Shamrock (Car)
Brand
The Shamrock was a car produced in Ireland for a brief period during the late 1950s.
The business was established by an American businessman, James F. Conway and William K Curtis in Castleblaney, Co. Monaghan. The aim was to produce a large luxury car model for export to the US market.
Subject ID: 6849
MoreThe Shamrock was a car produced in Ireland for a brief period during the late 1950s.
The business was established by an American businessman, James F. Conway and William K Curtis in Castleblaney, Co. Monaghan. 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 1½ 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 100 inches. All cars were painted white although one in the USA has been repainted candy green.
Production of up to 10,000 cars a year was talked about but as few as ten complete cars were produced during the six months before production ceased. After the factory closed, the unused parts were reportedly dumped into the local lake, Lough Muckno.
Subject ID: 6849
Subject ID: 6849
