Shamrock (car)
Encyclopedia
The Shamrock was a car
produced in Ireland
for a brief period during the late 1950s.
The business was established by an American businessmen,James F. Conway and William K Curtis in Tralee, Co. Kerry, but was moved to Castleblayney
, Co. Monaghan, before production began. The aim was to produce a large luxury car model for export to the US
market.
Shortly after production began, however, design flaws became apparent. Although the car was big and heavy, it used a relatively small Austin A55 1.5 litre engine, which limited performance. The A55 also provided the transmission and suspension. Another problem was that the rear wheels were shrouded by body panels and a rear wheel could not be removed (for puncture repair for example) without dropping its axle
. The car used fibreglass body panels and was styled as a four seat, two door, coupé with removable hardtop. The wheelbase was 98 inches (2487 mm).
Production of up to 10,000 cars a year was talked about but eventually, only eight complete cars were produced during the six months before production ceased. After the factory closed, the unused parts were dumped into the local Lough Muckno.
The car is now very rare, and only four are believed to be still in existence: three in Ireland — one each in Killarney
, Thurles
and Drogheda
— and one in the USA (Seattle).
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
produced in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
for a brief period during the late 1950s.
The business was established by an American businessmen,James F. Conway and William K Curtis in Tralee, Co. Kerry, but was moved to Castleblayney
Castleblayney
Castleblayney or Castleblaney is a town in County Monaghan, Ireland. The town has a population of about 3,000.Castleblayney lies near the border with County Armagh and is on the N2 road from Dublin to Derry...
, Co. Monaghan, before production began. The aim was to produce a large luxury car model for export to the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
market.
Shortly after production began, however, design flaws became apparent. Although the car was big and heavy, it used a relatively small Austin A55 1.5 litre engine, which limited performance. The A55 also provided the transmission and suspension. Another problem was that the rear wheels were shrouded by body panels and a rear wheel could not be removed (for puncture repair for example) without dropping its axle
Axle
An axle is a central shaft for a rotating wheel or gear. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels, rotating with them, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels rotating around the axle. In the former case, bearings or bushings are provided at the mounting points where the axle...
. The car used fibreglass body panels and was styled as a four seat, two door, coupé with removable hardtop. The wheelbase was 98 inches (2487 mm).
Production of up to 10,000 cars a year was talked about but eventually, only eight complete cars were produced during the six months before production ceased. After the factory closed, the unused parts were dumped into the local Lough Muckno.
The car is now very rare, and only four are believed to be still in existence: three in Ireland — one each in Killarney
Killarney
Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St...
, Thurles
Thurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
and Drogheda
Drogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....
— and one in the USA (Seattle).