Garda Rapid Response Unit, Moyvane, Co. Kerry, 1980’s pic.twitter.com/LfKPWr1jTl
— RareIrishStuff (@RareIrishStuff) June 10, 2020
Name that jammer, anyone?
Meanwhile…
Unsafe , 2 Gardai killed in a Punto in early 2000's in Cork during a pursuit.
— Midland Celt (@MidlandCelt) June 10, 2020
Anyone?
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Renault 4
1982 Dublin reg
Or Renault 4L maybe.
Yep – classic 4L.
Loved the position of the gearstick in these things!
A beautful motor and fantastic bootspace.
The gearstick though was a pain to work to be honest.You’d need gym training twice a week to get it into first sometimes.
A GTL actually. And manufactured in Ireland.
Assembled. Though maybe not this one.
They came into Wexford in CKD (Completely Knocked Down) condition and were assembled in Ireland. Not sure, but I think the assembly stopped during the 70’s.
But you may be wondering how the VRT came into being.
The likes of Renault Wexford and Ford, Cork had their business/jobs protected by a high rate of Excise Duty on imported motor vehicles. Once the companies became defunct, the Irish Govt. carried on the penal excise duties as it was a nice little earner. 40% of the value at one stage + VAT on the (value + the Excise Duty.)
The EU then said that the excise duty was illegal, and that we should not be charged it. So our clever politicians did away with the excise duty in 1993 – and introduced a Vehicle Registration Tax – which brought in as much as the excise, but was deemed legal by the EU. And we have it ever since.
Sorry yes assembled rather than manufactured. Interesting background on the VRT… I guess EU won’t be able to do anything about UK imports now regardless.
Renault 4 humorously killed here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk4GJaE13gw
Ireland, the place that craic forgot.
Except for Moyvane, aka Craic Feckin’ Central.
Some spot for downing pint bottles and flirting with cigarette machines.
anyone remember the old orange Post & Telegraph Renault 4 vans?
I wanted to buy one of their used ones when getting my first car. But I did not know how the system and auction worked, and also missed by several days :-(
a lad i played in a blues band in years ago bought one and it got us to loads of gigs. it was painted red on the outside but still had the orange on the inside. we would plaster it in posters for gigs and drive it around trying to drum up support. it features on the cover of our demo (on cassette, obvs) with a double bass strapped to the roof.
a truly class jammer altogether.
Classics don’t make good first cars, because insurers will only insure them if they’re a second car under your name. You would have been stuck with a gently-rusting paperweight.
Believe me I tried, I rang every insurer in the country and none would cover the car, not even providers catering towards classics. It has to be a second car. Only option would be to put it under a family-member’s name, but then you’re not contributing any clean years to your no-claims bonus.
I learnt to drive in one
Courtesy of my best pal’s Dad who was the P&T driving instructor at the time
Patsy Geaney
The van was a special learners one – dual control n’stuff
And occasionally, if Triona and meself were going somewhere, like down to Ardmore or Killarney or Kinsale – summer spots like
He’d put us into the back of the van, and have his latest new recruit do the driving
The craic meself and Triona had winding up the lad, who was nearly always only after arriving in Cork for the 1st time in their life. And Mr Geaney chuckling away as he lit up his pipe
I’m glad I didn’t learn to drive in Cork city – there are some wicked hills hear the train station.
That’s where my Dad learned to drive, and he taught me!. He always said if we could manage Cork, we could manage anywhere :-)
well the P & T Fleet Depot where Mr Geaney was based was actually around where Cork Con/ Flower Lodge was
Just up from Lovetts
So you wouldn’t see many city hills around there
Maybe Grange, Castle Treasure, Airport, Carrs Hill alright
But shur if you couldn’t manage them
Then you’d be as well off not driving at all
My Dad told me that all you needed was one good hill to learn, so long as you paid attention. One of the key things he taught me, which later was really important, was you go down a hill in the gear you need to go up it.
My dad brought me around West Cork in a Hiace to teach me, even though we lived in Kildare. Or Maybe because we lived in Kildare – not so many hills here :-)
The Hill Start
My beloved ex-wife never learned a hill start. She learned in the States, and the automatic she learned on did not roll back in drive. Teaching her on a manual in hilly Kosove was interesting!
I loved the Renault 4! They were a joy to drive – simple, responsive, and reliable. I always (and still) wanted one, but they were no longer available once I was looking. I would trade my current car for one in an instant!
…my first car was a very old Renault 4…loved it…used to be able to open the tailgate, fold down the back seat and stick a boat out the back…
Never tried a boat, but did an industrial fridge one time from Roscommon town to Ballyconeely in one. Radio (not fitted, my own tranny), rear open, no securing, different days! I remember at one point singing my head off with the Saw Doctors to N17 as I drove down the same road. Sadly, no red Cortina :-)
…mmmf…mine had the gear stick in the dashboard and three could sit comfortably in the front…seven of us went to Lisdoonvarna, up the corkscrew Hill, no bother…
the gearshift on the renault 4 was mounted up there as it allowed a flat floorpan, which was used as part of testing ground effect aerodynamics for the formula 1 team
I was not aware that that was the reason! I loved the dash-stick :-) Thanks for that tit-bit of info.
I assumed that was irony…unlike the R4 which was tinny.