Issue 226 (April 2025)

Description

The April 2025 issue of Irish Vintage Scene goes on sale very shortly, and on the cover is a very rarely-seen Japanese car in this country. The Mazda 818 was not only the first Mazda model to be sold in Ireland in the mid-seventies, but they were also assembled here by the O’Flaherty Group on the Naas Road in Dublin. This month we catch up with a retired Mazda dealership employee to check out his 1975 818, which is a highly-original, low-mileage survivor. Our second feature car is a stunning 1930s Hillman Minx that has been restored recently by a friend of its late long-time owner, and is ready to hit the road this summer.

This month’s tractor feature introduces us to a life-long fan of the Steyr brand from Austria, after one was bought by his family back in 1969. While he has an impressive collection of these tractors, this month we look at two particularly rare examples, namely a Steyr 180 and a larger 185, which are his pride and joy. Our motorcycle feature tells the story of a 1984 Kawasaki Z650 that’s been known to its owner since it was brand new, and our commercial feature looks back at some of our favourite classic car-derived vans that we’ve featured in the magazine over the last fifteen years or so. Lots of the usual favourites are in there too, so don’t miss out!