Cars ‘made’ in Ireland

Blue850

VolvoMan wrote: »

I was just thinking there, did many Sierra's get built in the time between the car was launched and when the plant in Cork shut down?

Quote from the book Are you still below?, which in turn is a quote from the Cork Examiner 3rd Jan 1984

"At this time the Genk plant was producing 1,400 Ford Sierras a day, Dagenham, 1000, Cork a mere 80."

gfwd

Buckleys assembled Rootes cars at Shanowen Road in Santry, later becoming Chrysler and finally Talbot. The factory buildings still stand pretty much as they were back in the 70s/80s and it's now Santry Garda Station.

Booth Poole also assembled MGs at Islandbridge and Hinos were assembled near Cloghran up until around 20 years ago by Harris's.

Google Street View is great for finding these places as they stand now. Even better if you can find an old shot of the factories as they were back in the day to do a then and now comparison!

RS1700T

gfwd wrote: »

Buckleys assembled Rootes cars at Shanowen Road in Santry, later becoming Chrysler and finally Talbot. The factory buildings still stand pretty much as they were back in the 70s/80s and it's now Santry Garda Station.

Booth Poole also assembled MGs at Islandbridge and Hinos were assembled near Cloghran up until around 20 years ago by Harris's.

Google Street View is great for finding these places as they stand now. Even better if you can find an old shot of the factories as they were back in the day to do a then and now comparison!

Harris also assembled Aro jeeps

VolvoMan

Here's a picture of what appears to be an advert for Cavey's:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gentlemanofletters/3384832642/

It could be the actual building where they assembled Jaguar's, but I think it was a little further up Camden Street than that.

who the fug

Rememeber them Sierras , complete and utter dogs, the brother was over for a week and went though 3 of them on hire.

All the cattle pens in our farm were made from the crates the kits came in

gfwd

Here's a picture of what appears to be an advert for Cavey's:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gentlem...rs/3384832642/

It could be the actual building where they assembled Jaguar's, but I think it was a little further up Camden Street than that.

It's literally only a couple of doors up. You can see the Cavey Jaguar signage on the front of the building in that pic.

RS1700T

gfwd wrote: »

It's literally only a couple of doors up. You can see the Cavey Jaguar signage on the front of the building in that pic.

Drove down Camden Street the other day ,The Concern office building is on the site of Cavey's showroom.

Pdfile

my granny and grand da worked in the old plants on the grand canal and thats hwo they met... they have hundreds of photos from over the years in their but ill try get some of the non faded ones and scan them online for you're viewing pleasure.

they mostly worked in the MG plant but the odd time they done special cars like the jags and austin martins ( my grand daddy to britan for two years to be a fitter their... lucky b*&%$* )


its a pitty that all the infrastructure went but then again... I suppose it was only assembly..

RS1700T

Bigus wrote: »

I was told that the borgwards were assembled in Rathfarnham Village In Landy's garage which stood on the site where the statue of Sarah Curran now stands, this would also have had an address of butterfield Avenue.

Borgwards were assembled in the Coombe are by Eric Sarre , assembly moved to Prussia Street , got this info from a man who knew Mr Sarre

ianofitz

someone posted already about Cashel Road.

yes triumph and standard were assembled here. im an active member in the TCOC, and at the start of the summer, we had hour 25th anniversary starting there and ending in the mansion house.

above the building it said "standard" until recently when it was removed.

PanhardPL

Does anyone remember this Garage,

kpday

Fiat had their first assembly plant in Ireland at Chapelizod in the delapidated Industrial Estate that is there now.

kpday

The posts with the Jaguar sign.
(I remember this site well).
Up the Main Road (Camden Street) was their showrooms.
They were assembled in a lane way at the rear of the showrooms.
Lincoln and Nolan also assembled the only complete 'Irish' car named The Shamrock' It was made up of all different parts from different manufacturers.
McCairns Motors Sanrtry (on the Omni site) was quite big and assembled Vauxhall Cars and Bedford Trucks.
Datsun Cars were assembled in the old Nissan site on the Long Mile Road.
Dodge Trucks were assembled in Pleasant Street (off Camden Street). Peugeot and Citreon had an assembly plant in Sallynoggin.
Hillman, Sunbeam were assembled in Chrysler in Shanliss Road in Santry.

VolvoMan

kpday wrote: »

Peugeot and Citreon had an assembly plant in Sallynoggin.

I'm pretty sure this is what it is today:

gfwd

It's always interesting to see if the buildings for all these places still exist or what stands there now. Here's a few more:

This is where Caldwells (Panhard) garage in Lucan stood. Still serving as a garage today.



This is the old Standard Triumph works on Cashel Road, still looking much the same as it did back in the sixties.



This is the site of Reg Armstrongs assembly plant in Ringsend. I'm not sure if the petrol station was part of it but the archway on the side of the new building was.



And this is the the old Buckleys/Chrysler/Talbot factory on Shanowen Road in Santry. It still looks pretty much the same as it did when car production ended in the early 80s. It's now Santry Garda Station.

gfwd

Sorry to drag up an old thread but I spotted this on Done Deal today:
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/3065437

This car was owned by a former Chrysler/Talbot employee. Middle aged geezer with slicked back hair. Looked like he'd stepped out of the 50s. I used to see him pass the top of my road every evening on his way home. Anyone know the fella or the car?

68deville

I was looking at an old photo in the local family pub/shop and it had two
REO american delivery trucks parked outside the shop that belonged to
The grandfather,picture taken roughly round 1949/50??
anybody ever hear who or where they were assembled/distributed from?

serious3

so where were landrovers built up then? i had a genuine irish series 3 that had shamrocks on the glass and no chassis number stamped on it. UNI 514 i sold it to a lad up the country with a rotten chassis and subsequently saw the reg number a year or two later on a different landrover altogether.......:mad:

Alesbury

TigerTim wrote: »

Where was the "Shamrock" made. I know of one surviving in Killarney.

T.

There are 2 more surviving in Navan. But only 6 were ever sold. However, that's assuming you mean the Shamrock built by The Shamrock Motor Co in Castleblaney in Monaghan in the late 1950s. I was told by an archivist that an earlier Shamrock was built in Ireland by a different company 37 years earlier approx, around 1921, but again, only 6 were sold. That factory was somewhere on the west coast of Ireland, and he told me that before production started, the makers got the Government to construct a harbour especially for the export of the cars.....OOPS!!! I hope that helps you....Alesbury (p.s. my great-grandfather Daniel Alesbury built a car in Edenderry Co. Offaly in his factory in 1904. and showed it at the 1907 RDS Motor Show in Dublin)

red sean

Alesbury wrote: »

There are 2 more surviving in Navan. But only 6 were ever sold. However, that's assuming you mean the Shamrock built by The Shamrock Motor Co in Castleblaney in Monaghan in the late 1950s. I was told by an archivist that an earlier Shamrock was built in Ireland by a different company 37 years earlier approx, around 1921, but again, only 6 were sold. That factory was somewhere on the west coast of Ireland, and he told me that before production started, the makers got the Government to construct a harbour especially for the export of the cars.....OOPS!!! I hope that helps you....Alesbury (p.s. my great-grandfather Daniel Alesbury built a car in Edenderry Co. Offaly in his factory in 1904. and showed it at the 1907 RDS Motor Show in Dublin)

Any pics in the family yet?

tony.aspergers

Was it Brittains who also assembled Land Rovers from CKD kits at some stage up to the early 1980's?

The Aussie

tony.aspergers wrote: »

Was it Brittains who also assembled Land Rovers from CKD kits at some stage up to the early 1980's?

No, it was Lincoln & Nolan, they had a site on Baggot St that is now the HQ for Bank of Ireland.

Would be interesting if anyone bothered to keep the records before the old buildings got leveled

Alesbury

red sean wrote: »

Any pics in the family yet?

Yes I unearthed one about a month ago...if you mean pics of the Alesbury car. Using I/cafe as laptop broken, but will upload in the next week. If you mean pics of the Shamrock, I don't have any.....I just know about it and saw pic on the internet last week

red sean

Ya. Would love to see the Aylesbury car. Thanks.

Blue850

Alesbury wrote: »

If you mean pics of the Shamrock, I don't have any.....I just know about it and saw pic on the internet last week

Boards Shamrock thread

GSBellew

bijapos wrote: »

Here it is in 2008.


I was in the VW museum in May, sadly the car wasn't on display, like a lot of museums they change the displays around. Well worth a visit though.

Here it was in 2007, it was at the Auostadt as opposed to the VW Museum on Dieselstrasse.







When I was there again in 08 it had moved out of the main display & was in with cars undergoing work

golden lane

VolvoMan wrote: »

It was actually where Ballsbridge Motors is today. It was originally an old Tram station that MDL converted to build Beetle's in around 1950 IIRC.

I believe the first car built there is now exhibited at Volkswagen's museum in Wolfsburg.



There was a reunion event on recently that was for people who worked in that factory by FIAT Ireland. It stated where the factory was located, but I now forget where it was.



They still are I think; opposite the Coca Cola factory on the Naas Road.

Other brands assembled in Dublin were British Leyland, Datsun and Toyota, who I believe were all out on the Naas Road. The factory where Chrysler/Rootes Group cars were built is now a Garda station in Coolock.

i think it was austin morris.....they were just next to portobello bridge......

joec26

A few snippets! My dad remembers Caveys on Camden Street who assembled Jaguars. Frank Cavey he recalled had a great collection of Jags including an E Type. Wonder where they are now. As a young Garda in the early 50's he used to admire the Jags in the showroom. Later in 1976 he collected a new Alfasud there and Frank gave him a spin in an E type. They were Alfa distributor then. Also, not cars, but trucks! Scania were assembled by McCairns until 1976 when Westward Garage in Strokestown took over. There were a few Scania assembled on the floor in Strokestown but changes around that time meant that the trucks could be brought in fully assembled after that. Westward, are still the Scania importer and have records on every Scania imported since.

captainchaos

To maintain an Irish motor industry and hence jobs, the car industry were forced to produce a certain percentage of cars here using Irish sourced parts (tyres, batteries etc.) were possible ,before they could import the rest of their range otherwise excessive import taxes were imposed on the cars!

eg. Datsun back in the 70s and early 80s produced the Cherry and Sunny here in their production facility on the Naas Road ( bizarrely Fiat are now in their premises) and once the manufactured 5% (I could be wrong about the actual percentage) of the market they could import their other models directly from Japan ie the Violet, Bluebird, Cedric, Laurel ,Paraire, Stanza etc.!

In the case of Datsun the Irish produced cars were loss leaders as the cost of production was extremely high and the union knew they had the company over a barrel (hence excessive wage demands)as if they could not produce the magic 5% Datsun could not then import the profitable Japanese produced cars!!

Capri

The factory buildings still stand pretty much as they were back in the 70s/80s and it's now Santry Garda Station.

And the 'assembly line' is now the firing range :eek:

Used to gawk, then in later years work in PR Reilly's - old man Reilly fired me for being late to open up one morning

Worked in Motor Distributors just at the switch of Beetle/Golf production - had 3 0f the last Beetles as 'staff runabouts', one white, one yellow, and one Lofoten (yeuch:eek:) green. Tried to convince boss to 'try out' Golfs as staff cars instead :cool::cool:

Booth Poole used to assemble MG's and Wolseleys in Islandbridge - Alec Poole raced MG's .

Anyone remember the 'run-out' BMC/BLMC models produced here -

Austin Oxford (Austin grille and rear 'Austin' badge on a Morris Oxford), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Morris_Oxford_Series_VI_rear.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a5/Austin_Cambridge_Sedan.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Cambridge

Austin A60 saloons assembled in Ireland by Brittain Smith of Portobello, Dublin 2 were identifiable by the use of Morris Oxford series VI tail-lights. The last of these were produced in 1970, and some were registered in 1971.

the Austin Minor van http://www.flickr.com/photos/51114588@N02/7152221329/in/pool-1505080@N22,


Just read about Citroen 'assembly' in China - Citroen manufacture a ZX saloon (Elysee) in China but they wanted to import some Xantia and XM s so they had to 'assemble' them in China. 'Assembly' was fitting mirrors and badges
Xm saloon (Xantia) XM sport (XM)

bigmark39

A German concern apparently, 1980's? started making a car I think near Buncrana. Anybody shed any light on this?

On DKW cars in Ireland, there's a great new book titled "Two Stroke Cars Of the Past" available to buy on donedeal. The book covers the DKW story and their Cork plant. I never knew so many cars were made with two stroke engines and some of them quite large in size. The book is written by an Irish Author and is reviewed in this months Irish Vintage magazine.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/3343396

Blue850

bigmark39 wrote: »

A German concern apparently, 1980's? started making a car I think near Buncrana. Anybody shed any light on this?

Chico All terrain vehicle

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnnyg1955/sets/72157604657178946/comments/

Capri

In 1981 a German company by the name of Auto-Montan-Werke began producing an all-terrain-vehicle known as the Chico in Buncrana, Co Donegal.

The first 12-18 months was spent altering the Messerschmitt-designed prototype so that it could be mass-produced, primarily as a truck for the Third World. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Wo rld)

The vehicle consisted essentially of a cab and a flat bed rear. These were joined by a bearing in the centre that allowed the front wheels to tilt from side to side without affecting the back wheels, and vice versa. This enabled all four wheels to have better contact with the ground, particularly on rough terrain.

The truck could be fitted with a hydraulic drive at the front and back, a winch at the front and even with propeller so that it could (with a modified bottom) be used on water. One of the test vehicles produced was taken out on Lough Swilly next to the factory and taken across the lough and back safely.

The company eventually closed in 1985, having produced between 130 and 150 trucks. The factory was on the right as you drove into Buncrana on the Derry Road.

My experience of the 'Third world' is they prefer to get established cars/trucks and repair/rebuild them rather than buy new 'cheap' vehicles.

Remember the LADA never took off over here, people wouldn't be seen dead in one - better to buy a s/h Nissan than a new LADA

Other cars 'manufactured' or designed here
Panoz roadster http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panoz_Roadster
TMC Costain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TMC_Costin

PanhardPL

bigmark39 wrote: »

A German concern apparently, 1980's? started making a car I think near Buncrana. Anybody shed any light on this?

On DKW cars in Ireland, there's a great new book titled "Two Stroke Cars Of the Past" available to buy on donedeal. The book covers the DKW story and their Cork plant. I never knew so many cars were made with two stroke engines and some of them quite large in size. The book is written by an Irish Author and is reviewed in this months Irish Vintage magazine.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/3343396

Here is what the CHICO looks like,

PanhardPL

bigmark39 wrote: »

A German concern apparently, 1980's? started making a car I think near Buncrana. Anybody shed any light on this?

On DKW cars in Ireland, there's a great new book titled "Two Stroke Cars Of the Past" available to buy on donedeal. The book covers the DKW story and their Cork plant. I never knew so many cars were made with two stroke engines and some of them quite large in size. The book is written by an Irish Author and is reviewed in this months Irish Vintage magazine.

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/3343396

PanhardPL

bigmark39 wrote: »

A German concern apparently, 1980's? started making a car I think near Buncrana. Anybody shed any light on this?

On DKW cars in Ireland, there's a great new book titled "Two Stroke Cars Of the Past" available to buy on donedeal. The book covers the DKW story and their Cork plant. I never knew so many cars were made with two stroke engines and some of them quite large in size. The book is written by an Irish Author and is reviewed in this months Irish Vintage magazine.

FamousBelgian

GSBellew wrote: »

Here it was in 2007, it was at the Auostadt as opposed to the VW Museum on Dieselstrasse.
...

Here's my photo of it in Autostadt in 2005. The ZL car above seems to have one less vent in front; is it supposed to be the same car?

antodeco

This is such an interesting thread! Loads of car manufacturer places all around where I live!

Caddyvanman

Any more info on the Landrover CKD kits assembled in Ireland ?

I believe it was Lincoln & Nolan, Baggot St, who assembled Landrovers from CKD kits at some stage up to the early 1980's.

Any ideas between what years this happened ?

What model did they assemble, was it only the Series 3 109" or did they assemble the 88" as well ?

serious3

Caddyvanman wrote: »

Any more info on the Landrover CKD kits assembled in Ireland ?

I believe it was Lincoln & Nolan, Baggot St, who assembled Landrovers from CKD kits at some stage up to the early 1980's.

Any ideas between what years this happened ?

What model did they assemble, was it only the Series 3 109" or did they assemble the 88" as well ?

well the one i had was an 88" petrol

mikeconno

O'shea's on the Naas road used to assemble the early Skoda's. Major quality issues and poor sales meant they didnt last too long.

mikeconno

gfwd wrote: »

Buckleys assembled Rootes cars at Shanowen Road in Santry, later becoming Chrysler and finally Talbot. The factory buildings still stand pretty much as they were back in the 70s/80s and it's now Santry Garda Station.

Booth Poole also assembled MGs at Islandbridge and Hinos were assembled near Cloghran up until around 20 years ago by Harris's.

Google Street View is great for finding these places as they stand now. Even better if you can find an old shot of the factories as they were back in the day to do a then and now comparison!

I was fortunate to drive the final build of Chrsyler Avenger estates out of the Santry site one evening and drive them back to Windsor Motors Rialto. There were a bunch of us in similar cars and if typical youthful enthusiasm we raced back but none of the cars would go over 60 MPH.

captainchaos

mikeconno wrote: »

O'shea's on the Naas road used to assemble the early Skoda's. Major quality issues and poor sales meant they didnt last too long.

Thought O'Shea's actually did Polski Fiat!

I remember they always had a few on display as well as Zeoter tractors!!

Blue850

From 1975

Blue850

P O W E R. 0 - 70 in under a minute

w124man

O'Shea assembled Diahatsu Charades as well

ba_barabus

Was there much local content in the cars or were they completely assembled from kits?

How much assembly actually took place here?

Were there any notable companies involved in parts production or reworking?

carchaeologist

Triplex in Tipperary supplied shamrock etched glass.

GCU Flexible Demeanour

Solair wrote: »

There was also associated industries like Dunlop tyres and various other smaller companies supplying into the car production facility.

That just reminded me that there's a plaque on the wall of a building in Upper Stephen Street, marking the site of the world's first pneumatic tyre factory.

Like some have said, it's strange to think of industrial plants being located right in the middle of Dublin. But that's how it was.

Wicklowandy

Love the 'rimbellishers' on that skoda advert....:)