McCairn's Motors

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McCairns Motors Limited
legal form Limited
founding 1934
resolution 1981 or later
Seat Dublin , Ireland
Branch Automobiles

McCairns Motors was an assembly plant for motor vehicles and thus part of the automotive industry in Ireland .

Company history

Tom McCairns founded the company in Dublin in 1934 . In the same year the assembly of automobiles began. The parts initially came exclusively from Vauxhall Motors , later also in smaller numbers from Buick , Bedford , Simca , Berkeley Cars and Alfa Romeo . Ireland's entry into the European Economic Community on January 1, 1973 meant the gradual end for all Irish assembly plants. In 1975 General Motors announced that it would take over the sales of Opel and Vauxhall models from 1980 . In 1976 Tom McCairns sold some shares to Joe Moore's Private Motorist Protection Association . The assembly of Vauxhall vehicles is still recorded for 1979. Then it was run by General Motors. By 1983 at the latest, General Motors only offered Opel in Ireland, but no longer a Vauxhall.

It is not known when the company was dissolved.

vehicles

Vauxhall has always been the company's most important brand. The first assembled models were 12 (Light Six) and 14 . In addition, Big Six and 25 have been handed down for the period before 1945. After that, only the Cresta PA is named. Another source names Cresta until 1966, Victor until 1969 and Viva until the mid-1970s.

In 1936 the company made two Buick sedans .

During the Second World War in Europe , parts were not delivered. Chevrolet from the USA could deliver until 1941.

Simca joined them in the early 1950s. Are called Ariane , Aronde and Étoile. Registration numbers have been handed down up to 1968, after that no more. Chrysler had taken over Simca in 1970 and apparently temporarily stopped marketing in Ireland. When Simca vehicles were offered again in Ireland from 1972, they were imported vehicles.

In addition, McCairns offered small sports cars from Berkeley, which were produced from 1956. A source believes that some vehicles were also assembled in Ireland. The construction time was around 1956/57.

From 1963 to 1966, McCairns also assembled and sold the Alfa Romeo Giulia model . After that, Frank Cavey & Sons took over sales, but did not assemble vehicles, but imported them.

Some Gordon Keeble were also installed. This British small series manufacturer of sports cars existed from 1964 to 1967.

On June 6, 1981, there was a report on the assembly of commercial vehicles from Mitsubishi Motors .

Production numbers

In the first full year of production in 1935, 328 vehicles were manufactured. In 1940 206 vehicles were built. In 1941 the number fell to 18. After three years without assembly, another 5 vehicles were produced in 1945. The best year was 1968 with over 4500 vehicles.

Below are the registration numbers of Vauxhall, Buick, Simca, Berkeley and Alfa Romeo vehicles in Ireland from the years McCairns assembled them.

year Vauxhall Buick Simca Berkeley Alfa Romeo total
1935 not known not known
1936 467 2 469
1937 446 446
1938 453 453
1939 396 396
1940-1953 not known not known not known
1954 686 120 806
1955 762 190 952
1956 524 273 not known 797
1957 476 358 not known 834
1958 370 322 692
1959 253 444 697
1960 353 444 797
1961 328 312 640
1962 1,234 227 1,461
1963 not known not known not known not known
1964 1,750 not known not known 1,750
1965 2,197 47 31 2,275
1966 2,089 44 12 2.145
1967 2,516 25th 2,541
1968 4,374 24 4,398
1969 4.118 4.118
1970 2,445 2,445
1971 2,333 2,333
1972 3,329 3,329
1973 3,481 3,481
1974 1,951 1,951
1975 1,042 1,042
1976 1,693 1,693
1977 2,375 2,375
1978 2,480 2,480
1979 2,235 2,235
from 1980 not known not known
total 47,156 2 2,830 not known 43 50,031

literature

  • Bob Montgomery: Motor Assembly in Ireland . Dreoilín Specialist Publications, Foxrock 2018, ISBN 978-1-902773-35-3 (English).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Bob Montgomery: Motor Assembly in Ireland . Dreoilín Specialist Publications, Foxrock 2018, ISBN 978-1-902773-35-3 (English).
  2. ↑ On a Global Mission: The Automobiles of General Motors International. Volume 3: GM Worldwide Review, North American Spcifications and Executive Listing (accessed December 21, 2019)
  3. ↑ Irish Assembled XK 120’s (English, accessed December 26, 2019)
  4. ↑ Now Ireland assembles Mitsubishi commercials (accessed December 21, 2019)