RIAC NATIONAL CLASSIC CAR SHOW – Q&A SESSION
The weekend of the 9th & 10th February 2013 will see the 1st RIAC National Classic Car Show take place in the RDS Simmonscourt in Dublin. This is a long overdue addition to the Irish show calendar, and one that the Royal Irish Automobile Club and the organising committee have already put a huge amount of work into. The RIAC’s involvement in motoring in Ireland goes back to 1901;
in fact they held a show entitled The Dublin Motor Show back in 1907 and 1908 in the main hall of the RDS, so who better to reignite aclassic car show in the same venue? Co-ordinator of the Show on behalf of the RIAC is Bob Montgomery, curator of the RIAC Guinness Segrave Library in Dublin. Bob is also a motoring historian, and has published many books on the history of the automobile in Ireland. With this show being the most talked-about thing this summer (after the weather), and with only four months to go before the doors open, I decided to meet up with Bob recently to put to him some questions about the event. ED
Tom: What is the RIAC National Classic Car Show?
Bob: It’s an attempt to provide clubs and the classic car movement in Ireland with an opportunity to showcase their hobby and their cars.
T: Why has the RIAC taken on this massive task?
B: The RIAC is the oldest motor club in the country and the fi fth-oldest national motor club in the world. In recent years it has been seeking to reclaim its heritage, which has became a little bit dissipated over the years; the process started with the establishment of the RIAC Pioneer Run back in 2001. The club see this as a massive opportunity to raise their profile among clubs throughout the country.
T: You have a list of clubs you wish to invite to the show; why?
B: With the show being indoors there are serious space limitations, and for this reason we have had to make it invitation only. We have been very pleased with the response to the show so far, so much so that we have had to seek more space, so in addition to the RDS Simmonscourt Hall, which we had originally booked, we now have the hall beside it as well.
T: Is that why the date has just been changed?
B: To get the extra space we have had to move from the original date, and bring the show forward by one week to the 9th and 10th of February. As someone said to me the other day, what this means is we now have a week less to wait for the show. We have issued invitations to a geographic spread of clubs from all over Ireland; we want the show to represent clubs from all over Ireland. It is certainly not a Dublin-based show. We have had the fi rst ten clubs that were invited in for a briefi ng session recently, and they amazed me with their enthusiasm for the show and their ideas for stands.
T: What format will the show take?
B: The format will be primarily made up of club displays, feature stands and trade stands. There is an Enthusiasts’ Village, which is really for the small businesses related to our hobby such as those who do re-chroming, restoration work, car storage, book sales; all sorts of relevant trade stands for people who own, restore or just have an interest in classic cars.
T: Why the RDS?
B: We looked at all the alternatives; to be quite honest we, the RIAC, want the show to be taken seriously, and really the RDS is the only credible venue, and the only venue that could do real justice to classic cars.
T: What can visitors to the show expect?
B: Well I hope they are going to walk through the door and say “WOW”. The visitor is going to see cars that they won’t have seen before. For the special feature stands we have some private collections being displayed that are rarely seen in public.
T: Can you tell us more about these special feature stands?
B: The ones that are confirmed to-date include displays from the famous collection of Jim Boland from Naas, and a collection that not many will ever have seen is that of Frank Keane, who is bringing along some of his amazing cars; this will be an opportunity to see some cars that are rarely seen in public. My personal favourite will be the Classic Supercars stand, on which we will have a BMW M1, Alfa Romeo 8C, an absolutely original AC Cobra, a Ford GT and Mercedes-Benz Gullwing, to name just a few. Another very special feature stand that will be of great interest will be of historic Irish racing cars; the idea behind this stand is to show some of the racing specials from pre-war days, so this will be a very special gathering. One other well-known collection of cars is that of MDL [Motor Distributors Limited]; this fabulous collection is rarely seen in public, and some of the highlights of that collection will be on display.
T: We have mentioned a lot of older cars there. Will this show be dominated by older cars?
B: Not at all. Our focus is on having a very contemporary display of classics. We have invited clubs like the Alfa Romeo Owners’ Club Ireland, Fiat X1/9 Owners Ireland etc, so enthusiasts will not be disappointed with the range of cars that will be exhibited at the show.
T: What type of visitor are you hoping to attract to the event?
B: We are targeting 8,000 visitors a day. There will be two types of visitor; the enthusiast (and we hope that every enthusiast in the country will find their way to the RDS over the weekend) and the public at large. The great thing about classic cars is that they bring a smile to people’s faces. This is very clear from the other event we hold with the IVVCC, the ‘Picnic in the Park’ in Marley Park each year; people casually come across it, and you immediately see them on the phone ringing their friends to tell them to come up and see this. You don’t have to own a classic car to have an interest in them; classic cars remind people of the happier days of motoring, and they bring a smile to their faces.
T: Where can people get tickets, and how much do they cost?
B: Tickets will be available from two sources nearer the event. The official agents will be Ticketmaster, but at the moment and in the lead up to the show they are available to purchase in advance from the RIAC General Office, which can be contacted on 01 677 5141; just ask for Breda. As for the cost, we have a few options. If you purchase on the day or from Ticketmaster the cost is €15 per day, but you can purchase tickets in advance for €12 per day. We have a special offer for classic car clubs, who can purchase batches of ten at a saving of €5 per ticket; the club in turn can pass on the saving to their members, or make some money for their club funds.
T: With the RDS being in the greater Dublin area, parking is also an issue. Parking at the RDS is charged for, but I believe you have agreed a special rate for classic car owners?
B: More than a special rate. In an effort to encourage people to come along in their classic cars we have reserved 250 spaces each day in the car park directly opposite the main entrance into the show hall, which will be free for the first 250 pre-1980 cars to arrive on each day. I think this will be something show visitors will enjoy strolling through as well as visiting the show halls.
T: Where can people get more information or updates on the show?
B: We have a website at www.classiccarshow.ie. We are also on Facebook, and we will have monthly updates in Irish Vintage Scene Magazine from now until the show.
T: I believe AXA Insurance are on board as main sponsors?
B: Yes indeed; we are delighted to have AXA Insurance on board as our main sponsor for the event. Our other partners are Irish Vintage Scene Magazine and the IVVCC, and we are also welcoming on board a series of secondary sponsors, all to be announced in the next couple of weeks.
T: Bob, I want to thank you for taking time out to meet with me to talk about the show; is there anything else you would like to add?
B: Thank you Tom; a pleasure talking to you as always. My hope for the show is that with the support of enthusiasts from all over the country it will establish itself as the event that really puts the classic car movement well and truly on the map, and will be a show that enthusiasts everywhere can feel proud of.
Thank you.