Herald and a Mini outside - going to school in the 60's I remember them, then over the years they rusted and rusted until only the roofs remained - then the place was sold for development )

chinwag

BowWow wrote: »

Fairview - my mother used to shop in the little shop next door.

So, that would be Fairview Motors now, yeah?

Great photos here, bring you back, don't they?

exador

Capri wrote: »

There was a car dealership on Merville Ave (opp Fairview park footbridge) until recently, maybe still one there

HB Dennis ( 'now part of Joe Duffy motors' ) used to have 777 in all their personal cars ( Jags /R Rovers ), the Dennis's lived on the Howth rd near Harry Byrnes.

(just opp Harry Byrnes does anyone remember the house that had a Herald and a Mini outside - going to school in the 60's I remember them, then over the years they rusted and rusted until only the roofs remained - then the place was sold for development )

I remember a few of the 777 alright from HB Dennis

mobby

steinbock123 wrote: »

The view of the Long Mile is at the junction with Walkinstown Avenue looking in the direction of Clondalkin. The BP garage is where Mooneys is now and the building in centre shot was Ruston Bucyrus, they sold excavators if I'm not mistaken. The site is now Frank Keane Volkswagen, but the building in the picture was there until relatively recently. It was Saab Ireland for a while, then sold to White Bishop Cars. The building to the left of it was the premises of Vigzol, they sold oil, wonder whatever happened to them? Here's a shot of the same junction looking towards the city, with a Consul Classic 375 bombing towards town. Wonder where BLI 777 is now ?? And check out the "footpaths" compared to the present day.

Sure you don't mean looking in the direction of Crumlin?
Great Photo.

Capri

Sure you don't mean looking in the direction of Crumlin?
Great Photo.

Some difference now , 3 lanes either way there now.

Anyone remember Autocars of Fenian St and Archers of Sandwith St :rolleyes:

steinbock123

Sure you don't mean looking in the direction of Crumlin?

Capri - I was referring back to the second photo in the post from Wishbone Ash (#256), which is looking up the Long Mile in the direction of Fox & Geese.

Capri

steinbock123 wrote: »

Capri - I was referring back to the second photo in the post from Wishbone Ash (#256), which is looking up the Long Mile in the direction of Fox & Geese.

Sorry bout that, I was looking at the Consul Classic pic.

Markcheese

Glenview motors in Macroom used to sell dihatsue , a garage in Carrigtohil sold skoda's ancient skoda's... The buildings been derelict for years,maybe decades complete with two ancient rear engined wrecks with trees growing out the back..
There was another garage between dunmanway and beal na blath that sold proton cars, looked a bit knackered even when it was open... In the middle of no where

exador

Capri wrote: »

Some difference now , 3 lanes either way there now.

Anyone remember Autocars of Fenian St and Archers of Sandwith St :rolleyes:

Yes..I remember the olfella in parts in Archers when I was a young lad.. He was stooped over and was a narky olfella that gave me the spooks but was an encyclopedia for part numbers...

Capri

exador wrote: »

Yes..I remember the olfella in parts in Archers when I was a young lad.. He was stooped over and was a narky olfella that gave me the spooks but was an encyclopedia for part numbers...

I see another retired ex-Autocars parts chap regularily ,he's the same for parts numbers;)

exador

steinbock123 wrote: »

Capri - I was referring back to the second photo in the post from Wishbone Ash (#256), which is looking up the Long Mile in the direction of Fox & Geese.

I remember Archers and the aulfella in parts with a stooped back..He was a narky aulfella that gave me the spooks as a young lad but was encyclopedia for parts numbers

Wishbone Ash

Capri wrote: »

There was a car dealership on Merville Ave (opp Fairview park footbridge) until recently, maybe still one there

chinwag wrote: »

So, that would be Fairview Motors now, yeah

Here's a view taken this morning. It hasn't changed that much in 40 years and the little shop on the upper side still has a shoe connection!.

esicorty

Dublin looked great back then, much more charactor in design. P.S was linders the same as Smithfield ford. My dad bought an Anglia back in 68, I remember big sticker on back window "Smithfield motors ford".

trevorbrady

anyone know who would have been the main VW dealers in the vicinity of Charleville, Co. Cork circa 1982?

much appreciated

PanhardPL

trevorbrady wrote: »

anyone know who would have been the main VW dealers in the vicinity of Charleville, Co. Cork circa 1982?

much appreciated

Donegan's Garage of Feenagh were Main VW Dealers in the past and could have been there in 1982, so worth checking out.

pmac086

PanhardPL wrote: »

Donegan's Garage of Feenagh were Main VW Dealers in the past and could have been there in 1982, so worth checking out.

Charliville Autos, to my recollection, main street up on the hill.

Capri

Downeys of Dollymount (multi dealer ) and Sweeney and Forte (FIAT) on the Howth Rd along with PR Reilly (DKW /LLOYD assemblers) and Cahills (DATSUN) up in Raheny.

Downeys was bought by Micheal Grant (Opel - Malahide rd / Pierse Roche Opel back in the late 60's ) , he applied for permission to extend and was told the area was zoned residential - so he built apartments (and retired to Spain I think :cool: )

MercMad

Capri wrote: »

Downeys of Dollymount (multi dealer ) and Sweeney and Forte (FIAT) on the Howth Rd along with PR Reilly (DKW /LLOYD assemblers) and Cahills (DATSUN) up in Raheny.

Downeys was bought by Micheal Grant (Opel - Malahide rd / Pierse Roche Opel back in the late 60's ) , he applied for permission to extend and was told the area was zoned residential - so he built apartments (and retired to Spain I think :cool: )

.............nearly right. I worked for Michael Grant when the Malahide road site was redeveloped into more or less what appears now. I still worked for him when he took over Downeys place, lock stock & barrel. I shudder when I think of the memorabilia that we threw out as junk, not that long ago, late '95. The garage had remained almost as it had been from at least the 60's. The Downey Bros. had a very good name in the area and were well respected.

The planning was a nightmare, many broken promises from planners and eventually he was told it could ONLY be residential, despite being a garage for 40 years. So that's what he did. He developed that site, and many more, both residential and commercial, here and abroad, UK, Spain, Turkey etc....before getting out whilst the going was good. He still lives in the area.

BTW wasn't the Ford dealer in Rathmines called Winfield ? I'm certain it was at one point as I recall we got a brand new RS2000 engine there, still in its wrapping in about 1988 or so.

Also one of my colleagues at the time used to work for Reg Armstrong/Rathmines Motors too.

Great photo's & info guys !!