^^nice photo of the black 1M Andy :) I snapped that back in 2012 in Milltown!
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^^nice photo of the black 1M Andy :) I snapped that back in 2012 in Milltown!
Down at the RDS for the car show. Not many beemers. Wasnt great IMHO, nothing to buy and a lot of the cars were in poor enough condition. Dave would have had a heart attack, some of the show winners had shocking paintwork, swirls and oxidation. There were are few really nice cars, but all I could see were swirls on everything.
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I popped in to the show for a couple of hours yesterday afternoon. In contrast to Moe, I enjoyed it. Its not a huge show but I thought there was some interesting cars that are rarely seen these days and well worth a trip from Tipp. Apart from the Ferrari concentration, exotica was thin on the ground but there was plenty of cars that were labours of love, in some cases against the odds. For example, when was the last time that anyone that doesn't go to the NEC or continental shows last see a Fiat 130 Saloon? True, some were a little home made and so the paint quality was patchy, etc. but I'd rather see these where there is a little bit of the heart and soul of the current and previous owners than a whole ring full of "modern art" cars that rarely turn a wheel. I was also more conscious than at previous shows of the heritage of Irish assembled cars. Its easy to forget that most manufacturers had some assembly operations in Ireland right up until the early 1980's. The Car of the Show XK120 was a lovely example of a home built and owned car. That's heritage we need to care for and encourage.
I'll be at the Techno Classica in Essen next week and no doubt it will have its usual high standard and variety of cars, be large and very professional, etc. but I wouldn't want these to be the only measures of a show if that would rule out the kind of enthusiast show that we saw this past weekend. If its to grow and improve, it needs to be supported. if its a bit rough around the edges, that should be part of the charm and character.
Re. the lack of BMW's, I think that's a reflection on the diversity of BMW owners. It has always been difficult to bring them together under some kind of a common banner. Whether you look at the various efforts to bring people together as part of a formal club, or even the way in which Irish BMW forum's such as this, BMW-Driver or other predecessors have come and gone through the years, Irish BMW owners like the idea of a grouping or club but generally shy away from getting fully involved in such an entity. There are sectional groups or interests that don't always sit easily together, e.g. the classic (i.e. sharknose and earlier) vs. the modifiers, etc. They often don't have a lot in common or appreciate and value the interests of one another so it means its hard to get a critical mass to organize in a way that would give rise to participating in such an event. For example, while we are all BMW enthusiasts here, few of us would have cars that meet, the sometimes fluid, definition of classic for the purposes of the show and we tend to feel aggrieved to be excluded with our own pride and joy cars. We're a funny lot :).
I would agree with a lot of your thoughts Diarmuid. I remember the old days of the BMW car club and a meet at Motor Import. The Irish section of the official Car club is a joke. I know the guy who runs it and does nothing to get BMW owners together or try to generate a community. Then there is the fee to join which is higher for Ireland and you get less for it. It’s a shame.
A few weirdos spotted on Instagram
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Aston Martin DB9 on O'Connell St Limerick, are the good times back!!! No picture I'm afraid.
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Not my picture but holy crap!!!
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Grey 181 M4 around Holles St. It had the competition wheels but they were Matt black/grey so not too sure about them. Sounded very loud at low revs - I approve [emoji4]
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A greeny/bluey 181 M2 on Hatch St for breakfast and a black 171 M4 cab on Pembroke St for lunch.
Unfortunately neither were on the move but the M2 looks fantastic!