Lamborghinis etc in Ireland

Blue850 · 08-09-2008 8:34am #1

In this months Classic and Sportscar magazine, there is a letter from a Sean Galvin from Kells who had a new Lamborghini Islero in 1968 when he was 21!. He was told at the factory that a Miura would be unsuitable to Irish roads!
It got me wondering what other unusual cars were sold here in the 50s 60s and 70s.
I saw an ad in an old Motoring Life for a new Aston Martin DB5 and I man I worked with remembers doing bodywork on a Ferrari Dino 246 back in the early 70s in Galway.

Henry Ford III · 08-09-2008 8:36am

There is a red Ferrari Dino in Co. Meath I hear.

KTRIC · 08-09-2008 8:47am

Henry Ford III wrote: »

There is a red Ferrari Dino in Co. Meath I hear.

Also in Bray, Co.Wicklow. I've seen it parked in front of a house on the way up the head for as long as I can remember. Looks mint too.

Kevin_Herron · 08-09-2008 10:41am

Aston Martins were sold new here until the Seventies.
MacArtney-Filgate sold them from the Black Bull Garage outside Drogheda.
There was even a DB1 sold there! One of 16 to be built.

Crawfords in Hatch Street sold DB4,5 and DB6 as well as DBS and one or two V8's. They even found a customer for a DB4.GT!

Joe Kelly was the main agent here for Ferrari in Townsend St.
He also sold the odd Bugatti, presumably second hand.

MercMad · 08-09-2008 11:03am

My friends Boss had a new Ferrari Dino, original Dublin reg. I had a spin in it in the late 70's and at that time it was silver.

I believe I saw the same car sometime in the late 80's and it was red, either that or there was another Dublin reg'd one sold new.

I also recall seeing a Dublin reg DB5 or 6, cant remember at a show out in Blackrock about 20 years ago !

S.I.R · 08-09-2008 2:11pm

theres Several diablos in d4, aswell as a Mint db5 and a rx-3 with the reg " 79-wx-3 "

Pretty rare and cool, much cooler then any 1970's italian bodge job.

carchaeologist · 08-09-2008 7:07pm

Blue850 wrote: »

In this months Classic and Sportscar magazine, there is a letter from a Sean Galvin from Kells who had a new Lamborghini Islero in 1968 when he was 21!.

Hmm...how rich was his daddy.....:rolleyes:

Captain Slow IRL · 08-09-2008 8:01pm

One of the local estate agents has a mint e-type jag, an ex-co-worker did a lot of the engine work for him.

DarenO · 08-09-2008 9:22pm

You name it and an example has probably made its way onto Irish roads, in the same way as now with Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati all possible to see on your daily drive.

Back in the 50s, 60s and 70s the rich of the day also privately imported such fine machinery and paid top dollar given the tax concessions were only available to CKD kits.

My father worked for Huet Motors in the sixties and everything from Rolls Royce to Facel Vega passed through his hands, I recall the one time owner of Mondello had a DeTomaso Pantera. The first Irish Porsche had a ZO xxxx reg god if that was around today.

Darren

Kevin_Herron · 08-09-2008 10:09pm

The Italian embassy owned a Facel Vega HK500 here new. I know Crawfords sold Porsche here but not very many at all.

There was also a Jaguar C-Type sold here new by Cavey's also ZO**** registration.

unkel · 08-09-2008 10:29pm

I can't imagine more than a handful of new supercars per year sold here prior to the 80s.

biggus · 09-09-2008 12:41am

There was an Irish reg Maserati Bora and Merak in the seventies,
loads of Jenson Inteceptors and at least one Jenson FF owned by the Tobacco people i think Gallahers.

And a white Ferrari 365 GTC lived on Scholarstown road near Billys Bridge.

Also in 70's rathfarnham was a pre- war Lagonda that looks like the Bentley Blower and SSK merc.

Kevin_Herron · 09-09-2008 3:57pm

There was a couple of original Irish reg'd Boras here, one is owned since new by a Labour TD's brother.

I was always surprised at the survival rate of original Irish Jensen Interceptors.
Anybody thats ever worked on one will know just how bad they can rot!

And dont forget Gordon Keeble! They were sold by McCairns. Mr. McCairns drove one as his personal car- I'm unsure if it was AZH44, the dark red one that turns up at shows.

junkyard · 09-09-2008 11:55pm

A neighbour of mine has 1971 a De Tomaso Pantera, got it for his 21st birthday too. I also know of a Lamborghini Miura in Waterford needing an engine and an original Irish reg too. I remember hearing of another that was either driven or pushed over the cliff in Kinsale many years ago.:eek: There used to be an Aston Martin DBS (I think) in Cannys garage in Angleasea street in Cork some years ago, down the back of the garage, original Irish car too, a friend of mine used to work for Aston Martin in the 60's and 70's used to be sent to Cork with a service kit for the car and flown back home on the same day! I have a photograph of a Lagonda Superleggera I took at a rally in the 80's, Cork reg. number CZB too, late 60's I think.

Blue850 · 10-09-2008 8:00am

XZM 246 is the reg of the Dino that was in Galway in the early 70s, it was at the Terenure show a few years ago, found a photo on an old PC last night.

Kevin_Herron · 10-09-2008 9:30am

That Lagonda Rapide was CZB678, it was owned by Sunbeam-Wolseley, they later traded it in for a brand new DB6!

MercMad · 10-09-2008 12:01pm

This is a cool topic, I've seen XZM 246, but thats not the one I was refering too, lovely car also !

I also have seen abronze Dublin reg. Bora, but last time was sometime in the late 80's, same for a blue Lagonda ( the one that looks like the Bentley).

There is an Irish reg's 300SL Gullwing, imported in the early 70's so it has a nice old, but not original Dublin reg.

Gary ITR · 10-09-2008 12:12pm

MercMad wrote: »

There is an Irish reg's 300SL Gullwing, imported in the early 70's so it has a nice old, but not original Dublin reg.

I would have thought that a very high percentage of Irish reg'd 'supercars' would be in the same boat? Even in the height of the celtic tiger it would have been rare to see an original Irish Lambo, Ferrari etc

Blue850 · 10-09-2008 12:22pm

junkyard wrote: »

A neighbour of mine has 1971 a De Tomaso Pantera, got it for his 21st birthday too. I also know of a Lamborghini Miura in Waterford needing an engine and an original Irish reg too. I remember hearing of another that was either driven or pushed over the cliff in Kinsale many years ago.:eek: There used to be an Aston Martin DBS (I think) in Cannys garage in Angleasea street in Cork some years ago, down the back of the garage, original Irish car too, a friend of mine used to work for Aston Martin in the 60's and 70's used to be sent to Cork with a service kit for the car and flown back home on the same day! I have a photograph of a Lagonda Superleggera I took at a rally in the 80's, Cork reg. number CZB too, late 60's I think.

The chap with the Islero says he traded it for a Miura after an accident.

G Luxel · 18-09-2008 5:09pm

I heard from someone a few years ago that there is a Jaguar E type in co limerick with an extremely low original mileage (100 miles) on the speedometer. The original owner was killed in an accident a few months after purchasing it and it has been garaged ever since.

Blue850 · 18-09-2008 5:45pm

I found this article in July 69 issue of Irish Motoring Life, they were test driving cars for sale
"Aston Martin DB5,1963 two owners, first was an Earl!, 4 lite DOHC triple carbs, overdrive, radio. 90,287 miles and recently overhauled by agents. a well cared for 120mph sports saloon. Costs new £5,395, this one (hold your hats)can be had for £1,650" ML complained about the cramped rear seats!

reg was CKI 437, its still listed on Carzone

unkel · 18-09-2008 8:50pm

Blue850 wrote: »

reg was CKI 437, its still listed on Carzone

It's been for sale for nearly 40 years?

Max_Damage · 18-09-2008 9:01pm

Blue850 wrote: »

reg was CKI 437, its still listed on Carzone

I assume you mean Cartell?

Kevin_Herron · 18-09-2008 9:19pm

That DB5, CKI437 was owned new by Lord Waterford- he owned alot of Astons over the years, all bought new from Crawfords.

I have the original glovebox manual and receipts from Crawfords for that car.

It was afeature car in Practical Classics magazine in '99.
It is now painted Dubonnet Rosso (dark red metallic) and now resides in the U.K.

carchaeologist · 18-09-2008 11:04pm

Kevin_Herron wrote: »

I have the original glovebox manual and receipts from Crawfords for that car.
it now resides in the U.K.

That manual must be leather bound!!:P
Pity its now a UK car..

Kevin_Herron · 19-09-2008 9:40am

Believe it or not its actually vinyl!

Although in the U.K it was still on Irish plates last I heard of it.

Blue850 · 19-09-2008 10:29am

Max_Damage wrote: »

I assume you mean Cartell?

Brain backfire:D

cxcully · 19-09-2008 2:28pm

This could be a false memory,but as a child in the early 80s I heard that the owner of the large Mercedes truck garage (?Kinnihans) on the N6 between Moate and Kilbeggan owned a Lamborghini Countach.
Great thread.Love the image of a brand new DB5 bombing down a boreen in Waterford.Intrigued by the Dino in Galway and jealous of the 21 year old from Meath getting a Lambo!

Blue850 · 19-09-2008 2:37pm

cxcully wrote: »

This could be a false memory,but as a child in the early 80s I heard that the owner of the large Mercedes truck garage (?Kinnihans) on the N6 between Moate and Kilbeggan owned a Lamborghini Countach.
Great thread.Love the image of a brand new DB5 bombing down a boreen in Waterford.Intrigued by the Dino in Galway and jealous of the 21 year old from Meath getting a Lambo!

I read somewhere (probably here) that someone at Kinnihans was building a Mercede Vito with a mid mounted V12 from a written off Lamborghini

tc20 · 19-09-2008 2:49pm

KTRIC wrote: »

Also in Bray, Co.Wicklow. I've seen it parked in front of a house on the way up the head for as long as I can remember. Looks mint too.

I'm pretty sure that wasn't a Dino, more like a 308 or 348. I haven't seen that car there for it must be at least 6-8 years. (i work in Bray, live nearby)

I do recall in the early-mid 80s seeing on numerous ocasions an original Irish reg red Ferrari parked on Leeson St Lwr (between junction of Adelaide road & the Green)

Blue850 · 19-09-2008 3:12pm

I remember a black TVR parked next door to the National School I went to, (30 years ago:rolleyes:). dunno what model, but it had MK2 Cortina tail lights.

Lamborghinis etc in Ireland

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