Irish-built Cars

Sir,

I noted with interest your reference to the restoration of the Belfast-built Chambers car. I would like to point out that I am engaged in writing the history of this marque as part of the history of the motor industry in Northern Ireland. I know that several Chambers cars were exported to Australia and New Zealand and I believe that at least one still exists. I would be most grateful if I could, through your columns, get in touch with the present owner.

The Chambers car was remarkable for its three-speed and reverse gearbox located in the back axle. It was chain driven from a two-cylinder horizontal engine until 1910, after which it was driven by shaft and worm from a vertical four-cylinder engine. A four-speed and reverse epicyclic gearbox was supplied to Argyll for experimental purposes before both firms went out of business in 1929.

Other cars in which I am interested are Fergus, OD, and the Sullivan Special. The Fergus, which appeared in 1915 and developed into the OD, was remarkable for a large number of innovations such as having its engine mounted on rubber blocks and having a centralised lubrication system for all chassis parts including the springs, The Sullivan Special was a side-valve Morris Minor of 1933-1935 vintage modified by the substitution of Laystall crankshaft camshaft, and gears and by the use of a Scintilla magneto. Only seven were made.

If your archives or any of your readers could throw any new light on any of these cars I would be most grateful.

Finally, thank you for a most enjoyable magazine which I have been enjoying now for the best part of twenty years.

Holywood, JOHN S. MOORE