irishcar.com

7 June 2002: Some 151 vintage cars from Ireland and the UK, some dating back as far as 1899, took part in the first stage of the 200 Mercedes-Benz International Gordon Bennett Rally this afternoon.

After speeches and lunch in Mercedes-Benz on the Naas Road in Dublin, the lead car, a 1904 Aster, was driven out the gates by Dan Ford of London. He was waved off by Bill Duffy, sales manager with Mercedes-Benz.

The cars then headed out the Naas dual carriageway through Naas to Kilashee House Hotel, their home from home for the next few days. They were cheered by motorists along the way.

Tomorrow, Saturday, the Rally departs at 9am for Tullamore where they will lunch in Tullamore Court Hotel.

A banquet is scheduled for the evening followed by prize giving in Killashee House Hotel.

On Sunday, they depart from Killashee at around 10.15am for a round trip to The Moat of Ardscul before returning for lunch.

Denis Dowdall, President of the Irish Veteran & Vintage Car Club welcomed the participants, who joined Johnny Thomas of Wales in his famous Napier - the car that won the 1902 Gordon Bennett Race in France. Johnny is pictured below with the car.

Johnny said he was privileged to be driving the car from Paris to Vienna on 21 June, 100 years since the same car had made the trip for the first time. Then, it was driven by Selwyn Francis Edge, who drove for Napier.

Today, he played safe, towing the famous car with his 1928 4.5-litre Bently, to ensure no mishaps happened between Dublin and Naas. However, he will definitely be driving it tomorrow.

Johnny is President of the Veteran & Vintage Car Club of Gt Britian.

Pictured left are two founder members of the Irish Veteran & Vintage Car Club Tom O'Neill and Jim Boland (Boland's of Clondalkin) with a 1932 Rolls Royce 20/25. Jim and Breda Foley were driving a blue and gold 1913 Rolls-Royce Ghost in the Rally.

During the reception in Mercedes-Benz, we photographed sales manager Bill Duffy with Denis Dowdall in a Benz Velo Comfortable 1898 - the world’s first series production car and Ireland’s first motor car. (left).

The car had been found ‘as a heap of rubble’ in a barn in Co Kilkenny and was lovingly restored by Denis, with help from Mercedes in Germany.

So give all the participants a special wave if you see them pass by.

Next week, plans for the Centenary Rally next year will already be underway.