Podcast: The Gordon Bennett Times II Run 2020

On Saturday 25th of July 2020, a new milestone was added to the history of motorsport in Ireland. More than a score of vintage and veteran cars completed the original 1903 Gordon Bennett course twice in a day, the first time since that had been done since the actual race itself. Produced by Brian Byrne.

All the pictures available here.

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Supercars stand at IVVCC Festival of Transport

Ferrari F40.

Over €200m worth of supercars will be on display at the Chubb Insurance stand at the Festival of Transport in Punchestown next Sunday, writes Brian Byrne.

They include a 250 Short Wheelbase Ferrari, Blower Bentley, 275 Four Cam Ferrari, an original C Type Jaguar, a DB3 “S” Aston Martin and a Ferrari F40.

The Festival is being organised by the Irish Vintage & Veteran Car Club, who expect there will be over 1,000 vehicles there.

Jaguar C Type.

It is the first time the IVVCC have organised their own show. It is open from 10am-5pm and admission is €10 for adults with children getting in free.

In addition to the cars, motorcycles and steam engines on display, there will be over 40 trade & autojumble stands, along with face painting, ballooning and rides for the children.

A great family day out. (Apologies for the earlier typo which suggested €100 entry fee!!)

Inaugural Festival of Transport at Punchestown

Up to 1,000 classic cars are expected at Punchestown next Sunday, for the inaugural Festival of Transport event organised by the Irish Vintage & Veteran Car Club, writes Brian Byrne.

The IVVCC is the umbrella organisation for the classic and vintage car scene in Ireland and has close to 70 affiliated clubs. Having supported regional shows for decades, the IVVCC decided last year to host its own event in 2017.

The event is open to the public from 10am-5pm and admission is €10 for adults with children going free.

In addition to the cars, motorcycles and steam engines on display, there will be over 40 trade and auto jumble stands and face painting, ballooning and rides for the children.

Veteran cars Regent St show in London

If you happen to be in London on the weekend of 6 November, it'll be worth your while to go to the famous Regent Street, where more than 100 veteran cars will be available to view, in advance of the next day's Bonham's Veteran Car Run to Brighton.

The veterans will take part in a Concours d’Elegance, a major highlight of the free-to-view Regent Street Motor Show, an annual event staged in one of the world's most prestigious shopping and lifestyle destinations situated right at the heart of the nation’s capital city.

Exhibiting in front of a panel of expert judges, the veterans will all be more than 112 years old, with the youngest built in 1904 and the oldest in 1898. While most are petrol-powered, the Concours entry also includes an American-built Cleveland electric car from 1900.

They will be competing for a number of awards including the Concours d’Equipe for the best turned-out team in period costume and the overall Concours d’Elegance.

Ballincollig Vintage Run

The annual end of year run organised by Ballincollig Motor Vintage Club will take place next Sunday 16 October.

The run is open to cars 20 years old or more, and registration starts at 11am for a 12 noon start from Killumney.

The event is sponsored by Jerry Murphy Tyre Services, and Jerry Murphy is pictured above with Kevin Sweeney (Ballincollig Motor Vintage Club Chairman).

Ballincollig Vintage Motor Club was established in December 2005 to cater for classic car owners in the Ballincollig and surrounding areas including Cork City. The Club has over 50 members.

Vintage vibes at the Powerscourt Car Rally

Celebrate Heritage Week at Powerscourt Estate in County Wicklow. Join the largest motor club in Ireland, the Irish Vintage and Veteran Car Club (IVVCC), for their 36th rally at Powerscourt. The event talks place on the 17th of August between 2.30pm-5.30pm.

The star of the show will be Lord Powerscourt’s 1937 Ford Model ‘Y’ which its current owner is bringing home to the Estate for the event. Over 150 cars are expected at this year’s event.

Everyone is welcome to come dressed to impress in their best vintage clothes. Many car owners dress up to match the age of their vehicles so expect plenty of razzle dazzle from feminine flapper dresses from the Roaring 20s to 1950s retro rock and roll frocks. The event is free of charge and all are welcome. For more information visit www.powerscourt.com/events

Rare steam engine for 'Emma' vintage fundraiser

A rare 'Dolphin' traction engine will be one of the main attractions for steam enthusiasts at the 'Ireland Heads West for Emma' classic, vintage and farm machinery show at Ballybrit Racecourse at the end of the month, writes Brian Byrne.

The machine is the last of its kind built by the Charles Burrell & Sons company in Norfolk, England, and it's from the Showman range used to power the scenic rides in 1920s fairgrounds. The Dolphin is currently owned by Wexford native Micheal Dreelan who now lives in Aberdeen.

The event on June 28/29 is to raise funds for treatment for Leaving Cert student Emma Naughton-Heavey, who has a rare form of liver cancer that requires her to travel regularly to Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital in New York.

Car clubs confirmed to date include the Irish Veteran and Vintage Car Club, The MG Club of Ireland, The Kit Car Club of Ireland, The Capri Club of Ireland, The Opel Club, The Mercedes Club, The DKW Club, The Atlantic Coast Club, Celtic Old Vehicle Club, Hillman Imp Club, Boyne valley Club and Mountbellew Vintage Club.

Local and national artists playing at the event will include the Kings of Connaught and Linda Welby.

Harrods takes a trip down memory lane

The London to Brighton Veteran Car Run is taking place on Sunday, 3 November. It is the world's longest running and greatest motoring celebration with more than 400 veteran cars taking part.

This year, Harrod's famous department store in Knightsbridge has become an Offical Partner and will supply participants with well deserved refreshments at the mid-way check-point in Sussex.

The partnership has another connection as among the some 33 'horseless carriages' that took part in the original Emancipation Run on 14 November 1896 was one of the very first Harrods delivery vans (pictured above) which was a Panhard-Levassor. And the Managing Director of Harrods will be participating in this year's Veteran Car Run driving an electrically powered Waverley dating back to 1901.

Fast Jag for Terenure vintage show

A major attraction at this year's Irish Classic and Vintage Motor Show will be a Jaguar XJ 220 produced between 1992 and 1994 with a speed in excess of 320km/h, writes Trish Whelan.

It's the 22nd running of the show, which is held in the beautiful grounds of Terenure College, Dublin on Sunday 7 July.

The event is organised by the Irish Jaguar & Daimler Club

Proceeds from the Show support are going to both the Laura Lynn-Irelands Childrens Hospice and The National Maternity Hospital Foundation.

IVVCC planning jubilee celebrations

A Golden Jubilee Grand Tour of Ireland and a special running of the Gordon Bennett Rally are among the events being planned to mark the 50th anniversary of the Irish Veteran & Vintage Car Club next year.

The club has over 650 members and 50 affiliated clubs across Ireland. Its first president was the late Knollys Stokes who was elected to office in 1964.

A 170-page book recalling the people, cars and events that make up the club’s history will be published next October. Compiled and edited by club member Anselm Aherne, it is supported by the sponsorship of Motor Distributors Limited.

Affiliated to FIVA, the Paris-based Federation Internationale Des Vehicules Anciens, the club is part of a membership of 1.5 million spanning some 62 countries worldwide.

Amongst the most cherished vehicles preserved by IVVCC members is Ireland’s first motor car—a Benz Velo Comfortable imported here in 1898 by Dr Colohan, then owner of what is now the Grand Hotel in Malahide.

Restored to its original condition by IVVCC member Denis Dowdall, the vehicle registered IK 52 is part of a collection of historic vehicles currently in the possession of Motor Distributors Limited.

Denis is pictured here on the right in the car, with the late Bill Duffy, then (2002) Mercedes-Benz Sales Manager with MDL.

(Pic by Brian Byrne/carandtravel.ie)

RIAC Pioneer Run 2012

The ninth 'Pioneer Run' of cars over a hundred years old will be run by the Royal Irish Automobile Club on Sunday 27 May through parts of Kildare and Meath, from an event HQ at Barberstown Castle in Straffan, writes Trish Whelan.

The event celebrates the heritage of Ireland's pioneering automobilists, who were never sure at the start of their journeys where they might end up. The cars will be flagged away by John Boyd Dunlop, great-gandson of the inventor of the pneumatic tyre.

The route will take the cars and motorcycles through Maynooth, Kilcock, Enfield, Johnstownbridge, Kilshanroe, Carbury, Allenwood, Prosperous and Clane.

The Run will be preceded on the Saturday by a 'shakedown' afternoon drive to Dunboyne, where the cars will be displayed for a time on the village green. This will be part of the launch of the Dunboyne Motor Club's 'Spirit of Dunboyne' event which takes place on September 23.

Pictured above at a reception in the RIAC in Dublin to promote the event is former rally champion Rosemary Smith in an Alfa Romeo that was part of a display in front of The Mansion House, with Tom Farrell, president of the Irish Veteran & Vintage Car Club, Myles O'Reilly of sponsors AXA Insurance, Cecil Sparks, chairman of the RIAC, and Tom Healy of Irish Vintage Scene Magazine; and (below) Tom Farrell with John Hayes, automotive management consultant.

Fifteen Irish entries for London to Brighton car run

Fifteen Irish veteran car fans will be salivating at the thought of taking part in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run which takes place on Sunday 6th November when over 500 Veteran vehicles unite for the 115th anniversary of the greatest free to spectate motoring event in the UK.

Apart from the Irish entries, cars from as far afield as China, Australia, South Africa, the USA and across Europe will line up at the start at London's Hyde Park and embark on the 60-mile historic drive to the seafront at Madeira Drive in Brighton.

The event, organized by the Royal Automobile Club, includes a collection of pre-1905 veteran cars, 47 of which date prior to 1900. Over 149 makes will be represented. The first car to leave Hyde Park at 7:02am will be a 1894 Benz Velo.

Our picture shows one of the 86 De Dions entered for this year's London to Brighton Veteran Car run.

Rare appearance of Silver Stream

Vintage car buffs were delighted to spot this rare appearance of the unique Silver Stream car at an event in Crookstown, Co Kildare, last Saturday, writes Brian Byrne. Among them was Ronan Murphy who sent us this equally rare picture.

The car was built at Glebe House in Carnalway by Philip Somerville-Large in 1909 and was sold at auction for £130,000 in 2007, at the RAF Museum in London. The car had previously been part of the Denis Lucey collection in the Museum of Irish Transport in Killarney.

Technically a 18/22hp Roi-de-Belges Tourer, Somerville-Large built the car from bought in components of the highest quality in an attempt to emulate the work of Henry Royce.

The full fascinating details of the project are available on auctioneers Bonham's site here.

'Hazzard' stunt man in Trim next weekend

A member of the team behind the famous car stunts in the film The Dukes of Hazzard is coming to the Vintage and Veteran Car Rally in Trim, which is being held next weekend, writes Tony Conlon.

It's the 26th year of the show, which raises funds for charity.

Tom Sarmento is pictured above with Deputy Ray Butler, Seamus Quinn (Chairman of Trim V&V) and Nicky Fagan owner of the replica 1969 Dodge Charger which  was one of the show's highlights. Tom worked in Universal Studios as a mechanic and stunt driver/organiser for such well-known TV shows as Quincy, BJ and the Bear and The Rockford Files. He joined Warner Brothers in 1979 and from then until 1985 he was lead mechanic for The Dukes of Hazzard. It was his job to keep the General Lee car running for all those spectacular car stunts.

It was hard on the cars. “We went through 317 General Lee cars and over 1,000 Roscoe Sheriff and bad guy cars in The Dukes of Hazzard,” says Tom, now the producer and creator of the Hazzard County Stunt Team and has organised the stunts for Dukes of Hazzard stuntmen reunions throughout the United States.

For this year’s Trim Vintage and Veteran Rally, all the old vehicles are being allowed to participate for free. The show takes place on Sunday 17 July at the Porch Fields (off the ring road).

The attractions on this family day include helicopter rides, auto jumble, fun fare, dog show, RSA road safety show, and new car displays from many brands that sell in Ireland.

There will also be live music, plenty of prizes and much more.

'Classic Live' at Mondello

This Father's day, Mondello Park will once again play host to the Classic Car and Motorcycle event of the year, writes Fergus Brennan, 'Classic Live', in association with Irish Vintage Scene magazine.

The show will feature more than 800 exhibits many of which will take to the track at some stage during the event, and will be a huge attraction for families looking for a unique way to entertain their dad on Fathers day.

No triangles, please, we're Amish

The Amish in America don't use cars, or bright colours. Which leads to this interesting cross-cultural court case. From the Courier-Journal.Com.

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Rare Irish car gets £130,000

The Silver Stream car which was built in Carnalway, near Kilcullen in Co Kildare by Philip Somerville-Large in 1909 was recently sold at auction for £130,000. The expected price had been a maximum of £80,000.

The car had previously been part of the Denis Lucey collection in the Museum of Irish Transport in Killarney. The auction was was organised by Bonhams and was held in the RAF Museum, London on 30 April.

The 18/22hp Roi-de-Belges Tourer was coming direct from just its first owner outside the Somerville-Large family. Philip Somerville-Large was an engineer who built the car from bought in components of the highest quality in an attempt to emulate the work of Henry Royce.

The full fascinating details of the project are available on Bonham's site here. BB.