How the Irish brought the 'craic' to the 1,041-mile Euroclassic run from Antwerp to Vienna.
Nothing gets in the way of determined Irishmen, a point well illustrated by Dubliners Pat Faulkner and Brian O'Byrne. The two were one of 130 crews taking part in this year's Euroclassic, the event for classic cars organised by the International Motor Sports wing of the British Motor Sports Association.
Antwerp was the starting point for this year's 1,041-mile run to Vienna, and Pat and Brian set off for the Rosslare ferry in their 1966 Austin Healey 3000. They never made it. The transmission gave up en route but the two were determined not to miss the craic. While the stricken car was trailered back home, they returned to Dublin, picked up Pat's Jaguar XK8 and continued the adventure.
"There was too much emotional involvement in the whole thing, we couldn't let it go," explained navigator Brian, whose eagerness later landed them two tenths of a mile down an unmade German road before realising they had turned too early.
Their enthusiasm for the event was echoed throughout a growing Irish contingent determined to turn the event into a party on wheels, much to the delight of the organisers.
A 1924 Vauxhall OE 30-98 was the oldest car on the run, but Derek Mulligan and Bill Riordan were at the wheel of the oldest Irish entry, a 1954 Jaguar XK140.
The retired estate agent from Blackrock, who has taken part in five Euroclassics, borrowed the car from classic collector Mick Cotter of Park Developments, Dublin, because he wanted a more comfortable car to do the event. And in turn he lent his fully refurbished 1960 MGA to event newcomers Barry and Jacqueline Smith who oroughly enjoyed the drive, especially the thrash around Hockenheim, despite a soaking in a downpour.
Derek's co-driver, solicitor Bill Riordan from Carrickmines, lent his 1978 Mercedes 450 SL to two more classic virgins, Bruce Lyster from Dalkey and Leo Conway of Killiney. "I used to navigate for a guy called Noel Smith on the Circuit of Ireland rally years ago," explained Leo, "and now I'm recapturing my lost youth."
After the Antwerp start, the route took the crews to Ford's proving ground at Lommel before heading for the Japanese Gardens in Hasselt, an American war memorial and the picturesque town of Monshau, prior to a blast round the Nurburgring ahead of the first overnight halt in Koblenz. Day two took in a vineyard, the Carl Benz Museum, the Hockenheim circuit and the Mercedes-Benz museum, followed by a mid-event dinner complete with oompah band in Stuttgart.
The German city was the gateway to the prettiest scenery when the crews headed off to the famous Steiff teddy bear factory, a stunning Benedictine abbey at Neresheim, Audi's HQ at Ingolstadt, followed by a small private museum and afternoon tea by Chiemsee Lake.
That part of the event will be long remembered by competitors - the heavens opened, thunder crashed and lightning flashed turning the 12-mile run into Salzburg into a scary event, especially for topless vehicles and old cars with tiny wipers and dim headlights.
Peace followed the storm, and the next morning crews tackled a damp Salzburgring with a hint of sun before heading for lunch at another Benedictine abbey at Admont. Here participants were captivated by the stunning building which houses the world's largest monastery library and an audio-visual display with the cleverest use of mirrors ever seen. After a stop at the home of the famous Lippizaner horses, the crews set off for the penultimate overnight halt at Graz.
But it was at the equine stop that Sean Murray and Eva Kent's run turned to disappointment. It was their ninth Euroclassic at the wheel of their trusty 1970 Lotus Elan +2, but a new five-speed gearbox fitted by Sean well before the event decided enough was enough. The 1600cc Twin Cam Lotus suffered the indignity of being freighted home while the Wexford couple continued on the last day in a borrowed 1975 Midget.
Sean, a chartered engineer, rescued the English-owned Lotus from a breaker's yard in Limerick about 10 years ago. Once restored, he tracked the previous owner to a cottage in Co Clare only to discover he had died. His son was delighted to see the shiny Lotus, saying his father would have been thrilled to see it back on the road.
The glass-fibre body is fitted with a roll cage - Sean also competes in hillclimbs and had finished all of the previous Euroclassics without a hint of a breakdown.
A short run to Vienna on the final day included a cable car ride to a coffee stop and checkpoint on a mountain followed by a small private car museum and a twisty and tight racing circuit.
This was the second time on the event for the 1970 CitroëDS 21, which still holds the distinction of being the only French built car on the Euroclassic. Dublin architect Paul Burke-Kennedy bought the red DS new in 1971 and has driven it around Europe many times.
"Paul sold the car after 12 years to an American who trashed it," explained fellow-architect and co-driver Simon Healy, a partner in the St Stephen's Green practice. "But he bought it back again and restored it."
On last year's run, which started in Paris, they brought the car back to the old factory where it was built, and now the site of the Andre Citroën Gardens, giving it a drink of Pernod up the exhaust to celebrate.
Just like last year, the car performed without a glitch as well as providing the crew with creature comforts including a tape player.
This year Lochlann Quinn swapped his 1971 Ferrari for a 1966 Ferrari 330 GTS which he bought in England, only one of two right-hand-drive models in the world. Lochlann, chairman of AIB and the National Gallery and deputy chairman of Glen Dimplex, was co-driven by architect Liam Tuite.
"Roaring through high Austrian mountain passes with the roof down, on a sunny September day, with the Ferrari V12 engine at your right foot is an experience you couldn't normally even hope for," said Liam. "If life gets to be more fun than that, it's by a very small margin."
Next year's Euroclassic starts at Chantilly in France and winds its way to a Italian finish in Florence.