Bits of motoring history

antodeco

Hi all,
Thought this might make an interesting thread. My grandfather recently passed away, and going through alot of his kept files, I came across an Insurance Certificate for July 1939! It was in a small green booklet and was only for a week! It seems that insurance was only taken out for a week to cover a holiday!

Any other strange of wonderful bits of motoring history you have come across?

dgt

My father has rules of the road from 1967 when he was learning to drive

"Excessive alcohol consumption may impare your ability to operate your vehicle" is one such quote I remember :pac:

In the kitchen is a huge box of car magazines dating from the 60's. A part of the turf shed is a time warp from the early 70's, full of bits of old Fords and BL stuff

I'm sure if I were at home now I'd find more stuff

biko

Translation
"Lenient sentence
1928 there was a severe collision on the national road between Örkelljunga and Åsljunga [Sweden]. A man from Örkelljunga hit a man from Fagerhult.
At the following court session in Klippan it was said the man from Örkelljunga, who caused the collision, got a more lenient sentence because he had been drinking strong liqueur and had problems steering."

tuisginideach

When were driving licences first issued in Ireland? Great Britain introduced them in 1904 apparently - were they introduced here at the same time?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119099674#Comment_119099674

We were part of the UK at the time, so yes (not all GB legislation applied here, but the Motor Cars Act 1903 did - it also brought in car registration).

We didn't have a driving test until 1964. Getting the licence was a paperwork formality.

tuisginideach

Thanks L1011

antodeco

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119099674#Comment_119099674

If I remember correctly, driving tests were only brought in, in 1964. So no requirement to know how to drive a car, to drive a car!

hoodie6029

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119100018#Comment_119100018

The old Irish regs were a legacy of the pre-independence Law that we kept til 1987. The UK (except NI) changed in 1962-ish.

NI is still on the original system.

Because our regs all stemmed from the same Law the DVLA still allows cars from ROI with the old regs to keep them when they're imported.

That's how VIP 1 ended up in the UK. It originally belonged to Smithwick's in Kilkenny.

PZO 600 stayed on the O'Flaherty (Ballsbridge Motors) Mercedes 600 when they sold it.

ZV's make their way over too. A YouTuber couldn't figure out the reg on a 911 he was reviewing.