Everyone knows about the illustrious history of British motorcars—emphasis on the history part, since it's all foreign ownership now—but what about Ireland? You know, the Emerald Isle? It's where my people are from. I understand that my dear old uncle Gearhead O'Malley is still roaming the countryside with his trusty pint glass in hand. They must have some homegrown cars over there, right?
Well, technically, yes. But only in that sense. Turns out there's virtually nothing to be proud of if you're a car-loving Irishman like me. But in honor of St. Patrick's Day, let's do a little historical review anyway, shall we? No doubt these automotive misadventures have given the self-deprecating Irish plenty of laughs over the years.
Alesbury
Starting the Irish auto industry off with a bang -- of the self-destructing variety -- the Alesbury hit the cobblestone streets in 1907, featuring a Stevens-Duryea engine built in Massachusetts. Not much is known about the Alesbury other than the fact that production ceased shortly thereafter in 1908.
DeLorean Motor Company
The DeLorean DMC-12, on the other hand, is famous the world over thanks to its Hollywood turn as Marty McFly's time machine in the Back to the Future trilogy. But did you know the stainless-steel sports car with gullwing doors was built in Ireland? Northern Ireland, to be exact, in a 660,000-square-foot facility near Belfast. Alas, the factory was plagued by delays and ballooning costs from the get-go. Then founder John DeLorean got ensnared in a drug controversy, and DMC folded in 1982.
Ford Motor Company
Henry Ford's father was born in County Cork, Ireland, and Ford paid homage to his ancestral homeland with the Ford Cork plant, which opened in 1917 and kept on cranking till 1984. Best known for producing popular cars like the Cortina and Sierra, the plant was a landmark in Cork's center of industry for the better part of a century. Of course, the company itself was Detroit-based, but we'll take what we can get.
Heinkel Kabine
Inspired by the uber-cute Iso (later BMW) Isetta "bubble car," the Heinkel Kabine was designed in Germany and built for a spell by the Dundalk Engineering Company in Ireland. Like Alesbury before it, Dundalk had quality-control issues and was forced to cease production mere months after starting.
Shamrock
With a name like that, how could you lose? Sadly, the fiberglass-bodied Shamrock is yet another Irish car with a comically brief production history. Designed to be a luxury car that would compete with America's finest, the Shamrock was confusingly equipped with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine rated at a pathetic 50 horsepower. The car was a colossal failure, with barely 10 examples being produced before the factory was closed.
TMC Costin
Best for last? Quite possibly, though that's no great honor in this bunch. Built from 1983-'87, the Costin was a lightweight, elemental roadster with two seats, rear-wheel drive and a 1.6-liter four-cylinder that made 82 horsepower. Even though the car weighed just 1,450 pounds, those 82 horses could only pull it to a top speed of 112 mph. Although the company met a familiar Irish end -- production ceased after the 39th car rolled off the line -- the Costin's spirit lives on in the high-performance, American-built Panoz Roadster, as Panoz bought the rights to the Costin's chassis design and used it for inspiration.
DeLorean DMC-12
Happy St. Paddy's Day!
There may not be much to celebrate in the history of Irish automobiles, but that's never stopped Irish folks from celebrating anyway. Cheers, my friends!
Editor's note: Stay tuned for more installments of Cars of the World, right here on the DIY Garage Blog. In the meantime, hit up Advance Auto Parts for the best in savings and selection. Buy online, pick up in-store—in 30 minutes.
