19th Annual Terenure Vintage Car Show

The 19th edition of the annual vintage car show was hosted with typically good style on the grounds of Terenure College last Sunday. This was my 4th visit to the show and each year it gets better. The appeal of this event lies in the perfect balance of car enthusiasm checked with a healthy dose of light heartedness. Yes there will be the die-hards but fret not because what this day comes down to is a jaunt through a pristine field being surrounded by the work of a thousand passionate car designers. After a casual trip down the M50 to the college you will abandon your car in the adjacent field and meander towards the action. And then you see it all. Hundreds and hundreds of vintage cars just waiting to poked at. Don’t really car about all the nerdy car details? The chassis numbers, the original paintwork, the history of its development? No problem. Because the range of cars on sight will simply bowl you over with their style and flair. And the best part is the lack of pretentiousness. Just waltz about the field in a cloud of nostalgia. Highlights? Examples of Britain’s glory years as a car manufacturer reminded one of its sharp demise. Jaguar E-Types, a trio of Bristols, Jenson Interceptors, even a 1982 Rover SDI V8 and a 1990 Aston Martin Lagonda showed what they could do. From Germany there were obscure Audi’s, classic Porsches, the now appreciating BMW 6-series from the 80’s but their best (for me) came in the form of a succulent 1954 Mercedes 220A Cabriolet. Its bespoke luggage collection still preserved to complement the quality of the wood interior trim. Typical Gallic charm was demonstrated with a cream Citroen SM and a less subtle Peugeot 205 Gti. And the Italians! Beautiful Alfa racers from the 50’s, Lancia Integrales and even a sporty 1970’s Fiat 128 3P with the funkiest interior in show (see picture). From Japan there was an original Toyota Supra from the 70’s and also a modern classic, the Ayrton Senna tuned Honda NSX from the early 90’s. As usual the States brought cars so large and loud they’re a wonder to look at, from 50’s Cadillacs to 60’s muscle cars. Of particular note was a mean looking Chevy Camaro SS with black stripes. But my most memorable car this year was Italian. A white 1980 Fiat Mirafiori with Abarth body kit brought along by Willy Carrick. The Mirafiori is rare enough (we’re talking late 70’s fiat reliability remember) but this model was so unexpected and delightful that one couldn’t help but be drawn to it. The kit is a replica but frankly its presence was enough to remind you of a period in Italian motoring so focused on a racing scene with such extremes it would later be banned. Due to the fact it was registered in 1980 it must undergo an NCT for life unlike cars registered from 1979 back. So that was it for another year. Until then I’ll no doubt be hoping to get my own endearing piece of motoring vintage in the near future.