Today I saw a classic and took a pic thread!

Lauder · 23-11-2008 11:59PM

Great Reg. Would love to buy that discovery and put a new Ranger Vogue in Black on it. VIP plate whopper!

carchaeologist · 24-11-2008 12:09AM

Re VIP235:Thats taking reshelling to a new extreme!Thats a late 1971 number!When was that shape discovery first sold?
VIP1 was on a MK1 granada limo when the pope was in ireland in 1979.

L-M · 24-11-2008 12:14AM

carchaeologist wrote: »

Re VIP235:Thats taking reshelling to a new extreme!Thats a late 1971 number!When was that shape discovery first sold?
VIP1 was on a MK1 granada limo when the pope was in ireland in 1979.

Series 1 Disco was very early 90's i think. Could of been late 89, 90 or 91. Not as far back as the 70's lol!

Max_Damage · 24-11-2008 12:17AM

carchaeologist wrote: »

Re VIP235:Thats taking reshelling to a new extreme!Thats a late 1971 number!When was that shape discovery first sold?

The Disco came in in 1989, but that facelift model came in 1995 I think. Far from 1971!

carchaeologist · 24-11-2008 12:20AM

Its amazing how many of these have been re-shelled.

L-M · 24-11-2008 12:21AM

carchaeologist wrote: »

Its amazing how many of these have been re-shelled.

They were just THAT good:P

Wishbone Ash · 24-11-2008 12:22AM

carchaeologist wrote: »

VIP1 was on a MK1 granada limo when the pope was in ireland in 1979.

Never let it be said.............:)

AFAIK after the Papal visit, that car was sold to an undertaker in Letterkenny and converted to a hearse.

carchaeologist · 24-11-2008 12:32AM

Wishbone,your a genius,thats the pic i was looking for,i saw it in an old book about the papal visit ages ago.Ta for that:)Was it really converted to a hearse?
Think the reg was sold to england for megabucks some years ago.
Theres some history behind that number!

Max_Damage · 24-11-2008 12:36AM

carchaeologist wrote: »

Think the reg was sold to england for megabucks some years ago.
Theres some history behind that number!

UK One Star Vehicle Report

Vehicle Description
Registration VIP1
Make ROLLS ROYCE
Model CORNICHE
Description IV
Engine Capacity(cc) 6748
Year Manufactured 1993
CO2 Emissions (g/Km)* Not Available
VRT Rate % ** Not Available

carchaeologist · 24-11-2008 12:41AM

I wonder did that reg start off on a car before the limo,i seem to remember someone saying before it was on a morris minor or something,not sure though.

L-M · 24-11-2008 12:43AM

Hah!!

"Abramovich pays record 285,000 for Pope's car registration
CHELSEA owner Roman Abramovich has paid 285,000 pounds for a registration originally made for Pope John Paul II. The Russian billionaire, 37, spent the world-record amount to land the cherished VIP 1 registration. He used a Luton-based firm to secure the plate - seen on the Popemobile when John Paul toured Ireland in 1979. A pal said: "Roman is normally very security- conscious. "But the lure of owning the most exclusive number plate in the world was too much for him." A spokesman said: "We never talk about Roman's purchases."

Wishbone Ash · 24-11-2008 12:43AM

carchaeologist wrote: »

Wishbone,your a genius,thats the pic i was looking for

Always ready to serve!

carchaeologist wrote:

Was it really converted to a hearse?

I have a vague recollection of it being acquired by an undertaker called McGovern in Letterkenny. I assume it may have been converted to a hearse as most undertakers didn't tend to provide limmos then.

Perhaps someone from Letterkenny/Donegal could confirm?

Wishbone Ash · 24-11-2008 12:47AM

carchaeologist wrote: »

I wonder did that reg start off on a car before the limo,i seem to remember someone saying before it was on a morris minor or something,not sure though.

From what I've heard, the Government went looking for that plate before the pope arrived. It's difficult to believe now but apparently it was issued as a 'normal' plate on a 'normal' car. Again I'm not 100% certain, but I think the car was located in the UK and the owner was made an offer he couldn't refuse. His car was then 'destroyed' and the plate re-issued and the rest, as they say, is history.

carchaeologist · 24-11-2008 12:50AM

Pity it left the country,but the lure of the megamoney was too much i suppose!!:)

Wishbone Ash · 24-11-2008 12:51AM

What year was VIP 1?

......and I'm just thinking that RIP would be much better for an undertaker anyway! :pac:

L-M · 24-11-2008 12:52AM

carchaeologist wrote: »

Pity it left the country,but the lure of the megamoney was too much i suppose!!:)

285,000 i woulnd't refuse:D

carchaeologist · 24-11-2008 12:59AM

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

What year was VIP 1?

August 1971,so it was around for 8 years before the pope arrived!And the MK1 granada first went on sale in march 1972 so it was definatly on some car before the limo.

redabbey · 24-11-2008 01:02AM

As far as I remember there was a similar story on boards.ie a few years ago about the reg 205 GTI being re-issued so it could be on a 205 GTI

carchaeologist · 24-11-2008 01:06AM

redabbey wrote: »

As far as I remember there was a similar story on boards.ie a few years ago about the reg 205 GTI being re-issued so it could be on a 205 GTI

Yep,it was GTI205,which was originally on a morris minor.

zilog_jones · 24-11-2008 01:06AM

That may be a myth - I don't think 205 GTI was ever issued. TI is Limerick city and IIRC they only got up to FTI by the end of 1986. Maybe GTI 205?

EDIT: Beaten to it!

Wishbone Ash · 24-11-2008 01:09AM

carchaeologist wrote: »

August 1971,so it was around for 8 years before the pope arrived!And the MK1 granada first went on sale in march 1972 so it was definatly on some car before the limo.

The MK II would have been out then. Why didn't the pope get the use of a Mk II?

(Apart from the fact that the Mk I was a nicer looking motor!)

Wishbone Ash · 24-11-2008 01:12AM

zilog_jones wrote: »

That may be a myth - I don't think 205 GTI was ever issued. TI is Limerick city and IIRC they only got up to FTI by the end of 1986!

.....and Leitrim never got to TIT!

I always wanted to see TIT5

L-M · 24-11-2008 01:15AM

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

.....and Leitrim never got to TIT!

I always wanted to see TIT5

Lol!

MercMad · 24-11-2008 11:41AM

My father owned a new Capri 2000GT in 1971, VIP 771.

It does seem odd that a Granada Mk1 was used, BTW the Granada name was only from 75 onwards.Before that they were called Consul.

The Pope's state limo at the time was a Mercedes 600, I assume that Granada was owned by the Sate at the time, their cars were not changed as often back then. In fact a lot of the Ministers' cars were used for several years before being passed to the special branch.

Bertie's car, back in the late 80's was either an early Renault 25, 1984 AFAIR, replaced by an '82 Mercedes 200, which in turn was changed for a brand new Granada 2.9i Ghia in 1988.

The window company National Aluminium was responsible for some of the conversion work on the "Popemobile" that was used in the Phoenix Park at the time.

redabbey · 24-11-2008 12:21PM

MercMad wrote: »

The Pope's state limo at the time was a Mercedes 600

http://www.flickr.com/photos/govert1970/60989076/

I saw this car in the Mercedes museum in Stuttgart the most memorable thing about the car was the one armchair like seat in the back.

carchaeologist · 24-11-2008 07:54PM

MercMad wrote: »

It does seem odd that a Granada Mk1 was used, BTW the Granada name was only from 75 onwards.Before that they were called the consul.

This is true,i always forget that!
I suppose the car was used as it had the VIP reg mainly,it was only 8 years old anyway,suppose its similar to using a year 2000 limo today,time were tougher back then too?

Wishbone Ash · 24-11-2008 08:56PM

Spotted within metres of each other this morning in Dublin 4. (Classic Motorhome convention?

)

No sign of a make on this - Cartell returns it as a 'Vespa'! It was very rough and badly hand painted.

........and a beautiful 635 CSi spotted in Gordon Street.

Max_Damage · 24-11-2008 09:33PM

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

No sign of a make on this - Cartell returns it as a 'Vespa'! It was very rough and badly hand painted.

That's an old Volkswagen LT van. I've seen that one around before, the hand paint job looks shocking bad!

EDIT: Comes up as a VW for me...

Vehicle Description
Registration 81D2030
Make VOLKSWAGEN
Model UNKNOWN
Description Not Available
Fuel Type DIESEL

Gary ITR · 24-11-2008 09:33PM

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

No sign of a make on this - Cartell returns it as a 'Vespa'! It was very rough and badly hand painted.

Painted it and then stuck on a reg he found in his shed?

Wishbone Ash · 24-11-2008 10:25PM

Max_Damage wrote: »

That's an old Volkswagen LT van

Thanks for that!

Max_Damage wrote:

EDIT: Comes up as a VW for me...

Vehicle Description
Registration 81D2030
Make VOLKSWAGEN
Model UNKNOWN
Description Not Available
Fuel Type DIESEL

Yes, I must have entered it incorrectly!

Today I saw a classic and took a pic thread!

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