Truck & Bike Show on Sunday 12th September, 2010 Midland American Auto Club will host an Americanth September, 2010 is a day full of activities that precede the American Car,th September 2010.

 Muscle Car Burn Out Competition, Cruise, Barbeque & Drive In Movies on Saturday11

11 th September, 2010muscle car burn out competition followed by a cruise, barbeque and drive in movies.

IT HAS COME TO OUR ATTENTION THAT YOU MAY BE REPORTING FOR DUTY WHILE UNDER THE INFLUNCE OF ALCOHOL.TO CLEAR THE AIR YOU ARE REQUIRED TO ANSWER THE QUESTION BELOW.

WHAT DIRECTION IS THE CAR GOING?

IF YOU CANNOT TELL,YOU DRINK TOO MUCH.

ON THE WAY DOWN TO CORK WE STOPPED AT THE HORSE AND JOCKEY FOR A BREAK WHERE EVERYONE GOT A PRIZE THAT VICTOR HAYES HAD GOT FROM SPONSORS.WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK VICTOR FOR PUTTING SO MUCH EFFORT IN TO GETTING SPONSORS IN THIS PRESENT CLIMATE .

THE CLUB ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK GERRY O TOOLE FOR BRINGING HIS JEEP AND TRAILER FOR ANYONE WHO MIGHT HAVE BROKE DOWN DURING THE WEEKEND ,LUCKY ENOUGH WE HAD NO BREAKDOWNS .

THE RESULTS OF THE ROAD QUIZ WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT THE NEXT MEETING AND ANYONE WHO HAS SPONSORSHIP CARDS BRING THEM ALONG SO WE CAN DO A FINAL FIGURE.

ABOVE IS A PICTURE OF Dr FITZGERALD  WITH HIS WIFE AND  FAMILY OUTSIDE CARLOW DYMPNAS HOSPITAL IN HIS NEW 1905  DARRACQ CAR. (NICE REG).

ALEXANDRE DARRACQ HAD MADE A FORTUNE FROM THE FRENCH CYCLE TRADE IN THE 1890S AND HIS “PERFECTA” WORKS THAT MADE COMPONENTS FOR MOTOR TRICYLES WAS ONE OF THE LARGEST IN PARIS. AFTER A NUMBER OF FALSE STARTS IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1900 THAT HE MARKETED HIS FIRST SUCCESSFUL MOTOR CAR. IT HAD A VERTICAL FRONT MOUNTED SINGLE CYLINDER ENGINE OVER SEVEN HUNDRED BEEN SOLD IN THE FIRST YEAR. DARRACQ CONCENTRATED ON THE POPULAR END OF THE MARKET, GIVEN GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY WITH A RANGE OF SINGLE, TWIN AND FOUR CYLINDER CARS, ALL WITH SHAFT DRIVE. DESIGN OF DARRACQ CARS TOOK A SIGNIFIENNT STEP FOWARDS IN 1903 WHEN THE FIRM ADOPTED THE ONE PIECE PRESSED STEEL CHASSIS. THIS WAS NOT ONLY STRONGER THAN THOSE PREVIOUSLY USED BUT WAS RELATIVELY LIGHT IN WEIGHT. ALTHOUGH DARRACQ DID  NOT HIMSELF DRIVE, HE KNEW THE VALUE OF PUBLICITY AND PURSUED A VIGOROUS POLICY OF MOTOR RACING AND RECORD BREAKING WITH MANY OUTSTANDING SUCCESSES. THE HUGH 22 .5 V8 DARRACQ TOOK THE WORLDS LAND SPEED RECORD IN 1905 AT 109.65 MPH. CARS OFFERED TO THE PUBLIC WERE INEVITABLY MORE RESTRAINED AND ALTHOUGH SOME QUITE LARGE MODELS WERE AVAILABLE, IT WAS THE SMALL AND MEDIUM SISED DARRACQS THAT MADE THE PROFITS AND WITH OCCASIONAL BLIPS, KEPT THE  COMPANY SUCCESSFUL. IN 1914 DARRACQ WAS THE THIRD LARGEST FRENCH CAR MANUFACTURER AFTER RENAULT AND PEUGEOT. ALEXANDRE RETIERED FROM HIS FIRM IN 1912 AT THE AGE OF 56 AND AFTER THE GREAT WAR LIVED IN SOME STYLE IN MONTECARLO WHERE HE HAD VAROIUS BUSINESS INTERESTS. IN 1919  HIS OLD COMPANY ACQUIRED  THE ENGLISH FIRMS OF TALBOT  AND  SUNBEAM TO FORM STD COMBIN FROM WHICH THE DARRACQ NAME FOR A MOTOR CAR MAKE WAS PHASED OUT BEFORE THE SECOND WORLD WAR.BELOW IS WHAT THE DARRACQ LOOKS LIKE TODAY.