On Sunday, Patrick ‘Carspotter’ Cummins and photographer Oisin Kane attended the Irish Classic & Vintage Motor Show 2013 at Terenure College, Dublin. Automobiles were perused, shots were taken, Werthers Originals were sucked.
Where were we? Ah yes…
“There was a healthy selection of Hillman Imps and similar derivatives. The red was a clean standard example with its 875cc engine. The racing liveried model is the Hillman Super Imp which was further upmarket and aimed at a flashy clientele. It is from 1973 and was restored to its current state in 2009. At the bottom in blue we have the rear of a Sunbeam Imp/Singer Chamois Sport from 1972. The front boasted “Sunbeam” though the twin-headlights would suggest its sister Singer Chamois Sport. All Imps had rear engines which made handling setup a bit awkward though it did boast independent rear suspension. This one was restored in 2011.
Once the fastest production car in the world, the Jaguar XJ220 was never intended to be released to the public and was originally a prototype machine to demonstrate Jaguar’s engineering excellence. Demand was so high, however, that Tom Walkinshaw’s Jaguar Sport company developed a road-going version with a 500bhp V6 Twin Turbo engine and rear-wheel drive layout. It’s sleek aerodynamic design helped it reached almost 220mph and it held this record until the launch of the McLaren F1 a few years later.”
Renault-owner manufacturer, Alpine, have produced some of the most beautiful sports cars/coupes although there haven’t been countless amount. This is the Alpine GTA, an example from 1988. It features the very lively 2.5L V6 PRV Turbo engine and is lowered on adjustable coilovers. The interior is very 1980s – the sound system includes analogue control of the equalizer!”
Previously: Classic Cars: Special Edition (Volume 1)
(Words: Patrick Cummins; Pix: Oisín Kane)
