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Carlow Vintage & Classic Motor Club Show in Boland’s Carlow 5th & 6th March 2011
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We at O Connor Upholstery are now providing Camper and Caravan owners the chance to give their Campers and Caravans a complete makeover inside.
Give your Camper a new lease of life with new flooring (large range of products to choose from), curtains and seating in new modern colours and designs.
For more information contact Pat or Kay on 063 89910 or 087 9141223 or email kay_oconnor@eircom.net
www.campermakerovers.ie
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“The Showband Era” is the title of a unique exhibition of memorabilia on display in Graiguenamanagh Library from the 4th to the 25th of February.Before the days of electric guitars, keyboards, and synthesizers, brass instruments dominated the music of Ireland. The true era of the Irish showbands actually started in the mid 1950’s, but really didn’t catch fire and explode until the 1960’s. What is certain is that a showband had just one job…entertain the crowds and “keep them dancing.” Take a trip down memory lane to a bygone era in our musical past in Graig library. This nostalgic exhibition features original posters & photographs of showbands, some musical instruments and music. A sincere thanks to those who contributed items to this fabulous exhibition.
Graignamanagh library is open 10am to 8pm Tuesday and Thursday.
10am to 5 pm Wednesday and Friday
10am to 1.30 Saturday
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Many years ago the sight of NSU vehicles on Irish roads was common enough. Most people were familiar with NSU cars and motorcycles and many had their first taste of motorized transport on or in a NSU vehicle. In the 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s NSU vehicles were assembled and sold here by Reg Armstrong Motors. Reg Armstrong was well known as a world-class racing motorcyclist. As an NSU works rider he had many victories.
DANESFORT 2010
Initially a plant was established in Dublin for the assembly of motorcycles and from this the full range of NSU models from Quickly to the 250cc Max were assembled. In 1958 the assembly of cars commenced at a separate plant in Ringsend Dublin. Assembly started with Prinz 2 & 3, then Prinz 4, Prinz 1000 and Prinz 1000TT and finally the TYP110. The later models, the Ro80 and K70 were not assembled but imported directly into Ireland. NSU vehicles were very popular in Ireland at the time and it follows that many people who started driving in the 50’s and 60’s did so by way of a NSU vehicle. For many people their first car or bike was a NSU.
www.nsuclubireland.com Or click on our link ” NSU CLUB IRELAND”
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The TCOC is a classic car club dedicated to the preservation and enjoyment of Triumph cars. The club has a strong social aspect with monthly meetings plus many social and technical events all year round. Membership is open to all,so if you have a Triumph car or are considering purchasing one,then the TCOC is the club for you.
www.tcoc.ie
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On the 4th Oct 2010 tragedy struck young 27yr Gordon Donovan , He was at his friends house when a back boiler exploded giving him 40degree burns and his left leg amputated.Gordon is still in hopsital and doing well.
Gordon is a true escort fan owning a black mk1 rs2000 and currently building a mk2 rally car . His father Jim is a well know man , a great supporter of vintage days , static shows and runs
On the 27th Feb we will be meeting up at the (look out) in Barna which is 4 miles on the Abbeyfeale side of Newcastlewest, leaving here at 12 noon sharp heading down into Newcastlewest onto Foynes where we will have a 15 min regroup, heading on then for Tarbert , Ballylongford and back to Ballybunion where we will have a stop for 30 mins or so. Tea and sandwiches will be served on the day .. There will also be numerous spot prizes . Looking forward to seeing as many cars as possible .
TOM FLYNN 087 0567687
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ARTICLE FROM www.minormania .com
The Morris Minor Series MM was the first new model produced by Morris Motors after World War II. Miles Thomas became the new vice-chairman and managing director of Morris Motors in 1940 and was joined by Vic Oak and Alec Issigonis in discussing what the world needed in the way of personal transport once the war ended. The discussions centered around a small saloon that would be cheap to make, versatile and, out of necessity, unconventional. The young designer Issigonis had some very strong ideas about how a modern car should be made, including a body that took the stresses of the suspension instead of a separate chassis, and independent suspension. The discussions became plans and Issigonis was given a free hand to design a brand new car for the post-war world. That car was not the Minor, but the Morris Mosquito.
The Morris Mosquito
Until Lord Nuffield made an executive decision, the new Morris was going to be called the ‘Mosquito’. The Mosquito was the imagination of Alec Issigonis made real. Unitary construction meant that there was no separate chassis, and torsion bars provided independent suspension at the front. An independent rear suspension setup was under development but cost factors meant that the live rear axle of the pre-war Morris Eight was fitted instead.
Issigonis’ design for the Mosquito was quite unconventional in that it moved away from the traditional upright grill and running boards. With the headlamps mounted behind the oval grill and the front wings blending smoothly into both the bonnet and the side of the car, the lines were quite aerodynamic, especially for the time. In one of the most famous quotes related to the Morris Minor, Lord Nuffield, head of Morris Motors, called the Mosquito a ‘poached egg’. He hated it.
Also part of Issigonis’ innovative design was an all new flat-four engine. A flat-four engine has all four cylinders lying horizontally, with the crankshaft in the middle and 2 cylinders out each side. This makes for a very wide engine, a feature which is apparent in today’s Minors by the extremely wide engine bay. But development costs of an all-new engine for the Mosquito were high, and combined with production problems and delays the easy answer was to fit the conventional in-line sidevalve engine of the pre-war Morris Eight Series E as a stop-gap. The flat-four engine never saw production.
Miles Thomas, the managing director, and Issigonis both knew in their hearts that the Minor would succeed but convincing the directors was very difficult. The Minor was actually nearly ready for production a full 12 months before it’s official unveiling at the Motor Show. Miles Thomas became so disgruntled at being held up by management that he resigned in 1947. Luckily he was replaced as chief executive by Reggie Hanks, also a great believer in the Minor.
London Motor Show
Against all odds and unsupportive upper-management, the Mosquito finally saw the light of day in 1948 at the British Motor Show held at Earl’s Court in London. By the time it appeared two major changes had been made. The first was by Lord Nuffield himself who had made an executive decision to change the name to ‘Minor’ after the pre-war open tourer of 1928-1934. The second change was a visual one. In another famous move, at the last minute before full-scale production began, Alec Issigonis, dissatisfied with the look of the prototypes had one cut down the middle and the two halves moved apart until he was satisfied that the car looked ‘just right’. He then told engineer Reg Jobs to ‘make it so’. Take a look at any Minor today and you will see a 4″ wide strip down the middle of the bonnet, a direct result of Issigonis’ meddlings. Early Series MMs also show the effects of the widening in the bumper bars. The bumpers had already entered production by the time of the widening, so to save money they were simply cut down the middle and a fillet added.
The London Motor Show in 1948 was the Morris Minor Series MM’s world debut. It was the star of the show. Along with the stylish Jaguar XK120 sportscar, the Minor wowed the audiences and had the journalists scribbling madly.
New Models
Initially, the new Minor was available in only two models; the two-door saloon and the convertible, known as the Tourer, and only available in black, platinum grey, romain green and a for a short time, maroon. It was a pretty little car with modern styling and exceptional handling for such a small car. With comfortable seating for four adults and large load-carrying ability inside the well-proportioned boot the Minor quickly became popular with the public. The only trouble was, most of the cars produced were sent overseas!
In 1949 over 75% of the 29,000 Minors made in that year were sent to the USA. In 1950 it was 80%, and in 1951 over 90% of all Minors made were sent abroad. Little wonder that the sight of a Lowlight Minor in everyday use in the UK is such a rarity.
The Series MM Minor quickly acquired a reputation of reliability and sportscar-like handling. This was in spite of its archilles heel – the engine. The Issigonis-deisigned flat-four engine hadn’t made it into production, so the Minor was stuck with the already old sidevalve engine from the pre-war Series E. Pumping out a mere 27.5bhp the Series MM Minor could only manage a top-speed of 62.3mph, the later 4-door Series MM only managing 60mph.
Lowlite to Highlight
With such a large proportion of sales being in the USA, that market was obviously very important for Morris Motors. So when USA legislation changed in 1949 specifying the minimum height of headlights from the ground, Morris Motors was forced to change the design of the grill and front wings, a change that Issigonis was extremely dissatisfied with, calling it ‘vandalism’. The new light arrangement first saw the light of day in the UK on the newest model Minor, the four-door, late in 1950 although it had been fitted to the US export models for some time.
What the Press Said
A journalist from The Motor once wrote the double-edged-sword comment that the Morris Minor Series MM was ‘one of the fastest slow cars in existence’. The sidevalve engine may have been old, but coupled the excellent chassis and suspension of the Minor it gained a new lease on life. The magazines of the time appeared to gloss over such unimportant details like top speed and concentrated on the driver appeal of the car.
The suspension came in for most of the praise, having ‘remarkable stability on curves and corners’ and which was ‘first rate’. The steering was also lauded as ‘light, quick and accurate’. Features such as the optional passenger-side windscreen wiper were criticised however, as was the lack of heater. Heaters were not even available as an option since the sidevalve engine had no water pump. This was rectified later by the availability of an after-market water pump and eventually became a factory option.
But overall niggles were few and the Series MM Minor received extremely good press and gained a strong reputation worldwide.
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AFTER OUR RECENT AGM OUR COMMITTEE HAS CHANGE TO A 5 MAN TEAM, WITH THE NEW ROLE OF VICE CHAIRMAN TO HELP OUR PAUL WITH HIS WORKLOAD.
THIS NEW VICE CHAIRMAN IS EAMON FOLEY.
ALSO JOINING THE TEAM IS SEAN DOHENY WHO IS REPLACING Mr Declan Walsh WHO HAS RETIRED AFTER 7 YEAR AT VARIOUS ROLES. SEAN IS NOW THE MEMBERSHIP SECETEARY
SEAN’S POSTAL ADDRESS FOR NEW MEMBERSHIP OR RENEWALS
K.M.C. MEMBERSHIP
C/O Mr Sean Doheny
Grove
Cuffesgrange
Co Kilkenny
086 2642214
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT
BRIAN LACEY
SEAN DOHENY
DAN KENNEDY
EAMON FOLEY
PAUL KENNA
OUR RETIRING MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY WAS PRESENTED WITH A GLASS PLAQUE AS A APPRECIATION FOR HIS EFFORTS IN HIS ROLES OVER THE YEARS
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Run By Members For The Members.
Press release issued on behalf of ‘Blue Force.’
Release time: immediate
9th February 2011.
‘Blue Force’
After more than a 45-year absence, probably one of the most famous logos ever to grace a tractor, the Fordson wheat sheaf, is to be used once again.
The Ford Motor Company of America has officially sanctioned the use of the wheat sheaf as the basis of the logo for the recently-formed tractor group, ‘Blue Force’ – Friends of Fordson, Ford, New Holland & Derivatives.
Blue Force will encompass Fordson, Ford, New Holland tractors and machines, and any of the skid units that were converted by such famous companies as County, Doe, Muir-Hill, Roadless, etc. Tractors covering agricultural, amenity and industrial will form part of Blue Force as will commercial lorries such as the Ford Thames Trader which also carried the Fordson name as well as the famous wheat sheaf logo.
Dedication
A dedicated band of enthusiasts have preserved and continue to work probably the widest range of tractors spanning a period from 1917 to 2011, honouring one of the finest machinery pioneers in agricultural history, Henry Ford, along with his son Edsel and their renowned team of specialists and pioneers.
For the members
Blue Force is not linked to any commercial or other enterprise and will be run for the members by the members, and as funds allow, with membership approval, Blue Force will support various charities as well as offering a number of benefits for members.
The first obvious sign will be a new magazine – again which will be produced solely for the members and the new Blue Force logo will become prominent throughout the year. One of the principal aims of the group will be to look after the interests of its members, whether in the north of Scotland, the south-west of England or across Ireland.
The team will be joining in, organising and hosting events, large and small, whether it be a major show, a road-run, a working day, a barbecue or simply a small group of like-minded enthusiasts who just want to get together for the common good. Many enthusiasts cannot afford, or do not have suitable transport to travel to the larger shows, so this way it is envisaged that everyone will be “in touch” and catered for.
True blue!
Every type of Ford / New Holland-related tractor will be accepted, from fully-restored through working, to all-original. Whether it is a UK or Irish-built unit, or one that was built in America or any other part of the world, all are and will be welcome. Each related tractor and every person is as important as the next, and Blue Force will not discriminate or operate in a partisan fashion.
Another of the aims of the group is to provide a full service, from tractor registrations to technical assistance and advice. Tractor and cosmetic repair plus restoration advice are also very much on the agenda, with guidance and general help pertaining to the preservation of anything blue. A leading team of recognised technical experts has been assembled and will be on hand to give the advice that is needed to run Blue Force and look after the ‘Friends of Fordson – Ford – New Holland & Derivatives’.
A modern, informative and attractive website has been established and will be regularly maintained and updated www.blueforce.uk.com
All in all, with the enthusiasts’ support, Blue Force could become one of the world’s largest dedicated tractor groups for the enthusiast.
Grand Launch.
A Grand Launch for Blue Force has been arranged for Saturday 9th April 2011 at Ben Craig’s museum which is also home to the Vale of Belvoir Vintage Machinery Club at Harby, Leicestershire, LE14 4BL.
The day, starting at 10.30am, will welcome all those interested in anything blue and a large selection of tractors will be present covering all ages of the Fordson – Ford – New Holland lines plus a wide range of derivatives based on the main line skid units.
A new club stand will offer a range of Blue Force merchandise and the experts will be on hand to answer any questions. There will be no charge for the day, which promises to be big and exciting; however any donations will be gratefully received and will be donated to Ben Craig’s designated charity, the Cottage Day Hospice.
If you would like to bring a tractor to this very important inaugural day or just want to visit and be part of the celebrations, please telephone Ben on 01949 860139 or Blue Force on 07826 650424.
www.blueforce.uk.com
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Durrow Vintage Club Entry Form
Entries must be returned by the 8th April for inclusion in this year’s show. Due to the huge number of exhibits that attended our show last year without prior entry, this year in order to cater for everyone we need all entries to be sent before the 8th April together with full entry fee & copy of Insurance in order to plan for parking and plaques etc. This year there will be no meals given to exhibitors on the day of the show. There will be food stalls available on site. We also wish to advise everyone that any person damaging any of the fencing or property at this years event will be dealt with by the proper authorities on the day. On receipt of entry form & fee a pass will be sent to you on return. This pass must be presented at entry of this years show.
• Pre 1970 Vehicles – Free Entry only for driver and 1 passenager – extra adult passengers will be €5.00 per person.
• Post 1970 Vehicles – €5.00 per person
• Children under 14 yrs free
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