With the advance of the pharmaceutical and technological industries in Ireland over the last fifteen years, allied with the continuing marginalization of the Irish motorist, it is easy to forget that Ireland used to be home to a car manufacturing and assembly industry.

The Shamrock of the 1950’s and the DeLorean and TMC Costin of the80’s were all short-lived but highly ambitious enterprises which at least demonstrated the possibility of designing and building cars in an industry-starved island. While the fate of Irish run enterprises such as the TMC Costin may have fallen by the wayside, the car assembly industry thrived in Ireland up until the 1980’s. The Thompson Motor Co. who built the Lotus inspired Costin also produced the RHD variant of the legendary Renault 4. Renault also had an assembly plant in Dublin along with Chrysler and Talbot.

The most significant of all though was the Ford Motor Co. plant located by the banks of the Lee. The heart of industrial Cork, the plant was a major employer in the City for most of a century and produced some iconic vehicles such as the Fordson tractor, the Prefect, the Cortina and the Sierra. The plant closed in 1984.  The legacy of these plants can be seen even today. Ford has never forgotten their Irish roots – how could they?  Henry Ford’s father was an immigrant from Ireland – and their offices in the Marina in Cork are the only in Europe to carry the insignia ‘Henry Ford & Sons’. Irish consumers have remained brand loyal with cars such as the Focus and Mondeo still selling strongly just as the Cortina and Escort did in the 1970’s

At Car Direct, our goal is to help you in finding the right vehicle for you.  Check out or inventory page to see what we currently have in stock.  Don’t see what you’re looking for?  Give us a call – that vehicle may be on its way in.  If not, we’ll find it for you!

And in celebration of St Patrick’s Day, here are just a few green Fords that we thought you might want to take a look at.