Issue 212 (February 2024)

Description

The cover of the February 2024 edition of Irish Vintage Scene goes to one of the hot-hatch heroes of the early eighties. While Ford’s Fiesta marked its first foray into the supermini hatchback market in 1976, it didn’t receive proper performance credentials until the 1981 launch of the XR2 version, powered by the good old 1600 Kent crossflow. The example we feature this month is owned by a fan that grew up driving Mk1 Fiestas, and making this one as good as it possibly could be has been a labour of love for him. Our second feature car is a change from the norm – a 1979 Peugeot 504 hearse of all things, which not only has resided in Co. Kerry all its life, but was even converted there in the early eighties. With only 16,000 miles on the clock, it’s an incredibly original piece of history from a section of Irish motoring that receives little attention from enthusiasts.

Moving to matters agricultural, this month’s featured tractor is a classic Massey Ferguson 35 that has been in the same Co. Tyrone family since it was bought new in Omagh in 1961, and has recently been restored to as-new condition. Our commercial vehicle feature looks at a 1971 Dodge K-Series tipper that was bought for very sentimental reasons by its current owner, and rounding off our features for this month is a 1961 Zundapp Combinette 428 moped that’s just been rebuilt after many decades lying in storage.

Lots of the usual favourites are in there too, including a look back on events in 2023 from the Nenagh Classic Car Club Show, Ballyfinnane Hillclimb commemoration, the Aran Islands Classic Car Run, Western Veteran & Vintage Car Club’s West Run and the Ulster Festival of Steam & Transport, so don’t miss out!