Continuing our roadtrip around Southern Ireland, on today’s daytrip from Killarney to the Dingle Peninsula, we were driving down the road (the N71) and passed by this place. I was moving too fast and it was raining too hard to stop, but since we were coming back early in the afternoon, I knew I would have another bite at the apple.
And what a juicy apple it was when we returned! I pulled off the road, put the hazards on, jumped out, and started snapping away. The VW’s weren’t just in the driveway, they were even in the front yard as well as in a carved out lay-by across the road with even more in there!
The active driveway has a 1989 Jetta, a late-model Camper, and there is another older bus peeking out too. Can you tell what’s at the right? No, it is not a VW.
I think there is another bus back there, obviously a Beetle, and I suppose we can let the Porsche 911 pass with favored relative status too.
This one is just left of the driveway, maybe not quite ready to go to town but certainly seems to want to. Is it a ’68 or ’69? I’m not quite sure anymore. The healing rains of Ireland might not be quite as therapeutic as those of Eugene, OR, but it’s worth a shot I guess.
Just to the right of the driveway is one of the older buses’ younger cousins. That’s about as high-roof as it gets. Landbarge indeed. One of the front yard ornaments is visible as well.
Here’s a slightly better angle of the front lawn. Is the white one a new addition or is it going to be departing soon? I’m guessing it’s a new addition.
Let’s look across the street…Another camper, this one with a top that I’m not familiar with. Ooh, behind it an oddity, a Ford! Looks like a nice Escort XR3 cabriolet, one of my favorite 80’s Euro-Ford shapes. Then another Jetta, a 2002 Passat, and a 1979 Transporter, the front of which is visible in the second picture. But what’s behind them?
A boat! Did any boats ever have VW engines? I have no idea. Speaking of questions, was the tractor tire there before the telephone pole or did it somehow come later? More interestingly, a VW Thing with the top up. And then I think yet another MK2 Jetta (or maybe a Golf), a later one since it doesn’t have the front window divider.
Behind the 2002 Passat is another Camper, another Vanagon, and then this, another Ford Escort! Proudly sporting a 1.3liter engine according to the badging, I believe “Popular” is the base trim, but I was never aware these were available at all in the 2-door wagon style with glass behind the front doors (as opposed to metal filler panels). The alloy on the rear shows some sporting pretensions of its owner, but the steelie on the front belies that somewhat…I’m sure there’s a story in there somewhere.
Anyway, lots of VW’s, one Porsche and couple of Fords. And a boat! Time for me to get back in the car and head back to the hotel for now.
The Escort estate was only available with 2 doors from it’s 1980 introduction until joined by a 4-door version in 1983. The previous RWD Escort estates were only ever 2 door.
The rust on the LH ‘Bay window’ looks terminal.
I would agree about the rust but with prices as they are for these, you never know…
“On tonight’s episode of Volkswagen Hoarders…”
About 10-15 years ago, on a trip home through central Pennsylvania I saw a property that looked vaguely like the one here. At 1st I thought it might be a VW hoarder/collector but on the return trip I got a better look at the property. There were 2 or 3 “terraces” up the side of a fairly steep hill filled with water-cooled VWs. I would estimate there were nearly 3 dozen cars on the property. Then, a few years ago, I noticed the property was being VERY slowly cleared. As part of the “clearing” process all the scrubbery was removed and the full extent of what was on the property became obvious. In all, there were 4 or 5 terraces full of cars…probably close to 100 cars (but maybe a few more).
Oddly, I don’t think that I ever saw any attempts to sell off anything but the actual land/property. And a few cars didn’t appear to be that old. It also looked like all the cars were in reasonably good shape, that is, none had really bad body damage.
It took what seemed to be YEARS to completely clear that terraced hillside.
Is that a Citroen DS to the right in the third picture?
Nope. The first picture shows it a bit better but someone else got it below…
I’m guessing that guy either isn’t married, or used to be.
Beat me to it…
The hidden garden ornament looks very mini-like. Possibly clubman front? Definitely rusty, like all of them…
I, too ,was thinking Mini.
It is a Mini or at least a Mini-derivative. When I zoom in on the first picture in its raw form, it gives more detail but not as much as I hoped. Maybe when Uncle Mellow (below) goes to the airport the next time, he can snap a better picture…
Regarding the boat, many boats actually have a Volkswagen Marine engine. Or more than one. Since July 1, 2012, they are offered as the TDI engine-series by Mercury Diesel.
I live in northern California, which is pretty forgiving to old cars. That being said, I sure don’t see many MKII Jettas anymore, or even MKIIIs. And I know they sold well. No longevity whatsoever.
agreed, but don’t forget those enticing notices sent out by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District offering up to $1500 for scrapping your car with the state; they have aggressively, and successfully solicited owners of anything pre 1995 or so to turn in their often hard to smog cars for cash. This I believe is the main reason for the vanishing of many auto species as well as planned obsolescence.
I keep meaning to photograph these, but as this is on the route from home to Kerry airport I’m usually in a hurry, as I was on Monday.Plus my camera is going to be wrapped up in soft clothing in my luggage ! I’m told this guy does do VW restorations, and clearly buys “parts-cars” as well. I’ve seen a Rover P 6 there in the past, so he has eclectic tastes.
This is one of those 80kph roads, where one usually does 100, as it is straight and has no cameras….
Ha, maybe I should post a “Fair Warning” before I travel so that everyone can photograph their local CC’s before my camera and I show up… 🙂
That road was very good compared to some others that were 80’s and even some 100’s. Not great if you got a flat tire, but about a solid twelve inches of shoulder.
Thank you for a bit of the backstory on this, it was certainly an interesting sight! Based on this and your comments on the other posts in this little series, you live in a very beautiful part of the world with a lot of extremely friendly and outgoing people around you! Thanks to you and your countrymen for making our holiday a success, we returned yesterday and glad we did what with today’s horrible goings-on, I imagine the pre-flight US Customs at Dublin Airport is much slower now than it was yesterday morning.
I like the white, RHD, ’62 or ’63 Beetle…..
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-Nate