Just when I think I know it all about Limerick history, something comes along and invades my puffed up sense of Limerick knowledge. I'm one of those people who's delighted with being from here - like I had some kind of choice as to where I'd be squeezed out. I've made a point of knowing a lot about Limerick history - we had a city charter before London, meaning that at some point, this city was a bigger deal than England's capital.I had no idea, none whatsoever, that Limerick staged two Grand Prix Races in the 1930's. Two. And they weren't naff and crap ones either. The best racers in Europe at the time came to Limerick to strut their stuff. Could you imagine Jensen Button bombing down O'Connell Avenue at two hundred miles an hour in his F1 racer? The chaps who like a pint in South's Bar would be fuming...
I'm not a petrol head. Never have been. My favourite car of all time was a snot green Opel Corsa that I drove when I was in college. Frequently referred to as the "Snot Rocket" or "Vomet Comet", Corky was an awesome little roadster. This does however betray my lack of car knowledge and insight. Hence the reason that I bought a Seat Cordoba when I could have had a Honda Civic for the same price. I realise now that this is not shopping smart. Having said all that, I can appreciate a good classic car. Not for its performance, but for its ability to stand the test of time, and still look awesome.
Look at that picture and tell me you don't want to be that guy in the driver seat. None of the stigma that goes with being the driver of a sports car (midlife crisis, compensating for "physical shortcomings", being a giant douche). All of the fun of having a piece of history to drive you from A to B. Mind you, this also means no CD player, so no chance to pop on some "tunes" and bass drum the car up William Street at one in the morning either.
In celebration of the Grand Prix's 75th Anniversary in Limerick two likely chaps got together to educate motorists and motoring enthusiasts about Limerick's role in staging what was really a massive deal at the time. Budding Jeremy Clarksons from all over the country and beyond converged in the capital of the mid-west to parade their awesome-mobiles for the benefit of other enthusiasts and rubber neckers like me.
I wanted nothing more than to slap on a leather helmet, some goggles and gloves and hit the road shouting "tally-ho". I don't know why I wanted that. I'm not a British World War Two pilot. But it popped into my head and seemed appropriate.
It's a shame that the experience was lost on me a little. I really enjoyed it and all, and there was a wonderful atmosphere, but as someone who learns about cars from Hammond, Clarkson and May, I feel I wasn't qualified enough to get the value from what I was seeing. I noticed a couple of more worthy than I fellas rolling their eyes when I took a photo of the Ferrari badge on one car. I was so embarrassed at being identified as such a "newb" that I didn't even post the photos here.
You may notice that there are a lot of photos today... I just thought you, like me, might enjoy looking at the pretty cars... Petrol heads: please don't hate me!!
I'm not a petrol head. Never have been. My favourite car of all time was a snot green Opel Corsa that I drove when I was in college. Frequently referred to as the "Snot Rocket" or "Vomet Comet", Corky was an awesome little roadster. This does however betray my lack of car knowledge and insight. Hence the reason that I bought a Seat Cordoba when I could have had a Honda Civic for the same price. I realise now that this is not shopping smart. Having said all that, I can appreciate a good classic car. Not for its performance, but for its ability to stand the test of time, and still look awesome.
Look at that picture and tell me you don't want to be that guy in the driver seat. None of the stigma that goes with being the driver of a sports car (midlife crisis, compensating for "physical shortcomings", being a giant douche). All of the fun of having a piece of history to drive you from A to B. Mind you, this also means no CD player, so no chance to pop on some "tunes" and bass drum the car up William Street at one in the morning either.
In celebration of the Grand Prix's 75th Anniversary in Limerick two likely chaps got together to educate motorists and motoring enthusiasts about Limerick's role in staging what was really a massive deal at the time. Budding Jeremy Clarksons from all over the country and beyond converged in the capital of the mid-west to parade their awesome-mobiles for the benefit of other enthusiasts and rubber neckers like me.
I wanted nothing more than to slap on a leather helmet, some goggles and gloves and hit the road shouting "tally-ho". I don't know why I wanted that. I'm not a British World War Two pilot. But it popped into my head and seemed appropriate.
It's a shame that the experience was lost on me a little. I really enjoyed it and all, and there was a wonderful atmosphere, but as someone who learns about cars from Hammond, Clarkson and May, I feel I wasn't qualified enough to get the value from what I was seeing. I noticed a couple of more worthy than I fellas rolling their eyes when I took a photo of the Ferrari badge on one car. I was so embarrassed at being identified as such a "newb" that I didn't even post the photos here.
You may notice that there are a lot of photos today... I just thought you, like me, might enjoy looking at the pretty cars... Petrol heads: please don't hate me!!
Posts
Do you know what a vomit comet is ??? Its what they test astronauts in, that 0 gravity plane. So called because you can only have 60 seconds in 0 gravity before your sick. So your car had a cool name :)
ReplyDeleteHaha! "Capital of the mid-west". How insecure are you!
ReplyDeleteHere so many collection of amazing cars.I also attended this kind of car show which is very good and i hope this will be also....
ReplyDelete---------------------------------------------
- Sell Junk Car
Man, those vintage cars are awesome. Most of those vehicles are the results of good maintenance and restoration. It takes lots of work, but it feels so satisfying to tinker around with the automobile.
ReplyDeleteEven though these cars don’t have CD players or hi-tech gadgets, they still have the “cool” factor! I think that’s the advantage of classic cars. They may be decades old, but they can still wow you. Every time I see one of these beauties on the streets, I can’t help but smile and admire them. They truly defy time by being timeless classics!
ReplyDeleteApproved 11/15/2012 15-Nov AA | NF | NPR
ReplyDeleteVintage cars rules! They have this distinctive, timeless aesthetic that’s never to be found in any contemporary cars. You can’t just help but fall in love with these classics. =)
ReplyDeleteVannessa Gabbett