Issue 217 IVS & Issue 54 RC

Description

IRISH VINTAGE SCENE ISSUE 217

Heading up the July 2024 edition of Irish Vintage Scene is an Austin A40 Devon that has lived all over Ireland at various times over its life, but has recently returned to the family that owned it in the early 1970s. Bought new in Cork in 1952, in 2022 it was tracked down in Armagh by the sons of its owner in the seventies, and now it’s a treasured part of the family once again. Our second feature car is another design of the late forties, but one that lasted in production far longer – this Rover P4 80 was picked up in the UK on something of a whim, with plenty of bodywork rot discovered on its return to Ireland. However it developed into a very satisfying restoration project for its owner, and is now back on the road with reliability and style.

This month’s featured tractor is a very rare sight in Ireland – the Valmet Model 15 A was the first tractor model that was produced by the Finnish giant, and paved the way for the huge success of the company up to the present day, now known as Valtra. This 1953 example was bought in its native Finland in the late nineties by the Buckley family, who operate a Valmet/Valtra dealership in Co. Cork. Our featured motorcycle is one of the all-time legendary small two-strokes, a Kawasaki KE 100 trail bike that was recently restored after over twenty years sitting in a shed, and our commercial feature tells the tale of a 1955 Albion Claymore that’s been in the same ownership since the late 1970s. Lots of the usual favourites are in there too, so don’t miss out!

RETRO CLASSICS ISSUE 54

The July to September 2024 issue of Retro Classics is now on sale at good newsagents nationwide, or direct from us by ordering online quickly and conveniently, and as usual we’ve another exciting line-up of very special cars for you. Heading up this issue has to be one of the best-known Subaru Legacy RSs in Ireland, but one that has been out of the public eye for decades – campaigned by the late Michael Farrell back in the nineties, this Prodrive-prepared Legacy is believed to have been Subaru Tecnica International’s first chassis destined for the World Rally Championship, and has just returned to the road after a long and detailed restoration.

Further into the mag, we feature a show-worthy Volvo Amazon that’s been the dream project for its owner, and is now kitted out with a custom interior trim and Lorinser split-rim wheels. We also bring you an unusual Group 4 Mk2 Escort that’s been built not as a rally weapon, but as a fully-trimmed road car, another unique Ford in the shape of a Mk2 Consul with Capri running gear, and we finish off with a bang with a feature on a pristine specimen of the Lotus Omega twin-turbo, a monster muscle-saloon that developed a notorious reputation during the early nineties.

Event reports in this issue come from the MAAC All-American Show in Kilbeggan, the Causeway Coast Ford Fair 2024, Japfest at Mondello Park, MLVW Europrojekt 3 and the Wells House Classic Car Show. All of this comes along with our regular detailing guide, a look back at the often-quirky car ads of decades past, and a visit to the awe-inspiring BMW Museum in Munich, so don’t miss out!