Issue 224 IVS & Issue 56 RC

Description

IRISH VINTAGE SCENE ISSUE 224

The February 2025 issue of Irish Vintage Scene goes on sale very shortly, and on the cover is a very special car indeed – this Opel Kadett C is not only a rare GT/E, but it was converted from LHD to RHD when it arrived in Ireland brand new in 1979, and went on to forge a prominent racing career. Having fallen into very serious disrepair several decades later, 631 MZE was taken on by a skilled enthusiast in Donegal that’s returned it to stunning condition. Our second featured car is another sporting model with an Irish competition history, a Renault 8 Gordini that used to wear the registration number FZL 345 before it moved recently to a new owner in Northern Ireland.

This month’s featured tractor is a Ford 4000 that means the world to its owner, after it served him well as a hedge-cutting rig for thirty years and became a treasured member of his family in the process. Our motorcycle feature showcases a 1963 NSU Quickly N23 that’s been recently restored by an expert in the model, while this month’s featured commercial is an ex-Burmah-Castrol 1969 Leyland Beaver that represented a twenty-year labour of love for its owner, after he bought it in the early 2000s in very poor condition. Lots of the usual favourites are in there too, so don’t miss out!

RETRO CLASSICS ISSUE 56

The January to March 2025 issue of Retro Classics goes on sale at good newsagents shortly, or is available direct from us by pre-ordering online quickly and conveniently, and as usual we’ve another highly varied selection of feature cars to bring you. Sitting pretty on the cover is one of the most impressive BMW E30s we’ve seen in years – a 318is M-Tech 2 that’s been thoroughly reworked by its owner, and now packs a four-litre V8, air suspension and nine-inch-wide Borbet wheels all round.

Further into the mag, we showcase a stunning VW Karmann Ghia that was built by John Maher Racing in the 2000s, complete with a very hot 1776cc engine with Porsche cooling conversion. We look back to nineties peak hedonism with a rare and fearsome, 420hp wide-body Bentley Continental T, as well as a Volkswagen Scirocco that was recently found as a rolling shell and returned to the road. We round this issue out with a very special Vauxhall Magnum 2300 that’s been part of the same Co. Armagh family since it was new in 1975.

Event reports in this issue come from the Causeway Coast Mini Show, the Lancaster Insurance NEC Classic Motor Show and the VAGE Show & Shine, and we also round up the year’s Future Classics racing series and the historic and modified classes in the Irish Tarmac Rally Championship. Our regular detailing guide is packed with tips to survive the winter months in your pride and joy, and we take a look back at the often-quirky car ads of decades past, so don’t miss out!