From the archives of Bob Montgomery, motoring historian
A CAUTIONARY TALE: On March 11th 1897 The Irish Times carried this report: "Motor Car Factory for Dublin - Mr Pennington has arrived in Dublin with the object of extending his manufacturing business in Ireland. His motors were seen at Ball's Bridge recently, and yesterday afternoon they were running around St Stephen's Green at the rate of 12 mph and not in the slightest degree interfering with the public traffic." The report went on to say that " a large company has been organised to erect in Dublin an immense manufacturing place for this purpose . . . Mr Pennington's factory will very shortly start in the city by the employment of about two thousand hands to begin with, and the company have found by careful investigation that auto-cars, motor and bicycles can be built cheaper in Ireland than in England. The Dublin manufactory starts under excellent auspices, for it is stated that they already have over £140,000 worth of orders, which means an immediate demand for material of all kinds, as well as the employment of a great number of hands."
In short order, an impressive prospectus was issued to interest prospective Irish investors. Headed "The Motor and Cycle Company of Ireland Limited", the prospectus mostly contained reports from Irish and British newspapers and magazines describing the marvellous inventions of Mr E Pennington, an American, who had apparently built his prototypes in Coventry before taking them and drawings for further marvellous vehicles to Dublin.
It seems likely that only three 'Penningtons' were ever built - two motorcycles (one a single seater and a tandem) and a three wheeler. One of the most trumpeted features of the vehicles was the ignition system, which was original, to say the least. Pennington claimed his system gave a "long, mingling spark" which allowed his engines to run on ordinary paraffin! In fact, the engines would run only on the very best quality motor spirit then available and a fake density meter was used to "prove" it was using paraffin.
As things turned out, no Penningtons were ever sold to the public, but the redoubtable Mr Pennington pocketed the not inconsiderable sum of £100,000 by selling his patents to another rogue of the early industry, Harry Lawson.
The two became associates in the Great Horseless Carriage Manufacturing Company, which also failed to deliver and collapsed, but not before producing copies of the Werner motorcycle and lasting until 1904.
By then, rapid advances in motoring technology and a growing awareness of the mechanical aspects of motor vehicles made it more difficult for rogues such as Pennington to fool large numbers of the public with grandiose but totally impractical manufacturing plans.
Alas for Dublin, Mr Pennington's plans, like his vehicles, proved illusory and the only result was the pocketing of large amounts of money by Pennington and a salutary lesson for Irish investors.
THE FIRST MOTOR ROAD: The first purpose-built motor road in the world was built not in France or Germany, not even in Europe or America, but by French engineers on the east coast of Madagascar. The 140-mile road ran from the east-coast port of Tamatave to the island's capital, Antananarivo, and was officially opened on January 1st 1901.
The capital had no rail link and the authorities, under Governor Joseph S Gallieni, decided on the road as a practical alternative.
Gallieni is better known for making innovative use of the car when he used taxi-cabs to rush French troops to the Front in 1914 during the Great War.