Mini assembly in Ireland - info needed

[jonpressnell]

Hello there

My name is Jon Pressnell – you may have come across me as a writer for ‘Classic & Sports Car’ magazine and as the author of various books.

I am currently finishing a definitive history of the Mini for publication in May, and urgently need to make contact with anyone who can give me information on assembly of the Mini in Ireland.

I need to know:

1. Which firms assembled which variants
2. For what period
3. The degree of local Irish-sourced content
4. Whether production figures (or even rough estimates) are available
5. Whether there were any peculiarities of trim, equipment or presentation (ie unusual colour combinations, different upholstery, differences in lighting)

Any help that can be furnished will be much appreciated – and you’ll get a name-check in the book!

Time is pressing, so if anyone out there can give me some pointers, I’d be really grateful.

With thanks in advance

Happy Mini-ing!

Jon Pressnell

[The Marcos Graveyard]

Hi Jon and welcome to the forum.

We have a few members on here who have a large interest in the Irish built Minis.

While I don't profess to being an anorak on the subject, I can tell you that the cars were assembled from CKD kits by both Lincoln and Nolan who built the Austins and Brittans who built the Morris cars.

The oldest Irish assembled car in the Club is from Sept 1959 and the newest Irish built car I know of is a 1976 one, there may be newer.

The easiest way to identify an Irish car from the outside is by looking at the glass, Triplex had a factory over here and all their glass has a shamrock etched into it , indeed I am led to believe that there are 3 different types of shamrock logo used over the time that cars were built in Ireland, (some restorers are very picky about the correct glass for their car )

I have no idea on numbers produced

There were differences with the Irish built cars, it seems that parts that were changed on UK cars were slowly introduced to Irish cars, so some MKIII shells would still have MKII boot panels and the like, I'm sure owners will elaborate more in future replies.

On a side note you may also like to know that the Mini Marcos was built in Ireland, Dave Dunne trading as Marcos Ireland acquired the Mk III molds from the UK and produced 47 cars in 1967, they are all distinguishable from their chassis number which starts with the letters MI**.
Irish built Marcoses found their way as far afield as Japan and Australia.

I know you will get some good info from the rest of the members of the Club and good luck with the book.

[Billy]

Hello Jon and welcome,

I've just sent an article on my own CKD Mk1 Cooper to Barbara Alexander, the Mk1 registrar with the Mini Cooper Register. If you PM me your e-mail address, I can forward you a copy.

All the best,

Billy

[thestillminis]

Hi Jon

I have a 4 page newspaper supplement published by "Irish Independent," Friday, October, 2, 1959, Headed up From Austin - a new breed of small car! It gives the full press blurb and photographs. Offering the standard model at £445 and the delux model at £459.10 shillings. Lincoln and Nolan were the Austin assemblers and as earlier stated The Brittan Group were Morris assemblers. The supplement was supported by Castrol, Lucas Batteries and Mex Petrol as well as a now nostalgic list of over fifty main Austin dealers. Main dealers from Neville Bros., Ballymitty, Co. Wexford to Harolds Cross Garage, Dublin, Coleborn and Hopkins in Wicklow, T. W. Abernethy, Castlemartyr, Co. Cork, Leinster Motor Co. in Drogheda, Martin Brothers in Mullingar, Ennis Motors Ennis, Central Garage, New Ross, O'Meara's Garage, Athlone. Ever Ready Garage, Donnybrook, Dick Maher in Gorebridge, King and Keating in Clonmel, McGuirke's Garage, Naas, J. Kerr in Athboy, Colliers in Bunclody, Monaghan Motor Works, Arundel Garage, Waterford, Booth Poole, Dublin, Staunton's Ballaghadereen, John E. Williams, Sligo, Moloney's Garage, Springmount, Dungarvan. I must list them all sometime.
The supplement also carried a colour competition (confined to car owners) with prize of £100 and free entry and read as follows: £100 colour contest, free entry. It's simple. All your have to do is to choose the colour combinations you prefer for the new Austin Seven, Drop into our showrooms, see the colours available and collect the free entry form which may win you £100. Prize sponsored by Lincoln and Nolan. It might be worth checking that out.
A second draw not confined to car owners with a prize of an Austin Seven presented again by Lincoln and Nolan to the Safety First Association of Ireland. The car was to be placed on view outside the Mansion House, Dublin for the whole of the month of October 1959, by permission of the Lord Mayor. There must be records available to state who won this prize.
Best of luck with your publication.

[DaveC]

Did somebody post up recently that Minis were also assembled by Reg Armstrong (motor cycle racer) up to about 1978?

[thestillminis]

I think Reg Armstrong was the Opel man in Dublin

[DaveC]

Here is the original post:

http://www.irishminis.ie/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2455

Reg Armstrong is mentioned on the Austin Rover website link

[thestillminis]

Reg Armstrong died following an accident in 1979. His Ringsend plant ceased assembling NSU and Honda around 1962 and commenced with Opel. WIKIPEDIA

[wzd345]

[quote="DaveC"]Did somebody post up recently that Minis were also assembled by Reg Armstrong (motor cycle racer) up to about 1978?[/quote]

Reg Armstrong was a very good friend of my father's, I also knew him well - lived near us in Inchanappa House, Ashford. His business was not involved with Minis in any way.

Morris cars were assembled by Brittain Motors on the canal bank at the Rathmines turning - from memory. Lincoln & Nolan has a plant in Dublin Docks and a showrooms/service depot in Baggot St - site is now Bank of Ireland. Booth Poole at Islandbridge had the MG/Riley/Wolseley concession.

Cars were imported in CKD form and built up. There are some material differences from UK models, ie windscreens, as discussed by others were from Shamrock, Templemore, colour schemes were different in a number of cases and trim/seats were in different materials and colour variations - particularly on Coopers. My old Cooper 1963-997cc, WZD345 was Smoke Grey with blue roof. Seats were black/red trim panels/carpets red.

Both Lincoln & Nolan and Brittain were quoted companies on Dublin Stock Exchange. In late 1960s (68, I think) Brittain launched a bid for Lincoln & Nolan, it was hard fought, but the got the company which became BLN Holdings and cars assembled from that time onwards bear the BLN tag - DZU499, built 1969 was so tagged. Brittain had poor labour relations and agressive owner, labour relations were poor in the combined operation. In time, BLN ceased CKD assembly and the business folded - late 1970s.

Paul Kelly will have further info, he has seen most of the good original cars in the last 20 years.

[Billy]

Eamonn,

Here's the seats from my Mk1 Cooper. Same pattern as UK seats but not gold brocade



Billy

[mustard]

in the list of austin dealers, jack kerrs of athboy is still there, and still is a car garage, but nothing to do with classics now tho

[Mini Ha Ha]

I agree with views stated in some of the posts above. It seems that Irish Assembled cars were often a bit behind as regards updates, my Mk 1 S in 1966 had only a single fuel tank, and no oil cooler, whereas I suspect most UK cars by then had twin tanks and a cooler. This car also had single colour light grey vynide ?? upholstry, I dont think the brocade was available in Ireland. I understand there was a certain pressure to have local content, such as the glass and upholstry. Tyres of course also would have been made in the State, as would paint, which might account for the different colours which seemed to have been available.

The Irish assembled Mark 1 cars had white sidelights at the front with dual filament bulbs incorporating the side light and the indicator, while the UK cars at that time had sidelights in the headlights, and orange indicator lenses below.

I trust this is of some help, and may jog the memories of others

[kerryminigringo]

The side light/indicator arrangement was only on the very early saloons and vans and was dropped for the more traditional seperate orange indicator.This may have more to BMC supplying export spec looms rather than a legal requirement in Ireland.The glass was made by Lancegaye in their plant in Templemore Co.Tipperary and this plant was later bought out by Triplex.All Irish built cars would have had a shamrock etched in the glass but no dates were etched.The plant is still there but now makes golf equipment.