Legendary Donegal rally driver James Cullen with our man Brian.
We had a terrific response to last week’s test drive of our new motoring column – On The Road Again with photojournalist, Brian McDaid.
A staggering 25,000 people read the column according to our own statistics and people around the globe shared it on Facebook and other forms of social media.
Brian was one of the first to write about motoring and motorsport for local newspapers starting in the 1980s with his own column “On the Road”.
We will bring you a mix of motoring, reports on something old , something new and something else entirely!
So buckle up and keep inside the speed limit…….!
Landy lotto!
Pick a Land Rover – any Land Rover!
Apparently my numbers came up in last week’s lotto. I’m not too pushed on going public and just keeping it quiet. I thought I would treat my self to a life-long wish and buy myself a new Land Rover Defender.
I happened to see a black commercial version in through the window of the Land Rover showroom on the Railway Road , ( now the road is called the Pearse Road, but when the 1st Land Rover rolled off the production line in 1948, Letterkenny had two railway companies , Lough Swilly and Donegal Railway steaming into the town, hence its original roads name.)
Meanwhile back in the showroom and I am dreaming over a lovely black defender commercial, then the man himself, Noel McGinley appears.
“Brian, there’s a lovely car for you over here,” he said as he tried to coax me away from my defender.” “These are nice,” I said with my half turned up lip as I stood my ground like a spoilt wain beside my defender.
Noel, who spent his lifetime selling cars to the Donegal public, starts to break the news to me about The Land Rover Defender. Not only was the black one that I thought I seen with my name on it through the window of his showroom sold, but nearly all the new Land Rover defenders in the world, were also sold.
Noel started by tell me about the end of the Land Rover Defender,as he went on to tell me about how Land Rover, in their wisdom who stopped making the famous defender in their range, after nearly 70 years of production.
There was a lovely Discovery and beautiful Range Rover there in the showroom but it didn’t ease the pain of knowing that the famous defender had finally come unstuck.
“Come on to you see this one” Noel said in a reassuring voice as we made our way to the back of the garage. There, sitting up in the corner was the Land Rover Defender adventurer 110. Just class – but it was also sold.
I was waiting for them magic words that good salesmen say when you’re interested in a car – “take a wee spin in her ” but it never happened! Priced at between €70,000 and €80,000 and also sold, this yoke was going nowhere. “Sure I’ll get one of the boys to move her if you want to get a better photo,” he said.
Under pressure and disappointed, I said I would call back another day. The following day I landed back. The showroom was busy with the January sales and before I knew it someone handed the keys of the Land Rover Defender Adventurer – to me!
“This will be the shortest road test I have ever done,” I thought to myself as I headed around to the New Land Rover at the back of the showroom. A flip of the fancy key fob and the interior lights illuminated the leather seats inside of the long wheel base defender. With a massive ground clearance I just managed to reach the high drivers seat in the first effort.
I looked at the dash and looked at the fancy key fob and thought, where does this go? I could not go back in to the garage because I shouldn’t be moving this in the first place. Then I noticed the small key that looked more like it would be at home in the Defender and finally found the ignition.
The big defender fired up in the underground car park, no traction control button to be seen, six forwards on one gear stick, a high and low ratio and diff lock on another gear stick and all I am hoping is that I am in reverse.
Chat about being careful not to take a complete line of brand new cars with me for a run on its massive bumpers as I headed to the front of the garage. I also seen one of the sales executives give me a look as if to say, “Does Noel know your driving that?”
We finally got to the front of the garage and got a quick photo as the winter light closed in , but before I knew it an 02 version landed up from the main road to have a look at the new jeep. He pulled right up beside her, “Did you buy?” he said. “Nah, just looking.” He was happy to photo-bomb my picture and as they say a photo says a thousand words.
Any of the Land Rover Defenders in the 70 years of production could have done the same thing and the virtual similarity would also be the same.
Summing up, it’s sad to see the end of the Defender. I’m happy to have reported on the end of the line of one of the longest running unchanged work horses. Apparently I did not win the lotto but my search for a new Defender means I possibly have better odds winning the lotto than finding happiness in a new Defender.
Fisher for Donegal!
Manus Kelly overall national winner on the Donegal rally pictured at the press conference on Monday night.
Alastair Fisher and Gordan Noble, seeded at No1, will contest the Clanree Hotel Mini Stages at the end of January on Saturday 30th. Clerk of the Course for the event Karl Reid announced details at the packed press conference on Tuesday night.
He was over the moon with the entry received over the past few weeks which presently stand at over 100 cars. The new new R5+ which is included for the 1st time which he described as the icing on the cake. The event will consist of 2 stages run three times.
Petrol Watch
With petrol and diesel coming down quicker than Chelsea in the Premiership table, we were out and about having a look at how some of the garages are doing. Take at look at this fairly decent offering from Jones Oil in Letterkenny whose diesel comes in at €1.03.9. But is it the cheapest in Donegal. Let us know by emailing info@donegaldaily.com and we’ll get on the case.
And Finally…. 17 BMW complaints
A BMW owner made contact with us following our description of the Beamer in the snow.
We changed his wording slightly but basically he was saying that the BMW may have slight traction problems.
As one of the very few rear wheel drive cars on the road , This BMW owner is well used with complete strangers letting them know about this problem, over the years.
He initially thought that they might be genuine in their comments but after 30 years of ownership and now on his 17th BMW he thinks it’s more envy.
Most people buy their car purely for function and economy but our BMW owner is happy to say he did not buy 17 of them for the snow, but for pure motoring pleasure for the rest of the year.
And remember – stay safe behind the wheel until next week.
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