Issue 226 IVS & Issue 56 RC

Description

IRISH VINTAGE SCENE ISSUE 226

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!

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!