The IVVCC Journal Winter 2010

WINTER 2010

Great new rates

for Classic Car

Insurance!10% Discount for

IVVCC Members

Irish & European Breakdown RecoveryINCLUDED

Home Start RecoveryINCLUDED

Legal ProtectionINCLUDED

24/7 Award-winning Claims Service

INCLUDED

car insurance1800 930 801 carolenash.com

BIKE INSURANCE • HOME INSURANCE • TRAVEL INSURANCE • CLASSIC CAR INSURANCE Monday - Friday 9.00am - 5.30pm Saturday 9.00am - 1.00pm

Carole Nash Insurance Consultants Ltd is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Services Authority.Calls may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes.

3IVVCC WINTER 2010

FRONT COVER:The ‘Master’ at work.

Jim & John Boland and companyleaving London on the

London to Brighton Rally 2010 Photo by SussexSportPhotography.com

IVVCC JOURNALWINTER 2010

President:PEADAR WARDTel: 087-2222716

Honorary Secretary:BERNADETTE WYER80 Pinewood Park,

Rathfarnham, Dublin 14.Tel: 087-2220770.

Editor:TOM FARRELL

Knockrose, The Scalp,Kilternan, Co. Dublin.

Tel: 087-2982369.E: [email protected]

Membership Secretary:JEAN MORTON

Rockwood CottageMount Venus Road

Woodtown, Dublin 16Tel: 01-4931794/087 2565211

E: [email protected]

Club Meetings:Every first Monday of the month(second Monday if first falls on a

Public Holiday)

Venue: Kiely’s Pub, Deerpark Road,Mount Merrion, Co. Dublin.

Time: 8.00pm

Website: www.ivvcc.ie

Photos: All photos unless otherwisestated by Tom Farrell

inside...4 President’s Report6 Secretary’s Report7 Book Review8 From Billancourt to Thirty Brightons!

By John Boland13 Happy Memories of My Friend John Kane14 Happy Birthday Jim! By John Boland16 Meet the Member - Des Cullen

By Tom Farrell19 Crossword20 Gordon Bennett Rally 201022 Autumn Rally 201024 For Sale26 A.R.M. Reports by Jim O’Sullivan29 Memory Lane by Colm O’Neill30 Letters to the Editor30 Noticeboard

WINTER 2010

Dear Fellow Motoring Enthusiasts,

Welcome to the Winter edition of the IVVCC Journal. Ihad hoped to have it out in December but we’ve hada few problems with our home. However we are

blessed with the wonderful friends we have and 2010 isfirmly behind us.

I was saddened to learn of the passing of Tony Fitzgeraldin January. Like his late father Jim, he was a great supporterof the old car movement and a long-time member of theIVVCC. I remember in the early ‘70s Tony zooming past myparent’s house on the Deansgrange Road in his Ford Prefectwith its whitewall tyres, his overcoat collar turned up andhair blowing in the wind. He still had that same car and itwas a poignant sight parked outside the church on its own.To Tony’s wife and children and to his family may I extendmy sincere condolences and also to the wife and family of Liam Flanagan who died recently.

Our dear friend Finbarr Corry is quite ill at the moment in St Vincent’s Private hospital, I would liketo send him good wishes on behalf of the IVVCC. Call in and see him if you can. Charlie Byrne is nowat home and making slow progress and I know you’ll join me in wishing him well and also pass onour good wishes to Suzette and their children.

I was leafing through a book written by Michael Sedgwick in 1962 and I came across a car for salein the Beaulieu Veteran & Vintage Car auction held in 1961. The car featured in the photo was a 1914Swift 7hp cyclecar. It bore the reg no IK 1076. No doubt part of the exodus Finbarr Corry referred to inhis book, the Automobile Treasury of Ireland. The chances are that this car still exists with its Irishnumber plate just like countless other Irish cars gracing the roads of the UK. Over the last few yearswhile visiting the NEC I have spotted many Irish cars including a Vauxhall Prince Henry owned by theVauxhall Museum and the Bugatti Brescia with the Dublin number plate that the owner didn’t knowwas Irish (The IVVCC supplied him with a lot of the history of this car). Then there was one of DenisLucey’s cars, IT 1. This car was sold by Bonhams for £150,000. Barely a fortnight later, the registrationwas sold for £175,000. Result, a London to Brighton car and £25,000 in the back pocket for the luckyowner! This is not a recent activity. The Metropolitan Police bought Michael O’Hehir’s Ford Zodiac forits number plate, CID 1, which for a time adorned the head of CID’s car until it was deemed not to bea good idea in view of paramilitary activities. And we all know that VIP 1 and 1 VIP are still used in theUK as is RRI 1 which was, and still is, on the first Bentley S1 into Ireland, now alive and well andregistered in the UK. The point I’m trying to make is that we seem to have a problem with historic UKregistered cars on the roads in Ireland. It’s against the law not to re-register an imported car intoIreland within 24 hours and failure to do so is to risk criminal proceedings. I feel that this is unfair. Wehave a number of cars in this country bearing their original registrations and that is part of theirhistory. I don’t know about you but I felt bad when I heard that IT 1 was separated from the vehicle itwas attached to for 105 years and the same should apply to historic vehicles from another EU Country,after all are we not all part of the same union?

Congratulations to Des Cullen and Jim Boland who have both reached 80 years young!Until next time, happy motoring! TOM

This will be my last report in the IVVCC Journal as Club President,however I will, please God, continue to report on other matters fromtime to time, including FIVA matters. The last three years have flownand I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as President. Mind you I had

to try to live up to the exemplary service of my numerous excellent predecessors. For me it was a great honour to serve the club and I hope that during my term

as President I have made some small contribution to this great institution andthat the Club will continue to grow and prosper in the future. In some respectsI saw myself as having the responsibility of accepting charge of the Club for ashort period, helping to develop it and passing it on to my successor.

During my period as President I have been very fortunate to have had a strongteam of dedicated directors to work with me. In particular I refer to Ray McElroyas Treasurer; Bernadette Wyer as Secretary and more recently Tom Farrell as VicePresident. I must also pay tribute to Tom Farrell for the work he has done indeveloping the Journal and to John Larkin for his development of the website.Both our website and journal are very fine productions and the Club can beproud of them. Our Membership Secretary Kevin Griffin has just stepped downafter dedicating eight years to this onerous task. I must also pay tribute to theEvents Committee, Gordon Bennett Committee and the numerous othercommittees and individuals who continue to dedicate time and effort to theclub.

Over the last number of years we have seen the old car movement and the number ofold cars in Ireland grow beyond expectations. This is in no small way directly related to theprosperity we have seen during the Celtic Tiger years. Many people who had for years alonging for a historic vehicle could now afford to make that purchase; perhaps acquiring avehicle once driven by their father or one they first learned to drive in or that exclusivesports car they could not afford in their youth. The challenge now will be to retain this levelof interest in these difficult times.

One of the clubs initiatives for 2011 is the promotion of a “Historic Vehicle Day”. Thiswas discussed at a meeting with the Affiliated Clubs in June 2010 and it found favouramong those attending. The date selected is the Bank Holiday in May. This falls on Monday2nd May in 2011. Affiliated Clubs will be asked to make arrangements with their ownmembers to organise a suitable event on the day. All old car enthusiasts, irrespective ofwhether or not an event is arranged in their area are encouraged to take their historic carsout on the day.

An issue which is always to the forefront of my mind is the concern that new regulationsmay be made which could restrict the use and enjoyment of our historic vehicles. I amhappy to say that based on FIVA surveys we have one of the most benevolent legislativeregimes in the European Union in respect of historic cars and their use. We must continueto be vigilant in this regard but it is imperative that we conduct our activities in a responsiblemanner. It is also important that we do not campaign in such a manner that will bring usunwarranted attention.

Looking forward to the 50th anniversary of the club in 2013 it is important that we markthe occasion in a suitable fashion. I have applied to An Post to have a postal stamp issuedto mark the occasion. It would be great if this comes to pass but we will have to wait andsee what transpires. Other plans for 2013 are underway. These include an International FIVArally and it is proposed to attract many visitors throughout Europe and beyond to this event.We are also planning a special publication to mark the occasion and significant backgroundwork has been undertaken already.

Finally I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the AGM of the Club inKiely’s of Mount Merrion on Sunday April 10th.

PEADAR WARD, PRESIDENT4 IVVCC WINTER 2010

NEW IVVCCMEMBERS

We extend a warm welcome

to the following new

members and hope they

derive much enjoyment from

being part of the IVVCC:

Emily and Tony Foyle, Kaeper

Duzewski, Patrick Markey,

Rodney Hendy, Francis Ridge,

Tom Peters, Mervyn O’Brien,

Sean Browne, Simon Moore,

Anne Marie & David Niland,

Tommy Giblin, Bob

Montgomery, Patrick Crosbie,

Patrick Collins, Paddy Kelly,

Kenneth McAllister, Paul

Barrett and Barry Pender.

Classic & Collectable ClubInsurances Ltd

www.cccinsurance.co.uk

Classic & Collectable Club Insurances Ltd is an appointed representative of Autoline Direct Insurance Consultants Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority - 300071

Visit our website for further details:

www.cccinsurance.co.ukor call us on Tel: 028 7034 4321

(ROI: 01490 1000) Email: [email protected]

from Autoline Insurance Group

Cars / Tractors / Motorcycles / Commercial Vehicles

Off Road Cover / Discount for Club Members

Multi Vehicle Policies / Donations for registered clubs

Avery happy 2011 to all our members and despite the dismalweather which necessitated the cancellation of our ChristmasParty, the New Year’s Day Mince Pie outing proved a popularchoice and was very well attended. It was a relief to get out on

the roads again and leave the snow behind.If anyone bought tickets for the Christmas Party please contact me so

that I can refund your money in exchange for your tickets!!Membership renewal time is upon us again and our thanks to all who

have already renewed their 2011 membership, either online, or bypost/hand. We are particularly grateful to Kevin Griffin who, for the pasteight years, has undertaken the Membership Secretary role, but he nowfeels it is time to pass on the baton. We are very appreciative of hiscommitment and dedication through the years. In the interim, until a newperson is appointed, we would like to give a gentle reminder to anyone whohas not yet had the opportunity to renew, to do so, as soon as possible.Membership cards and calendars will be despatched at an early date.

Although the weather forecasters say that Spring is in the air, it iscertainly emerging slowly this year. However, we are looking forward to theSt Valentine’s Run on Sunday 13th February, which will be a gentle affair.There are a number of new events planned this year and you should consultyour 2011 calendar and the IVVCC.ie website (Events page) to check onwhat is happening throughout the year.

Our AGM will be held on Sunday 10th April in Kiely’s, Mount Merrion at 3pm andnomination papers and documentation will be issued to all paid up members prior to theevent.

Sunday 1st May has been designated “Historic Car Day” and we would encourage ourmembers and the members of the affiliate clubs to arrange local runs on that day so thatthe general public will have the opportunity to see our cars being driven throughout thetowns and countryside.

The coming months will be a busy time with quite a number of varied events being heldand we look forward to seeing you out in your cars and sharing your experiences with yourfellow members.

BERNADETTE WYER

6 IVVCC WINTER 2010

IVVCC DATES FOR YOUR DIARY13th February St Valentine’s event17th March St Patrick’s Day – Maynooth Run11th April AGM17th April Spring Rally1st May Historic Vehicle Day29th May Mount Merrion 300th Anniversary10th-12th June Gordon Bennett Rally15th June Picnic in the Park19th June Mondello Classic Car Live26th June Mid Summer Picnic21st August 34th Powerscourt Picnic2nd October Autumn Rally31st October Autojumble5th December Christmas Party

We also support and encourage our members to attendnumerous affiliate club events throughout the country and wewould ask our members to continue to visit our website:www.ivvcc.ie and check the Events Calendar for up-to-dateinformation.

Please note - all IVVCC events requires participants to pre-register for each event. This greatly facilitates our volunteerorganisers of the various events and reduces stress on the day!!In special circumstances late entries may be accepted bymaking prior contact with the event organisers.

Details of each event and the Organiser will be in the IVVCCCalendar for 2011 and will also be available on our website.

Application forms for each event will be availableapproximately 4 to 6 weeks prior to each event on the websiteor by contacting the event organiser. Application forms willalso be available at First Monday meetings or by contacting theSecretary on 087-2220770.

We now have an online payment system for membershipand for events. See www.ivvcc.ie

7IVVCC WINTER 2010

Unit 2, Jamestown Business Park,

Kylemore Way, off Kylemore Road,

Ballyfermot, Dublin 10.

TONY ELLIS085-735 26 42085-766 38 58

Email:[email protected]

SERVICING • REPAIRS • REVAMPS

‘Old School Mechanic – Still Using Hammer & Chisel’D.I.Y. SERVICING FOR

CLASSIC CAR OWNERS & OTHERSIf you are one of those owners that would prefer to do your

own servicing or repairs to your prized possession Then you can now avail of our DIY facility

You supply your Own Service Kits or Parts...You fit them yourself.

A Service Bay equipped with Ramp & use of tools is available. A professional mechanic will be on hand if required.

Advice available if requested.Call Tony on 085-735 2642 for further information

Classic Car Specialist for 30 yearsService and Repairs to all makes of cars

MG’s: Sales, Service, RestorationClassic Cars Sourced

www.terrymullallygarage.weebly.comEmail: [email protected]

REAR CAMBRIDGE HOUSE, CAMBRIDGE ROAD, RINGSEND, DUBLIN 4.

PHONE TERRYWork: 01-6600805

Mobile: 087-9749312

Former IVVCC President JimBoland is a great man to tell astory, especially when it involves a

motor car. At the launch of this book,in the RIAC, he had the audience’sundivided attention as he told thestory of the priest who came to him ona Sunday with the door of his carhanging off. Jim had been doing a bitof work on his own car at the time. Itseems the priest, a well-knownheadache to insurance companies,was always crashing his car intosomething. This day he reversed his carout of the driveway of the parochialhouse with the drivers door open andleft it on the gatepost! Jim fixed it andoff went the happy priest only to beback moments later advising Jim thathe shouldn’t be working on a Sundayand a visit to the church occasionallywould be time better spent!

I am fortunate enough to havevisited Jim’s collection on a fewoccasions. Each time there would besomething new to see and each carhas a story which Jim is happy to sharewith you. His collection is the largest inIreland and contains some prettysignificant cars too, such as the firstRolls Royce Silver Cloud, the RollsRoyce Phantom 11 the Aga Khanordered as a wedding present for hisbride, Rita Hayworth or W.O.Bentley’sown Lagonda LG 45 which he used totest out factory modifications, not tomention Prince Rainier’s Bentley Mk V1convertible to name but a few. Eachcar is on the button and Jim does hisbest to use them all.

Jim Boland was, is and will alwaysbe a great friend to old carpreservation. His recall of cars andpeople is legendary, just like his car

collection. He is a generous but busyman and hats off to Bob Montgomeryfor getting him to sit down and tell hisstory. This book is a must for anyenthusiast who appreciates old carsand the man rightly considered thefather figure of the old carpreservation movement in Ireland……Jim Boland.

Available from Dreoilin Publicationsfor just €20 or go to www.dreoilin.iefor more details. TOM FARRELL

A Lifetime’s CollectingThe Legendary Car Collection of Jim Boland

By Bob Montgomery

8 IVVCC WINTER 2010

ByJOHN BOLAND

Photos by:SussexSport Photography.com

And a lotof historic

miles inbetween!

1

2

9IVVCC WINTER 2010

PHOTO CAPTIONS

1. Three generations of theBoland family - Jim, Kevinand John.

2. James Boland in his 1904CGV at Hyde Park.

3. Spyker and Darracq(Genevieve) movie starsfrom the 50’s.

4. Andrew Boland in his1904 Mercedes.

Billancourt, Paris in1898 and at the dawnof the motor car a 21-year old Louis Renaultwas working from a

shed in the garden of his parentshouse. Louis had an interest in allthings mechanical from an early ageand had decided to convert his DeDion Bouton tricycle into a small fourwheel vehicle using his invention thatwas about to propel the motor car intoa new era – the ‘direct drive’ whichconsisted of a universal jointedpropeller shaft that included a three-speed gearbox with reverse and havingthe third gear in direct drive. Hepatented his idea that would instantly

render obsolete the chains, cogs andbelts which were being used untilthen. He entered into a bet with hisfriends that he could drive his little carup the steep slope of Lenic Street inMontmartre, a feat which hecompleted with ease and which ledhim on to securing twelve orders forhis car – this was the inspiration forLouis to start on the road to becomingFrance’s biggest automobilemanufacturer.

In those early days, Louis like a largenumber of his contemporaries,including, Speedwell, Gamage Asterand Hurtu amongst others used thethen ‘iPod’ of the motor industry – thesingle cylinder De Dion Bouton engine

– this allowed a lot of small inventorsto concentrate on developing the carwhilst having a reliable power plantreadily available off the shelf. In 1900alone De Dion produced 400 cars and3,200 engines from its Puteauxfactory. However, in 1902, Louis whowas working with his brothers Marceland Fernand and having demand forits products enhanced by theperformance of Renault cars in thegreat inter-city races so popular inFrance at the turn of the century,decided to develop his own twincylinder engine. According to factoryrecords he first fitted this new engineinto the car that in later life would beregistered IK 597. contd...

3

4

Little is known of the history of this car through twoWorld Wars and up until 1969 when it turned up in Claires,France, being used as a tractor to ferry beehives around afarm! The car, then sporting a two-seater body with a flatback and faded cream paintwork, was imported into theUK where it was brought to my fathers attention by long-time friend Louis Holland. The car came into Ireland in 1971at a time when it was very difficult to import cars fromabroad and in order to assist in its ‘repatriation’ it receivedthe registration number of a car once driven by a FatherTraynor during Jim’s school days in Clondalkin! Then begana total restoration. The following year it completed theLondon to Brighton having the distinction of being the firstcar to cross the finish line – an honour that was rewardedby a letter from the RAC reprimanding Jim for exceedingthe 30 MPH speed limit and disqualifying him from thefollowing years rally! A few years later Jim imported aDarracq which had an original four-seater body andswopped the rear part onto the Renault to turn it into a veryattractive four-seater. Since then the car had completed 29Brighton runs under the guidance of Jim and 25 GordonBennetts and several Pioneer Runs amongst other eventspiloted by myself. However, in all those years we hadn’ttravelled in the car together and as Jim had competed inthe last two Brighton’s in Jim Boland from Wexford’sLocomobile, I felt it was time for the Renault to return toBrighton.

The run which takes place annually on the first Sundayof November and commemorates the Emancipation Run of14th November 1896 which celebrated the passing into lawof the Locomotives on the Highway Act – which becamewidely known as the ‘Red Flag Act’ which raised the speedlimit from 4mph to 14mph and abolished the need forvehicles to be preceded by a man on foot carrying a redflag.

At the start of the 1896 Emancipation Run which wasattended by over 30 cars, Lord Winchilsea symbolicallydestroyed a red flag to start these pioneer motorists as theyset off to endure the rough roads to the Sussex seasideresort of Brighton. Fourteen of these cars completed thejourney, however some evidence exists that one car wastaken by rail and covered with mud before crossing thefinishing line! The first re-enactment of the run took place

in 1927 and has taken place every November thereafter,with the exception of the war years and 1947 when petrolrationing was in force and so making this the 77thcommemoration event.

I have never driven on the Brighton and in fact have onlyonce been on the event as a passenger which was twoyears ago when I was lucky enough to travel with my MilleMiglia partner Shane Houlihan on his 1902 Panhard. So Isent in the entry form and hoped that I would be luckyenough to get an entry, which thankfully came through afew weeks later. During preparations for the event AndrewBoland kindly offered to take the car over to London on thetransporter that would be taking their three very fine 1904cars – The Simplex Mercedes, Renault and CGV and so onthe Wednesday prior to the event Jim trailered the car downto Wexford for the first leg of the trip.

The first official event of the Brighton is the auction, heldon Friday, by Bonhams at their head office in Bond Street –an event that always has a great attendance due to the factthat only Brighton eligible cars i.e. cars built prior to 1905are sold – although in reality some later cars can attend therun – this comes about in two cases – the first being if a carhad previously been dated by the VCC over the years as a1904 which had taken part in previous runs and thenrecently been redated as a 1905, it qualifies to travel undergrandfather status – the second exception being to speciallyinvited cars – these being the film stars of the Edwardianmotoring world – The Darracq – ‘Genevieve’ and the 1905Spyker which took part in that super story of love and rivalryat the event. I only recall going to the cinema once as a

10 IVVCC WINTER 2010

PHOTO CAPTIONS

1. Jonathan Bewley’s 1900Gladiator.

2. Room for all the family at thefinish in Brighton.

3. Jimmy Bohan and PaddyWhitty in the 1903 De DionBouton.

three generations of Bolands on board, participating for thefirst time together on this historic event - Myself, Jim andmy son Kevin along with Eric Kavanagh who I had beenspeaking to earlier in the year and agreed to join us. It’sstrange how history repeats itself and here it was doing itagain – I was telling Jim how the first rally I had ever driven– the 1980 Gordon Bennett, Eric was my co-driver and nowhere we were reunited on my first Brighton. As usual Jimhad an even more wonderful memory from his past – hefirst competed on the Brighton in 1965 and did so as co-driver to Eric’s father, Johnny (SCAT) Kavanagh in hisSiddley! And in true Jim tradition it was a huge logisticmanoeuvre – in those days there was no direct ferry fromDublin to the UK in the winter and so the only route was todrive to Larne and cross over to Scotland and drive down toLondon – a 500 hundred mile journey in snow and ice andto complete this early partnership, they used Roland Frayne’strailer.

In the days leading up to the event I had a realisation – Ihave been on a lot of Rallies since that first Gordon Bennettbut have not travelled in the same car as Jim on an event in30 years! It also felt very wrong for me to be driving onwhat I have always known as his event so I hatched a plan– I was going to pretend that I was going to drive all the waybut at the last moment give the honour rightfully back toJim. So there we were in Hyde park and Jim looking like achild on Christmas morning who got the dreaded piece ofcoal – he was delighted to be there but looked sad not tobe driving and so the time came – the start your engines calland I told him to slide into the driving seat while I swung herinto life and she wasn’t the only thing to fire up – when Itold Jim to take her out of London he looked 20 yearsyounger – I have never seen such a transformation inanybody as a smile wider than the Thames crossed his face!I felt so proud to be sitting next to him as we rolled over thestart line with Kevin in the rear – it’s a memory that will staywith me for ever. contd...

11IVVCC WINTER 2010

family and it was this film that stirred my dad’s interest andI don’t believe the models he fancied were either KayKendall or Dinah Sheridan!

The auction itself offered an array of early cars includinga 1904 Peugeot 9hp twin cylinder model which at theselling price of £78,500 inc buyers premium did not appearto reach its potential. However the star of the auction wasthe wonderful 1903 Sunbeam 10/12hp four cylinder rearentrance tonneau which was actively campaigned by thelate John Carter and bidding on the car was frenzied until itended at an auction record for this model of £321,600 incpremium! Other cars sold included a 1901 Renault Type Dwhich had also appeared in ‘Genevieve’ and the little 1902Rochet from an Irish collection. Friday evening was finishedoff by a reception hosted by Bonham’s.

Saturday afternoon is when the real stars of the showstart to appear – The wonderfully regal Regent Street ispartially blocked off and a number of cars appear for theinternational concours event – this truly is a wonderfuldisplay of early motoring which this year was complimentedby the arrival of the inaugural future car event – the cars oftomorrow meeting the cars of yesteryear – something foreverybody. Here we saw Jonathan Bewley’s little 1900Gladiator looking resplendent and Don Larkin’s MightyWinton on display. Later that evening all the entrants areinvited to the Palatial RAC club in Pall Mall for a champagnereception which gives a great chance to meet up withfriends old and new. It was great to meet such stalwarts ofthe IVVCC as Reg Plunkett, Martin Leech and Gerry Larkinamongst others. Sitting proudly in the foyer of the club wasa magnificent 1903 Spyker 60hp four wheel drive racing carfrom The Louwman Museum in the home of this yearscelebrated country – The Netherlands. For a number ofyears now, the LBVCR has been celebrating a differentEuropean country and its vehicle manufacturing historyeach year – 2011 will be celebrating Germany.

Six am on Sunday morning and a spell has been cast overa dry but bitterly cold London where we have travelled backthrough time by over a century – it really is strange drivingthrough the dark streets with only Edwardian cars to beseen appearing out of every lane, alley and car park, allheading towards a magical Hyde Park to assemble by theSerpentine shimmering in the light of the breaking day andcarbide lamps. We have had an easy ride to Hyde Park asPat who is driving the NVD transporter has done all the hardwork in getting the cars over and is sitting waiting for us –after unloading the Renault we experience somethingtotally alien to myself and Jim – the car wouldn’t fire! Atfirst we feared that the magneto had become soaked fromall the heavy rain that had fallen in the few days previouslybut thankfully this was not the case although the problemwas magneto related. A flat spot had appeared on thetiming advance / Retard and so after some adjustment byJim, I swung her over and off she went. I then took heraround Marble Arch in the dark and into the park where wewere allocated a parking space in sector 8 – due to the largenumber of entrants cars are allocated into parking penswhere they will be allowed to leave in lots of 10,approximately every two minutes from 7.04am or officialsunrise. After having a look at such wonderful cars asSimplex Mercedes, Napiers, Gladiators, Mors and Panhardsto name a few, we layer up with clothes and prepare fordeparture.

At 7.40 am car number 223, a 1902 Renault Type N with


As usual Jim manoeuvred us through the streets withexpert ease, around Buckingham Palace, past The Housesof Commons and over Westminster Bridge – we were onour way! At this stage he asked when did I want to takeover and was taken aback to be told that this was his rallyand that I was happy to have driven through the darkstreets of an awakening London – it’s rare to see him stuckfor words but this was one of those moments.

We were just entering heavy traffic when the Napierwhich was driven by S F Edge in the 1903 Gordon Bennettand restored with such attention to detail by club friendJohnny Thomas sped past at speeds that could only makeyou presume that its Argentinean pilot wanted to be firsthome!

The Brighton is a totally different rally to your normalevent insofar as with so many early cars ahead of you a lotof careful manoeuvring is required, not only do you have toweave in and out of cars but you also have the problem ofnot getting runs into hills and so a lot of gear changing isrequired – a difficult enough task at the best of times. It wasat this stage that I noticed Eric, who has a lot of earlymotoring experience behind him, slipped totallyunbeknownst to himself into rear gunner mode! Withoutany prompting he would call ‘ok to pull out’, ‘car on inside’and all sorts of warnings which are so helpful when calledby a veteran driver such as Eric – a skill so badly performedby a modern motorist.

We had a worry in the lead-up to the event in relation toone of our wheels – as so often happens these woodenspoked wheels on cars that are in dry storage, the wood inthe wheel can contract and so loosen the spokes – we hadbeen dealing with this on our left rear wheel but hadsoaked the wheel over a period of time and used resin toclose the gap. However we noticed that when movingslowly, the wheel was creaking – regular checks kept usmobile but we came across a Gladiator which had not beenso lucky – a wheel had totally disintegrated and the car was

lying down on the axle – a nightmare situation astransporting the car was now virtually impossible.

We headed on through Brixton and closer to theoutskirts of London where we passed Shane and ZuzanaHoulihan in their immaculate 1902 Panhard taking on fuelat a service station. I was happy to see he was in the sectorbefore us in Hyde Park as Jim and Shane always end upracing each other – Jenatzy may have been the ‘Red Devil’but Shane should be called ‘The Red Rag’ as no sooner does‘The Bull’ Boland see him than the race starts. As we passedthe petrol station Jim joked that Shane would be rushingeverybody back on board and taking chase and no soonerdid he say this than we spotted him in pursuit. Traffic washeavy and we were badly hindered by a mixture of earlycars, trucks and cyclists who were blocking both lanes,when ‘Red Rag Houlihan’ passed on the outside, and so ithappened, Jim swung out and the challenge was on – Idon’t think Jenson Button’s drive in San Paolo would havebeen able to manoeuvre through the traffic the way Jim didand after a short distance we were on Shanes tail andstayed there up hill and down dale until Shane, decidingthat red lights were for locals, went through and as Jimcontemplated doing the same, a policeman appeared justlike the elderly man in ‘Genevieve’ so ended the ‘GreatRace’. My only fear is that some day the two lads will followin the footsteps of John Gregson and Kenneth More andbet the cars on the run!

Just before Gatwick we came across Osmond Bennett inhis father Ossie’s 1901 De Dion Bouton – it’s so wonderfulto see him carry on the tradition of going to Brighton, justlike his dad did for so many years. We next came acrossShane at the coffee stop in Crawley where he informed usthat he had just had his lunch and a sleep – please don’twind Jim up – I don’t want him to risk the Renault in a bet!Mind you the cold must have given him some appetite as hejoined us for more bacon rolls! I really appreciated the stopas it gave us all time to heat up – the cold was unbearable

❝

❞

Red Rag Houlihanpassed on theoutside...Jim

swung out and thechallenge was on!

1903 Gordon Bennett NapierShane Houlihan in his attempt to create a new record!

313IVVCC WINTER 2010

but at least it wasn’t raining like the previous year – rumourhad it that last year a lot of cars wouldn’t restart after thecoffee stop – or was it because a lot of people just couldn’tface getting back up on their cars in the cold and torrentialrain!

After checking the levels on the car it was time to loadup and head off but Jim refused to take the wheel againand instead insisted that I should ‘take her in’ and so weheaded off. It’s amazing how even though I’ve driven thatcar for the last 30 years and put thousands of miles on it, Iwas so nervous driving it with ‘The Master’ in the passengerseat! We had a few problems on the way in with the timingwhich was adjusting by itself and hitting the dead spotwhich caused the engine to cut out a few times – howeverwe overcame this as we went on. As we travelled south thetraffic became worse as a lot of cyclists had now joined inand at one stage we had one using us as a wind break!

The rest of the journey was uneventful and we pulled upat the Finish podium in Brighton at noon exactly where likethe rest of the route the crowds were out to cheer us along.After receiving our finishers medal and a special awardreserved only for Renaults supplied by the maker– a bottleof champagne, we parked up and availed of Bonham’shospitality of a wonderfully prepared hot chilli con carneand some great conversation in the marquee.

It was great to see the Irish entries come in safe andsound, however there were a few casualties. TommySheridan in his recently restored Speedwell and undergoingfirst run trials had sheared the pulley on his water pump andretired. Also to retire were Don in the Winton and Reg in theSperry. Finishers included Osmond Bennett, JonathonBewley, Jimmy Bohan in his 1903 De Dion Bouton, the three

magnificent Boland cars of Andrew, Jim and Anthony andof course ‘ole Red Rag’ himself who was first of the Irishhome!

The amount of statistics available on the run arestaggering but here are a few that may be of interest – totalaccepted entries 572 representing 24 Nations; largestoverseas entries – Germany 26, USA and France with 19each, Ireland 13; Started – 508; Finished – 433; Retired – 74and Disqualified – 1! – the Gordon Bennett Napier which Ipresume was either for speeding or dangerous driving!

As I strolled among the cars along Madeira Drive youcould not fail to be overwhelmed by the history thatsurrounded you. A particularly poignant moment was whenI was looking at Ossie’s DeDion and remembered the lasttime that I met the great man was right there in MadeiraDrive and the strange thing was that it felt like Ossie andBetty along with the other pioneers of the Irish Veteranscene were right there with us in spirit.

At the end of a wonderful day it was time to reload theRenault onto the transporter and let it head off again on itsreturn trip and I would like to thank the Bolands’ for theirkindness and assistance in making this dream a reality – theyreally embrace the spirit of the Veteran car movement.

And so the little Renault will be going into hibernationuntil the summer comes along with those two wonderfulevents – The Pioneer Run and The Gordon Bennett – I havedriven a range of cars over the years but have a specialaffinity with early veteran cars and it was wonderful to seesuch a collection of Irish entries in Brighton – I look forwardto seeing them all again on our home runs and would dearlylove to see the Gordon Bennett in particular have a largeturnout of early Class A cars.

It was a beautiful summers evening in Enniscorthy, theoccasion being the closing of the Strawberry Fair andwe were enjoying the Band of the Garda Siochana,

strawberries and cream and the usual Wexford craic, whensomeone said that there was a vintage car show up thetown in the GAA grounds.

So we climbed the long hilland went into the show in whichthere were a lot of cars includingquite a lot from Wales, byinvitation of the EnniscorthyClub. As we approached the carswe saw a lovely grey MG 1100saloon and a man standingbeside it. My son Paul said theman was a member of theIVVCC. So over we went andintroduced ourselves. The manwas indeed a member of theIVVCC and his name was JohnKane.

That simple meeting was the start of a wonderfulrelationship between John and his family and mine. Weshared all the joys and sorrows, laughter and tears andbelieve me there were many over the years. Through John,

we met and made wonderful friends with Albert Collierand his family, Tom Cahill, Jim Fitzpatrick, Charlie Byrneand their families and many more. We were quite a gangand became known a the club’s ‘A Team’ due to ouractivities at club events and the organising of quite a

number of ARM outings.John loved the annual

Pilgrimage to Beaulieu and all theother autojumbles and showsaround the country which weattended.

At the September FirstMonday Meeting, which wasonly three days before we left forthe Rosslare Ferry, I asked John ifhe wanted anything broughtback from Beaulieu? He lookedat me with tears in his eyes andsaid “What I would give to begoing with you and the lads.”

A few days later John wasadmitted to hospital where he passed away in the earlymorning of October 2nd.

As far as the lads are concerned, Gentleman John hasjust gone home…!

Happy memories of my friendBy Harry Noctor

John Kane, Tom Cahill and Harry Noctor with John's beloved MG 1100, June 2008.


The Bentley boys glory dayswere coming to an end, AlCapone had just received an11 year sentence in Alcatrazfor tax evasion and theUnited States were in the

depths of a recession – some thingsnever change! There were a fewnotable births – James Dean andLeonard Nimoy to name a few – buton a farm near Lucan, the man whowould, in future years, become afriend to so many car enthusiasts – JimBoland was born. Jim has, over theyears, brought so many cars back tolife and has travelled the worldpromoting the Veteran car movementin Ireland and bringing so much historyinto the country – he has dedicated his

life to the motor car and has becomewithout a doubt the foremostauthority on cars in Ireland and waybeyond.

Jim has spoken on several occasionsabout how he came across his firstveteran car but the story of how hegot his first every day car merits telling– in 1950 his mothers sister Nell, wholike so many people in the early part ofthe twentieth century had emigratedto America was now coming home fora visit – a huge occasion as mostpeople never got to make the returnjourney. At this stage Jim’s love was formotorbikes and he had his eye on a DrClarkes, AJS which was for sale –however, funds were low and it wasbeyond his reach but that didn’t stop

him working for it – he had managedto save £30 when his motherapproached him and suggested thatshe had another £30 saved and that ifthey pooled their funds they could buya small secondhand car – her plan wasthat Jim would be able to drive thewhole family around during the visit.And so Jim found a 1936 Morris 8 butwas still short of £20, however, neverdeterred, he arranged a deal where hepaid the £60 up front and the balanceby way of £1 per week.

All went to plan until Jim discoveredthat having a car made him verypopular with the fairer sex and on oneSunday morning after mass, Jim whohad a date organised was horrified todiscover that his mother, a verydetermined person (sounds familiar!)had planned a nice Sunday drive – astand-off arose with neither partygiving in until Jim’s dad who had beenreading the paper quietly, slowlylowered it and proclaimed in a calmbut extremely serious voice that he hada solution – he stood up from thetable, walked out to the shed and took

Jim, Breda and Theo Ryanon RIAC Pioneer Run.

Jim and John with 1902Renault on Opel Spring Rally.

15IVVCC WINTER 2010

out a hatchet and adopting thewisdom of Solomon approachedthe car, opened the bonnet andlifted the axe! Jim and his mumcame to their senses and acompromise was quickly reached– drive and date were agreed!Whether Pat would have beatenthe engine, nobody knows butneither were going to take therisk – this was probably theinspiration for Jim to learn how torepair cars – you could neverknow when a similar situationmight occur, but it never did!

There are thousands of tales totell about Jim’s life but they are foranother time – the importantthing now is that Jim iscelebrating a milestone in his life –note that at no stage have Imentioned his age – this isbecause its irrelevant to Jim as heis still the same enthusiasticperson that everybody has knownand loved for so long. He hasalways been a rock in the IVVCCand is always comfortablediscussing cars whether it is with

the complete amateur or the mostacclaimed expert on any make -whether they be President, Baronor Lord, he can keep thementhralled for hours with his wittybanter and incredible knowledge.He has a memory that cannot bematched and indeed I find myselfmaking notes and recheckingthem time and time again, whilehe just recalls it all effortlessly! Hislove of cars was personified in aninterview when he was asked themost unthinkable question of all –“Would he sell the cars?” – asquick as lightening and in ahorrified voice he replied – “OhGod No!!! I’d rather sell thechildren!”

Jim, I would like to take thisopportunity, on behalf ofeveryone in the club, to wish youa ‘happy birthday’ and to thankyou for everything you have doneto promote and keep alive thespirit of the car movement inIreland. Here’s to the next decadeand wishing you and Breda manyyears of happy motoring!

Breda and Jim

Jim, Tony and John in Bentley 6.5 Litre circa 1978

Jim with President Hillary aboard Benz Patent Wagon.

1952,Jim and Kathleen with Jim’s first car, a Morris 8 in Killarney. Jim & Kathleen on the Leinster Run

By JOHN BOLAND


Des Cullen

“Ihave an ould Ferrari 430 that I took as atrade-in, would you like to take it for adrive?” says Des. “Would I what?” saysI! So we drove as directly as any petrolhead would, from his home in Foxrock

to Sandyford…via Wicklow! It was a great experiencewith Des more relaxed than a man owning a car worthsome €110,000 perhaps should be while been drivenby someone new to this car. That’s the kind of guy Desis…chilled!

1 2

Exotic motor cars and motorcycleshave been part of Des’s life fordecades and it all started with a pedalcar…

Born on 20 December 1930 atBrowns Castle in Taghmon, CountyWexford, his family owned a farm of198 acres, a fair amount of which washilly and forested. The family alsoowned a mill where they ground

barley, wheat etc for the local farmers.Des used to amuse himself bydragging his pedal car (which hethinks was based on a Vauxhall) to thetop of one of the many tracks andgetting to the bottom in the fastestpossible time. Touching the pedalswasn’t an option as they were goingso fast injury was guaranteed!

In time, he and his older brother Jimused to drive the family Vulcan whichwas used to pull a harrow, hardly thetraining ground you would expect forone of Ireland’s most successful racingmotorcyclists and drivers!

While at St Peters School, Wexford,where he was a boarder, he had agreat interest in sports and playedgaelic, badminton and rugby which hecontinued by playing for Palmerstonlater on.

When he left school he went towork for Buckley’s Accessories in ErneStreet. They sold Lambretta scootersamongst other things. Because ofDes’s talent, they loaned him a ‘works’Aerial 500 on the condition that he

17IVVCC WINTER 2010

1. 1954 Des at the An Tostal Race in Cork,which he won.

2.1961 winning at Dunboyne in an AustinHealey Sprite.

3.1960 Des at the Phoenix Park in hisMGA 1600.

4.Des with his MG TD wearing his IrishMotor Racing Club blazer when he waspart of the team in the HewisonTrophy.

5.1982 Des has a big bang in his Fiat atMondello, he walks away and gets£1.20 for the car from a scrapmerchant!

win races. They need not have worriedand Des kept the bike for more thantwo years! His first win was the AnTostal, held in Cork in 1954. This wasa sign of things to come as hesuccessfully participated in scrambles,grass track and trials and races mostweekends. Des raced motorbikes from1948 until 1961, when he got marriedto Collette. He stayed away from thebikes for about a year, when theorganisers of The Rose of TraleeFestival persuaded him to race in Traleeduring the Rose Festival in order tobring in the crowds. He was

3 4

5

contd...


encouraged to bring hisfellow racers down also.Needless to say Des camefirst and then finally retiredfrom motorbike racing.

He bought a Dellow in1958 and simultaneouslyraced both car and bikeuntil 1961, when he wentto cars full-time.

In 1955 Reg Armstrongapproached him andoffered him a job. Whileshowing him around theworks Reg showed him awarehouse full of NSUmotorcycles and asked Desif he could sell them. Desfelt he could and the bikeswere all sold within twoweeks! He also recognisedthe untapped market ofwomen motorcyclists. Hetold Reg that most womenwouldn’t be bothered kick starting amotorbike and an electric start wouldresult in more customers. Electricstarters were duly fitted and the NSUPrima was a strong seller. In order tounderstand the mechanics of the bikesDes spent a week in the assembly areaunder Vivian Steevenson (my wifePatricia’s uncle), who was in charge ofassembly. Viv was a forthright manwho believed in calling a spade aspade. “You’re no effing mechanicand you’ll make a b…..x of thesebikes” he told Des. “I’m here to learnNOT to make a b…..x of the bikes andyou’re to teach me” retorted Des!Within the week he learnt all aboutthe NSU Quickly, Prima, Max, SuperMax and Maxi and became popular

with the motorbike shops on his visitswhen some of the dealers would havea queue of owners with technicalquestions for him. They were gratifiedthat he could help them because heknew what he was talking about. Atthe time Des was the only salesman forArmstrong’s and travelled the countryevery three weeks in his company car,an NSU Prinz, which Armstrong’s werealso assembling. Des had great successwith this little car in rallies andnavigation runs sometimes partneredby his brother Jim.

Then when Armstrong’s got theHonda agency, they really cleaned up.Des sold Honda 50s by the dozen andthey had to be paid for by thecostumer in advance! Because of the

success with Honda, Des no longerhad the time to travel the country, ashe was bogged down with orders,guarantees, etc. After first racing theNSU Prinz, he then raced the Honda600 in which he won nine out of theten races in that series.

He left Armstrong’s in 1969 andwent out to work for himself. His firstgarage was in Church Avenue inRathmines and it was called Wheelspinand a visit there was always interestingas the stock was eclectic - motorcycles, kit cars, old racers, moderncars, jap imports and the like. He thenmoved across the road in 1979 andbecame Des Cullen Cars with his wifeCollette and son Michael inpartnership with him. At one stage hebecame a Hyundai main dealer.Customers for exotic cars werebemused by the presence of theHyundai cars alongside Ferraris andother exotica! The decision to let thedealership go was hastened byHyundai’s demands for three toiletsand four cars on display (as opposed tothe seven Des had in the showroom)so that the customers could walkaround the cars. Des retorted in usualDes fashion, that he had sold a Bentleyand a Ferrari the previous week tosome customers who didn’t even ask ifhe had a toilet!

He moved from there to the Beaconand continued to sell exotics to eagercustomers. He retired from racing in2000. His lap record in Mondello stillstands because the Ritmo seriesfinished. In 2003 he and his brother

1

2

19IVVCC WINTER 2010

Jim won the Centenary Gordon Bennett Rally in Jim’s 1929Riley Biarritz.

He has had a number of unusual cars in his time such asthe first Austin Healey Sprite in Ireland, a couple of FerrariDino 246s, a Maserati Bora, Jaguar E Types (one kept for 7years) various Porsches and SL Mercedes and many others.He has sold some of the most expensive cars ever sold inIreland, including a Porsche GT for some €1.2 million andtwo Ferrari Enzos for €1 million each. He used one of thesein a demonstration in Goodwood along with well-knownmusician petrol head, JK (Jamiroquoi). Des is no stranger tocelebrity customers and Daniel Day Lewis was a regular,amongst others. None of this success has gone to his headand he is one of the most down-to-earth people you couldmeet. For me Des is a ray of sunshine, always positive and apleasure to meet. He has lived the kind of life most motorenthusiasts dream about, owning and driving greatmachines and having fun too. He has won over 800 (yes800!) awards in his career and loved it. His favourite racingwas the Fiat Ritmo series in Mondello. Des tells me he hashad a great life doing what he loved and having anunderstanding wife in Collette and a loving family. Michaelalso developed an interest in motor racing and went on tobecome a successful racing driver both in Ireland andinternationally. His two daughters, Pauline and Ann Marie,took to horses instead, “more lethal than cars or bikes”says Des!

Sadly Collette died on 31 Dec 2005 and Des lost hispartner of 43 years.

In recent times Des has all but retired from the selling ofexotics. He still has a stable of beautiful motor cars and bikesincluding the Fiat Gamine (Noddy Car), Lancia Monte Carlo,MG Midget, Austin Healey 100/6 and MGB GT. He also has5 motorcycles! He would love to have a 30bhp NSU Prinz 2(does IZO 583 or IZA 499 still survive?) and a goodHonda 50.

Des Cullen is a worthy subject for a book on his life andexploits. He has an extensive collection of race results andphotos dating from the early fifties that any motoringhistorian would be thrilled to have.

When I ask him on reaching the monumental age of 80,was there anything he would like to do or wish for? With atwinkle in his eye, “just to keep alive!” says he. “Amen tothat” says I…

ACROSS1. As any car enthusiast is to

join IVVCC! (8) 4. Answer as soon as possible,

initially (4)7. Sweet for VW, or horseback

team? (4)8. Invoice again - for a battery

top-up? (8)10. ‘At this moment in time’ (3) 11. Button to press to lose self-

control (5) 13. Don’t 11 Across, keep this

garment on (5)15. Change gear – and don this

garment? (5)16. This solution is actually no

good at all (7)20. Four of these will meet at 12

Down (5)21. Do it yourself, initially anyway

here (3) 23. An image, briefly, before a

graph (5) 24. This answer is definitely not

here (6)25. Joined up - for a Manchester

team? (6)

DOWN:1. Reimbursements - even

without receipts! (8) 2. Relative, in the legal

profession? (5) 3. A good buy, in the January

sales? (7) 5. Season to be kept in

suspension (6)6. Pastry, often envisioned in

the sky (3) 9. Jump - for a single beer

ingredient? (3)12. Tetchy traffic junction (9) 13. Less dangerous solution (5)14. Jobs, for the boys - or the

girls (5) 17. Sell abroad - ex a harbour (6)18. Regular routine - in clergy

garb? (5) 19. Notion - from a reformed

aide (4)22. Answer this in the affirmative

(3)23. Writing instrument - for

sheep? (3)

THE IVVCC CROSSWORD PUZZLE - NO. 39

ACROSS:1. RESTORED4. HOUR7. CELL8. VEHICLES10. AIR11. LINKS13. MAGIC

15. EVENT16. PRESENT20. RINGO21. UCD23. CRUMB24. ATTACK25. ARCHER

DOWN:1. RECHARGE2. SOLAR3. REVENGE5. ONLINE6. RDS9. ILL12. SEPTEMBER

13. MINER14. CURIO17. ENOUGH18. KNOCK19. CUBA22. DOT23. CAR

SOLUTION TO CROSSWORD No. 38 – Autumn 2010 issue

Winner Crossword Competition No. 38 is Pat & Shiela Meehan, Blackrock, Co. Dublin

Send completed entry (a photocopyis fine) to: ANSELM AHERNE, 63Granitefield Estate, Dun Laoghaire, Co.Dublin. A bottle of wine goes to thefirst all-correct entry picked out of thebag!

Name:.......................................................................................

Address:....................................................................................

.................................................................................................

Phone:....................................... Mobile: ................................

PHOTOS:1. Des with a small selection of his trophies. 2.2003, Jim and Des Cullen with the Gordon Bennett

Centenary Trophy which they won alongside Jim’s 1929 RileyBiarritz.

3.Lucky ‘petrolheads’ Des and JK at Goodwood.

3


THE NAPIER TROPHY:Bernard Williamson, car no. 2 - 1902 De Dion Bouton.

This car is in Class A and there were no other competitors inthis class who took part in the event. There were a numberof cars who did the route but they were belonging toanother class.

THE CASSIDY CUP: CLASS B

1st: Stewart Skilbeck, car no. 42 - 1915 Rover 12hp.2nd: Clive Millar, car no. 48 - 1918 Stutz Bearcat 3rd: Leonard Barr, car no. 24 - 1913 Standard Rhyl 4th: Patrick Hemphill, car no. 44 - 1916 Overland 83B

Tourer

THE DUBLIN GRAND PRIX TROPHYCLASS C1

1st: Shane Houlihan, car no. - 132 Delage2nd: Michael D'Arcy, car no. 90 - 1926 Dodge3rd: David Hazeldine, car no. 99 - 1926 Rolls Royce Tourer4th: David Marsh, car no. 84 - 1925 Vauxhall 30/98

THE PHOENIX TROPHYCLASS C2

1st: John Webber, car no. 184 - 1930 Rolls Royce 20/252nd: William Dick, car no. 109 - 1927 Willys Knight 70/70A3rd: Detlef Heyer, car no. 131 - 1928 Mercedes4th: Dennis Dowdall, car no. 126 - 1928 Rolls Royce 20hp

THE VALERIE MILLINGTON CUP:(Best individual regularity performance)

Keith Pearson, car no. 29 - 1913 Krit K Tourer

THE PATRICK HEMPHILL AWARD: (Spirit of the Event)

Gwynne Thomas, car no. 5 - 1905 Martini Roi de Belge

THE PATRICK DEALE TROPHY: (A special prize for the short route)

Bernard Williamson, car no. 2 - 1902 De Dion Bouton

THE ALAN WILSON TROPHY: (Favourite car in the event of the previous year's winner)

Roy Gibson, car no. 151 - 1929 Alfa Romeo 1750

Mercedes Benz International Gordon Bennett Rally 2010

11th-13th 2010

FIRST OVERALL - Gordon Bennett Trophy: Michael Jackson, car no. 152 - 1929 Lancia Lambda

21IVVCC WINTER 2010

The IVVCC has appointed Ian McCulloch (right) as Clerk of the Course for the Gordon Bennett Rally.

Ian recently retired from the post of Deputy Principalat Sandford Park School. He joined the Kildare MotorClub while at Trinity College, when navigation rallies

were popular, and subsequently the Trial Driver'sClub, and has competed as a driver and navigator in

his MG Midget over the past 30 years in rallies and autotests.

With this wealth of experience he has been involvedin organising numerous motor sports events, and

looks forward to the Gordon Bennett Rally, next June.

PHOTOS:1. Kevin Byrne and company in his 1928 Chevrolet

National.2.Alan Thomas driving his 1927 MG 14/40.3.Dudley Smith fills up his 1924 Morris Cowley

‘Bullnose’.4.Neil McKenzie and cousin Ian De La Richie with Ian’s

1926 Bentley 3 litre van Den Plas Tourer.5. Jennifer and Theo Ryan enjoying the warm weather.

1

2

3

4

5


Start Point: Roes Driving Range, Kilternan

3rd October

Eric Byrne with his Porsche 911

Roger Byrne and John Lynch in their 1973 MG Midget

Noel & Christine Hughes intheir ‘new’ car!

23IVVCC WINTER 2010

The O’Donovans enjoy the Wicklow Gap in their

Jaguar XK 120 DHC

Martin & Tom Leech with Martin’saward winning 1923 Vauxhall 14/40.

Alex & Jean Morton with their 1972 Jaguar E Type V12,winners of the Murtagh Pepetual Trophy.

Patrick Clarke and Kevin Browne with the

1977 Citroen GS Estate.

Trish Farrell and Jim Dolanwith Jim’s 1964 Mercedes190C

The Denning’s and their 1936 Mercedes 290A Cabriolet.

Dr Stanley & Ruth Millarand their 1952 RollsRoyce Silver Dawn,winners of the ClassicSection Pepetual Trophy.

FOR SALEGold with black MB tex,87k, hard and soft tops,

Low (€1,500) BIKPrice: €26,000

PH: 01-2985642 OR 087-8217227

1965 MERCEDES230 SL

1 engine for 16/6 Austin 1936,1 gearbox, 1 carb downdraught

36-V-E1, 1 pair stainless steelbumpers made for 1936 Austin

16/6 as new.

Front axle, back axle, front andback springs eye to eye,

front 33.5”and back 47.5”, all from a 1934 Austin 18/6,

6 spoked wheels 6 hole 19”, 2 hubs for rebuilding, 1 A frame

collapsible, complete pin andeye, 1 half shaft for 1936 Austin

16/6, 1 camshaft.

CONTACT: JIM AT: 0879747903 OR 01 4503794.

PARTS FOR SALE


FOR SALEKitted out as a limousine in the rear

but all parts to put it back to original

condition will be included in sale.

2.5 litre engine.

NCT’d, running well,

all inspections welcome.

€7,500 ono.

PHONE: 0402-37227or 086-0552660.

1957 MORRISAMBULANCE

1975 BMW 2002

FOR SALEAutomatic, met. blue, 63.5k, 5 onrs,Dublin 8 area. Original Irish car. New

alternator, regulator, fan blower, tyres,alarm, battery, rear cylinders, alloys,leatherette interior, sports steeringwheel, CD, receipts from specialist

mechanic. Requires bodywork to bemint. Great engine. €8,500 ono.

PHONE: 086-2681953

1964 MERCEDES220S FINTAIL

FOR SALESaloon. Manual, light blue withblue cloth interior. Good body,used and maintained regularly.

Ideal starter classic.PHONE: DERMOT

086-8110023 OR 045-874056.

1953 ROVER P4 60

FOR SALENeeding a little attention.

Original tool kit.€4,000

PHONE: HENRY MAUDE01-8338452.

1974 ROLLS-ROYCE

MULLINER PARK WARDCORNICHE FOR SALETudor red biscuit coloured

everflex roof with magnolialeather. New exhaust, low BIK(c.€4,500). Price: €28,000

PH: 01-2985642 / 087-8217227

1936 HILLMANMINX 1.0

FOR SALEIn good condition and has been

used as a wedding car. 1 litreengine running well. Viewing

welcome. €6,000 ono.PHONE: 0402-37227

or 086-0552660.

1924 BUICKTOURER 2.5

FOR SALECurrently being used as a

wedding car. Running well, all inspections welcome.

€35,000 ono.PHONE: 0402-37227

or 086-0552660.

1971 TRIUMPHSTAG

FOR SALEPristine condition. New Burr Elm

Dash. New Mohair Hood. Hard Top.No expense spared.

Winner of 2008 Powerscourt PicnicRun, Post-War Sports Tourer.

€10,500.PHONE: Joe 086-8755494.

WANTEDFOR 1932 FORD MODEL B.Steering box and pedal box orcomplete car for restoration.

Call 087-2420688 or email:

[email protected]

FOR SALEIn good condition.PHONE: JIM AT

01-4503794OR 087-9747903.

1936 AUSTINYORK 16-6

FOR SALEWhite with red wheels

and interior.CONTACT: 0044-1-242-602340

OR 0044-788-1598616

1935 RILEY LYNX12/4 TOURER

FOR SALECompletely original with all tools

and manuals. Known to owner forat least 30 years and is in first class

condition. €5,000 ono.Phone: Morgan 087-6864973

1953 FORDPREFECT

1951 ROVER P4‘CYCLOPS’

FOR SALE

Very good condition.

Always garaged.

€6,000.

PHONE: 086-8200251

1971 MERCEDES300 SEL 3.5 V8

FOR SALERarer than the 6.3 model.

Burgundy metallic,tan leather interior,

good condition, driving well.€6000.

PHONE: 01-4554692.

25IVVCC WINTER 2010

GARAGE TO RENTSTEPASIDE AREA.

Secure and dry.For further details

PHONE: OLIVER FORDE01-2884254

OR 087-2569411

RESTORATION WORKUNDERTAKEN

Especially R.R. specialising in re-wires, as original. Please ask or see you on Gordon Bennett.PHONE: PHIL CORDERY U.K.

01248-717808 EVENINGS

1952 DAIMLER BARKERSPECIAL SPORTS

FOR SALETwo-tone met. grey, red leather

interior, pre-selector gearbox, justreconditioned by UK specialistsP&A Leach Engineers Limited,

Bath. Bought in UK 1996,c.113,000 miles, believed

genuine, rare model, in goodcondition. €16000 ono.

PHONE: JAMES 01-2986194 OR 086-2570542.

FOR SALE5.7 litre V8 with big valve raceheads. 4 speed manual close

ratio Muncie gearbox. Only 400made in this spec. Awesome

sound and performance. Pearlwhite paintwork. Chrome

everything. Many trophies andshow wins. Vintage insurance

and €48 road tax.€19,500.

Phone: 086-2569411 (Dublin area)

1972 CORVETTESTINGRAY CONVERTIBLE

FOR SALERacing green with tan interior.

Excellent condition.€3,500

CONTACT: 087-2550000

1990MAZDA MX5

One mile off Exit 5, N7.

Phone: 01-4580395 or 087-9804099.

SECURE INDOORCAR STORAGE

CLUB SHOP

1 RADIATORBADGE€34.00 Plus P+P

2 GORDONBENNETTBADGE€40.00Plus P+P

3. KEY RING€5.00Plus P+P

4. LAPEL PINBADGE€4.00Plus P+P

5. WINDSCREENSTICKER€2.00

BLAZER with IVVCC Badgeavailable direct from Business Items

Ltd. of Dun Laoghaire (01-2300501 or 086-2536178).

Price incl. the Club badge is €130.Orders take approximately

10 days to make ready.

Our IVVCC member MICHAEL DUFF (left) looks afterthe regalia and will take orders at the monthly FirstMonday Meetings at Kiely’s on Deerpark Road. He willalso take orders by phone(01-4502240), or you can writeto him at: 58 St. James Road,Greenhills, Dublin 12.

WHEN ORDERINGA pack containing one each of

numbers 1, 3 & 4 may be purchasedat a special price of €40.00.

Post & Packing charges will apply at thecurrent rate at time of postage.

FOR SALECoupe - Dublin reg, G50 gear box,

finished in arena red, just 96,000 miles from new, superb

condition throughout, with full blackleather interior, factory fitted sunroof,

alarm and 17” Porsche cup alloys.Recent complete new clutch greatoppurtunity and sound investment,complete with both sets of original

keys. Garaged and dry use only, for thepast 12 years. Car comes complete

with fully breathable all weathercustom car cover. Part-exchange

considered. This car must be seen to beappreciated.

Offers: Region of €25,000.Ph: 086-2616008.

1987 PORSCHE911 3.2 CARRERA

1969 ALFA ROMEOGUILIA 1300 TI

FOR SALEHigh performance version of the

Julia 1300. 5-speed gear box,100mph. Photographic record of

restoration in 2002. 48,560 recorded miles.

New minilite alloys and tyres.Original manual and service

records from new. Many newparts incl. recent distributor.

Kept in dehumidified garage,never intentionally driven in the

rain. Not perfect but muchadmired wherever she goes.

€6,500PHONE: 01-2868026.

TRADE AND SKILLS INITIATIVEDuring 2006/2007 FIVA decided that Trade andSkills should be included in its policy work andform part of its new Directorate. This decision wasbased on the belief that such issues would, overtime, become more critical to the survival of thehistoric movement worldwide. At the September2007 General Assembly meeting in Copenhagena new Director, Tony Davies (UK), was elected tooversee this new work for FIVA. The first attemptat the project proved to be too optimistic - a newmore realistic approach was developed in 2010.Since then Tony has been working to achieve thefollowing objectives.● Where there are endangered skills there is a

need to identify how we can reduce the gapsbetween demand and supply.

● FIVA and ANFs (National representativese.g. IVVCC) should form partnerships withmanufacturers and key professionalAssociations.

● FIVA and the ANFs need to highlight the“Bigger Picture” with our hopes andaspirations, e.g. we need to be able to repair;maintain; restore and drive our historic vehicles.

FIVA propose to hold regular Trade and Skillsseminars to progress this project. We will keepmembers informed of developments.


Locke’s DistilleryKilbeggan

SEPTEMBER OUTING

The weather forecast for thefew days before the ARM Septouting was awful. We were

told to expect strong winds and plentyof rain on the Thursday. Thankfullythey were wrong as the day of theevent turned out to be pleasant withno rain. However to be safe webrought an old car with a roof.

We were off to Locke’s Distillery inKilbeggan. Now we had been therebefore with the ARM but as there isalways a social content to ARM dayswe decided to go. The original plan forthe day was to have two sittings forlunch because the distillery restaurantwas not large enough. I did not likethat arrangement but on the day wewere all able to sit down together.

The meeting place was arranged forthe Johnstown House Hotel in Enfieldwhere tea/coffee was available. We didnot avail of that because due to a roadclosure we arrived late. Soon we wereoff on our way to Kilbeggan. On arrivalour visit to Locke’s started with lunchin the Pantry Restaurant, after whichwe were taken on a conducted tour ofthe distillery.

Established in 1757, Locke’s is thelast remaining example of a small pot-still distillery in Ireland. The distillerymade pot-still Irish whiskey for almost200 years. The engineering content ofthis plant is of great interest. There is aworking water wheel which can beseen turning components within thedistillery. There are many large sizebevel gears which are understandableconsidering that the power comes in atone point and must be transmitted toall parts of the building. Some of thesegear wheels do not work as their teeth,which are made of wood, are damagedand broken. There is also a very oldhorizontal steam engine that can beused for backup power.

The distillery is a mostinteresting place and it was a pitythat Locke’s could not provide aguide with some engineeringknowledge. The presentation waspoor and difficult to hear.Likewise the restaurant was notgreat. We have been to manyplaces over the years and this onewould rank with the poorest andyet there is so much of interest inthe place. Locke’s would need todo a lot better to attract visitors.

True our group was large with 55people present.

Our day out was organised by DenisMurphy and Eleanor Brodie and theydid a good job, thank you. Mycomments are not meant to reflect, inany way, on their work.

Old steam engine Large bevel gears

ARM group at Locke’s

Our guide at coopers corner

We met in the NationalConcert Hall restaurantfor morning tea/coffee.This of course was after

parking our old cars in the car park.We were then to visit the MarineRescue Co-ordination Centre in theDepartment of Transport Building inLeeson Lane, just a short walk from theConcert Hall. Then for lunch we had totravel to the Springfield Hotel inLeixlip. When I saw this programme Iwas not very enthusiastic about it.Going through Dublin in old cars, Icould not see any pleasure orenjoyment in that and there wasn’t. Tobe honest it was a pain in the butt.However Ambrose and Joan Duffy hadobviously put a significant amount ofwork into the preparations and wedecided to give it a try.

Now I know where the Concert Hallis, I have been in it many times overthe years but not since the Luasarrived. Our journey brought us ontoStephen’s Green and then I noticedthat the traffic was all going in thewrong direction. We circled Stephen’sGreen three times in trying to get tothe Hall and then only succeeded inreaching our destination by going thewrong way up a one-way-street. In allour driving about the area we did notsee even one sign indicating directionsto the Hall. The lovely Stephens Greenthat we grew up with is a disgrace,particularly on the west side.

The Marine Rescue Co-ordinationCentre was something else, a breadthof competence and professionalism ina sea of waste. The Centre co-ordinates the activities of all stateagencies involved in rescue at sea andland. Included would be Gardai, Army,Naval Service, HSE, Lifeboat Service,

27IVVCC WINTER 2010

Sub aqua Groups, Mountain Rescue,and the Helicopter Service. Six largehelicopters are available, four arestationed at strategic locations aroundthe coast and the other two are held asbackup. There is very good workingco-operation between the services inthis country and those in othercountries, particularly our nearestneighbours. Borders don’t figure in theworking relationships and we in thiscountry work very closely with theBritish in many rescue operations.

OCTOBER OUTING

Marine Rescue Co-ordination Centre

While we were at the centre theywere dealing with two rescuesituations. A police helicopter hadgone down in the Mourne Mountainsat the site of another helicopter crashabout a week ago. The other caseinvolved an Air Corp plane that hadlost an engine west of Ireland and thepilot was trying to make his way backto Knock Airport. The staff at theCentre was dealing with thesesituations as part of their daily work,without fuss. contd...

Maps and Charts at the Centre

The old Control Room

ARM group at the Rescue Centre


Monitoring the movement ofshipping around our coasts andbeyond is another part of their work.Any ship from 300 tons up can bedetected. Helicopters can watchshipping from 80 miles away.Helicopters have a range of about 200miles off our coastline and they can bein the air in about 15 minutes in

daytime and 45 min at night. Thesetargets and are usually improved uponin practice.

The people at the Centre arecurrently opening a new higher techservice and they will formally operatethis new Centre in mid December. Wewish them good luck and success withtheir new facility. We received a very

good insight into what is involved inemergency rescue. It is reassuring toknow that such people are at hand ifserious trouble should arise.

Our lunch at the Springfield Hotelwas very nice and we all had plenty toeat. We had a great day out andthanks to Ambrose and Joan.

Since our last day out in Septemberlong-time member John Kane passedaway. John was a member of the ARMfrom the beginning. He was a nicequiet man, always pleasant to talk withand a very staunch supporter of ourgroup. John and his old friend HarryNoctor could be seen together at manyrallies particularly the ARM. In recentyears John did not enjoy the best ofhealth but it is sad that he is gone. “Ardeis Dea go raibh a anam naofa”

ARM group at the Rescue Centre

NOVEMBER OUTING

National Yacht Club, Dun Laoghaire

As I write this report the snow is falling, outsideeverything is white and according to the radiothe city of Dublin is in chaos, at a standstill,due to the weather. It’s not Friday but only

Wednesday and I am very glad our ARM day was last weekand not this week.

Our November meeting has been held in the Yacht Clubfor several years. It is our 2011 date fixing meeting whenthe program of events for next year are set. This popularevent is organised by Tony and Ann Jobling and this year75 people turned up for the event. For usthe day starts with a DART journey fromHowth to Dun Laoghaire. Somepeople arrive in cars and I noticed afew old cars in the car park.

Tony had arranged a pre-lunchpresentation for us. This wasgiven by Capt John Leahy and thetopic was “How safe is flying?”.

John has had a 34-year careerwith British Airways during whichhe was Chief Pilot on their 747Boeing Fleet. Since his retirement John

has worked as an aviation consultant with Ryanair. Part ofhis work covers the fields of safety and quality systems.More recently John has become involved with theconsortium trying to build a new airport near Arklow.

The presentation by John was very interesting andeducational. It started with a short film which was veryamusing and funny while still having a serious side. Hisfollowing talk, presented in a light-hearted manneremphasised his deep knowledge of aircraft operation andsafety. However it finished too soon and I could havelistened to him for considerably longer.

The talk was followed by lunch in the Club and thatwas to the usual high standard of the staff at the

Club. The date-fixing meeting that followed was abrief affair and all dates for 2011 have beenallocated. Henry Noonan and Noel Kavanaghhave agreed to continue as coordinators for onemore year.

Our thanks to Tony, Ann and John for a niceday out and to Henry and Mary Noonan and Noel

Kavanagh for their work in keeping our monthlyARM outings live and active.

“As I write this report the snow is

falling, outside everythingis white and according to the radio the city of

Dublin is in chaos!”

“Monitoring themovement of shippingaround our coasts and

beyond is another part oftheir work.”

29IVVCC WINTER 2010

The scene is at theopening of the newmembers’ garagingfacility in August 1904at the Irish Automobile

Club premises in Dawson Street,Dublin. The IAC, which had beenfounded in January 1901, acquiredits more familiar initials RIAC inAugust 1918 when King George Vgranted it a royal charter, inrecognition of the services of clubmembers by adapting their cars asambulances to ferry woundedsoldiers from ships to Dublinhospitals and convalescent homes, orback to their families. Up to twentycars were in full-time service asambulances when the First WorldWar ended and a further threeambulances were bought for use atthe front in France.By the time of this picture, it wasestimated that there were over 200cars on Irish roads. At the end of1903, motor registration numberswere introduced for all mechanicallypropelled road vehicles, so the figureestimated may have been gleanedfrom adding up the totals ofregistration numbers issued thus farby the county councils and boroughcorporations (city councils). Theselocal authorities were given the taskof administering the registrationsystem, with a two-letter (usually)index mark unique to that authority.Until 1920, the registration numberwas linked to the owner, not the

vehicle, but if the owner operatedmore than one vehicle at the sametime, a second number was required.The only exception was in somecounties where a number could beused in duplicate if the secondvehicle was a motorcycle.Viewing the cars on the right, thefirst one, registered RI 21, is probablya Humber Humberette judging bythe scuttle and bonnet design. Nextis RI 99 which is possibly an Ariel,although many cars of that era useda “coal scuttle” bonnet, mostnotably Renault. The car beyond maybe a Wolseley given the bonnetdesign. The next in line showing thenumber RI 54 could be an early chaindrive Daimler. The height andproportions of the radiator of thenext car suggests an Argyle 10hp.As the last cars in the row aredifficult to make out, if we move tothe line facing the camera, then firstis IK 62, possibly a Siddeley 18 hpand next to it is NI 4, which looks likea Clement Talbot. There is too littlevisible of the cars on the left toattempt identification. The owners’addresses determined whichlicensing authority issued theirnumbers; cars registered in the RIseries indicate the Dublin City area,IK was for County Dublin and NI wasthe County Wicklow index mark.My thanks to Alec Sinclair and BobMontgomery of the RIAC for theirassistance and for allowing me toreproduce this picture.

By COLM O’NEILL

ByJOHN BOLAND

Dear Editor,Re: Minister Dempsey and the road Tax issue.

Below is the response from the Officer of the Minister for theEnvironment on the above matter.

“I have been asked by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage andLocal Government to refer further to your recent letter in relation tothe recommendation of the Local Government Efficiency Review(LGER) concerning vehicles being declared off-the-road for motor taxpurposes.

The recommendations of the LGER are under consideration in thisDepartment at present and will inform preparation of the Heads of aBill revising and consolidating motor tax law. The focus of attention inrelation to off-the-road declarations in this context centres on therelative ease at which persons may at present fraudulently claim avehicle to be off-the-road retrospectively and thus evade payment ofmotor tax. It is not intended to prevent persons maintaining vintagevehicles in storage, as you rightly point out, there is no obligation tohold a vehicle licence for a vehicle not in use on a public road. Thisposition will not change.”

We will await developmentsPEADAR WARD

Dear Editor,NormanWilliams waslooking forinformation onhis BentleyMk6 in theAutumn 2010Journal and hasnow beingcontacted by Nick Nolan, from Kilpeddar,who is the current owner of the Bentley. Hebought it about 4 years ago from a guy inDublin (who he thinks was called SeamusO'Reilly and who owns a hardware shop inChurchtown). Nick did some work on it (it'snow black and silver) and he takes it out onsome of the vintage runs and enjoys drivingit.

Thanks again for putting the photo in theIVVCC Journal.

JUDY WILLIAMS


RIAC ARCHIVE TRIP

The RIAC Archive is organising a trip to theMillie Miglia between 11th-13th May11th, 2011 and has a number of extra

places which it is offering to IVVCC memberson a first come - first served basis. The tripitinerary is as follows:

May 11thFlight from Dublin to Milan Bergamo, coachtransfer from airport to Hotel Araba on LakeIseo.

May 12thBreakfast at hotel followed by coach to MillieMiglia Museum. Coach to central Bresciawhere entries in the Millie Miglia assemble.View start of event on outskirts of Brescia at7.00 pm. Coach return to hotel.

May 13thBreakfast at hotel, followed by coach transferto Alfa Romeo Museum in Milan and on toAirport. Flight from Bergamo to Dublin.

The tour is being organised by GTI Travel(Contact Derek Keogh at 01-8434734) andanyone interested should contact them for fulldetails and a booking form. Bookings need tobe made before the end of this month(January). Cost approx €500.

17TH INTERNATIONAL

FOUGERES RALLY - FRANCE

The APPF are organising the 17th International Fougeres Rallyfrom 27th to 30th May 2011. This rally is limited to 150 cars inorder to maintain a friendly atmosphere and cars

manufactured up to Dec 1962 are accepted as entrants. The rallytradition of mixing groups of Veteran, Vintage, PV and Classic carsboth exclusive and popular will continue.

The aim of the Rally is to provide car enthusiasts from differentcountries an opportunity to discover places of interest in theDepartement de la Manche as well as participating in a publicpresentation of cars at a chosen site. This year Panhard & Levassorand HRG will be the marques of honour. The total mileage of therally will be approximately 300 miles avoiding heavy traffic andtown centres.

As this is a popular event, entries will be on a first come firstserved basis. Participants who send a copy of the FIVA IdentityCards for their vehicles with their entry forms will given priority. TheIVVCC is the FIVA Rep for Ireland.

Application deadline: April 25th 2011. Application form,cheque and car photo to be sent to: Patrick Rollet, APPF, 242Rue de Morainvilliers, 78630 Orgeval, France.

Tel/Fax (33) 1 39 75 71 49 (after 7pm) or email [email protected]

See: www.rallye-fougeres-org for details.

AXA can trace their roots back to 1906 (and earlier) when we were Motor Union Insurance, Ireland’s first specialist “horseless carriage insurer”.Today, we’re still in pole position as Ireland’s leading classic car insurer.If you own a car from a bygone age you need special insurance with excellent cover, including breakdown assistance.

from the MGB to the GTIwe have the perfect insurance policy

redefining standards

AXA Insurance Limited, Wolfe Tone Street, Dublin 1. Registered in Ireland number 136155. We may record or monitor phone calls for training, prevention of fraud, complaints and to improve customer satisfaction. AXA Insurance Limited is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. (1964 AD)

Call into your nearest AXA Insurance branch and ask

about Concours classic and vintage car insurance.

Or phone us at 1890 200 016

www.axa.ie

Date post:	30-Mar-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	esther-behan
View:	227 times
Download:	1 times

The IVVCC Journal Winter 2010

Documents