Have you heard the one about the Irish motor industry? Today is St Patrick’s Day, but it’s no joke. The history of car production in the Emerald Isle isn’t a mythical fairy story and stretches back well over a century.
Most famously, Cork was the home of the first purpose-built Ford factory outside of America. Originally built in 1919 to make Fordson tractors, in later life the plant assembled and also manufactured every type of Ford, from Transits to Cortinas, until it finally closed in 1984.
While people often wrongly assume that Henry Ford was from Ireland – his parents hailed from West Cork and he was born in Michigan, USA – the factory employed thousands of people on the production lines in its heyday.
Such was the paucity of output in the Republic of Ireland that we shall also consider the part of the north-east of the island that’s part of the United Kingdom.
In Northern Ireland, Chambers Motors was the first car manufacturer on the island of Ireland. Established in 1904 by brothers Charlie, Robert and Jack Chambers, their high-calibre cars were hand-built by skilled craftsmen using quality materials.
As well as popular cars such as the 12/16 Model, the company built a range of commercial vehicles that saw service in the First World War – ambulances were a speciality. Post-war financing problems led to the firm’s demise in 1929 and only four Chambers cars are thought to have survived.
Assembly plants sidestep imports tax
Many major European brands shipped cars to Ireland for assembly to sidestep taxes on imported cars. Among them was the first VW Beetle built outside of Germany, at the Shelbourne Road factory in Dublin in 1950. Mercedes and Mazda vehicles were also assembled in the Irish capital.
And while Toyota, Fiat and Renault all had a footprint in the Republic, Ireland never developed a car industry of note. Author and Irish car historian Bob Montgomery explained why. “While Belfast was swept along with the industrial revolution, the rest of the island was primarily agricultural.
“It had limited industrial infrastructure and, quite frankly, the Irish government didn’t help. Its attitude was ‘why encourage a manufacturing industry that would build products mostly for export?’. Had the politicians embraced the idea it could have been very different.”
Great museums
At least Ireland boasts at least three car museums worth a visit. Mondello Park at Naas, near Dublin, is the country’s only international circuit, hosting events since 1968. Drivers who have thrilled the crowds on the track include Ayrton Senna, Mika Häkkinen and Eddie Jordan.
The late property developer Martin Birrane owned the circuit. A GT class winner at the Le Mans 24 Hours race and Irish land speed record holder, his collection of cars is available to view during driving experience days. Among the highlights are IndyCar and Nascar racers and a Benetton B186 that earned the team its first grand prix victory in Mexico in 1986.
North of the border, the purpose-built Ulster Transport Museum houses everything from steam trains to the original design drawings for the Titanic, built at the nearby Harland & Wolff shipyard. An eclectic range of cars includes a Hillman Imp and a Sunbeam Grand Prix that won the 1924 Spanish Grand Prix.
The National Transport Museum of Ireland, in Dublin, is more focussed on commercial vehicles but a personal favourite is way off to the west, in the stunning scenery of County Kerry.
Just finding Kilgarvan Motor Museum can be an adventure. The Mitchell family began the collection as a hobby in the 1970s. Don’t expect digital displays or a virtual reality experience – most of the exhibits are well within touching distance and all the better for it.
The country’s motoring history is represented by a 1926 Model T but beyond Ford, what other marques made a name for themselves in Ireland?
The Shamrock (1957)
A glass-fibre-bodied convertible built on a ladder frame, the Shamrock was optimistically advertised as “the latest in functional modern design blended with the skills of old-world craftsmanship”.
Castleblayney was hardly known for car manufacturing. However, Californian businessman William Curtis picked the County Monaghan town in 1957 to build a luxury soft-top which could then be exported to the US.
The design was best described as “unusual”, an awkward-looking Ford Thunderbird with front and rear overhangs that stretched the car to 17ft. Unfortunately, a 1.5-litre, 53bhp engine was barely up to the job.
Too big for Irish roads and not powerful enough for American drivers, less than a dozen examples of the Shamrock were built. The remaining bodies were reputedly dumped in a nearby lough.
TMC Costin (1983-1987)
Who put the “Cos” into revered engineering firm Cosworth? Mike Costin co-founded the company with Keith Duckworth and created engines that powered drivers such as James Hunt, Sir Jackie Stewart and Graham Hill to success.
His brother, Frank, championed monocoque chassis construction and famously designed the Vanwall racing car that won the first F1 Constructors’ Championship in 1958. In later life, he also designed the Irish-built TMC Costin.
A coupé-esque Lotus 7, the Costin was built by the Thompson Motor Company in Wexford. Made from glass-fibre over a spaceframe with aluminium side panels, the two-seater was manufactured from 1983-1987 and achieved notable success in motorsport.
Silver Stream (1907-1909)
A prototype of the stately Silver Stream was constructed from 1907-1909 as a luxury car to rival the Rolls-Royce.
The brainchild of wealthy Irishman Philip T Somerville-Large, the 22hp tourer was built in County Kildare but never went into production. The sole example sold in 2007 for £130,000 at auction.
DAWB 6 (1962)
Rejected by renowned Italian design houses Bertone and Pininfarina in the 1950s, this elegant coupé was the brainchild of former Harland & Wolff shipyard fitter David Woods and Isle of Man TT racer Artie Bell. The rather unfortunate name is an amalgamation of their initials, one unlikely to impress the stylists of Turin.
Cut from 20-gauge steel and fitted with parts from an assortment of cars – including a Ford Zephyr windscreen, door frames from a Humber Hawk and a Volvo back window – the car had an unusual 1.4-litre DOHC (dual overhead camshaft) engine, which developed a decent 135bhp.
The DAWB took eight years to complete, by which time Woods is said to have lost interest and turned his attention to building a boat. The only existing example is housed at the Ulster Transport Museum.
DeLorean DMC-12 (1981-1982)
Perhaps the most famous, or infamous, car ever built in Ireland, the DMC-12 was a Giugiaro-designed coupé that rocketed to fame in the film Back To The Future. Unfortunately, John DeLorean’s financial affairs and brush with the law forced the Dunmurry firm into bankruptcy in 1982.