Following the launch of Vintageart.ie, our new website for transport-inspired artworks, we want to show you our process and how we’re working with transport museums across Ireland to give old parts new purpose. Vintage Art is an offshoot of Ireland Made – stories of Irish transport, created by Kevin Reid, John Furlong and Philip Darling. Between us we’ve told hundreds of transport stories, restored military vehicles and designed for heritage brands.
Visit our Products page on www.vintageart.ie for a selection that’s on sale now!
Join us on a recent road trip to Kilgarvan Motor Museum to see how we find the pieces that spark our ideas. Then step into the workshop for a behind-the-scenes look at how we transform them, including the making of our 1960s VW Hippy bonnet, a 300-hour build from metal repairs and paint prep to sketching, transferring and hand-painting the design in full psychedelic colour.
SUPPORT OUR MUSEUMS
On Vintageart.ie we rescue and reimagine pieces of transport history, from funky VW Beetle bonnets and illuminated Jeep grilles to vintage prints and imagined aircraft panels, turning them into bold, one-of-a-kind wall art with real story and soul.
Our plan is a simple one: to work with transport museums across Ireland, finding new purpose for old parts. We buy and reimagine pieces once bound for storage or scrap, bringing them back to life as artworks that keep their stories alive. And with each piece sold, a little goes back, creating a small but meaningful revenue stream to support the museums that have been keeping Ireland’s transport heritage in safe hands.
THE TEAM
We’re Kevin, John and Philip, three lifelong tinkerers with a love of engines, design and adventure. Between us we’ve shared the stories of Irish transport, restored military vehicles and designed for heritage brands. Kevin is the founder of Ireland Made – Stories of Irish Transport, a collector and archivist dedicated to preserving Ireland’s transport heritage. John is an old-school mechanic and military vehicle restorer and a long-time contributor to Ireland Made – stories of Irish transport. Philip is an antique dealer and treasure hunter with a passion for steam trains, as well as a video producer and location scout for Ireland Made.
PARTS SOURCING
In early autumn, the three of us, John, Kevin and Philip, set out from Dublin on a sourcing trip to Kilgarvan Motor Museum in County Kerry. The plan was simple: a few days on the road looking for pieces that could be reimagined into future artworks.
After four hours driving, we arrived to a warm welcome from Trevor Mitchell, who showed us around the museum and private collection.
A rummage through the yard turned up a few surprises. John and Trevor uncovered hidden gems inside a Land Rover, along with a pile of chrome parts and even a fibreglass Jensen 541. In all, we came away with about twenty items, each with its own story and potential. Then it was back to the workshop where the design and reimagining begin, old parts getting ready for a new life as transport-inspired art.
THE WORKSHOP
Join us for a behind-the-scenes look inside the workshop as we show how our 1960s VW “Hippy” bonnet was created, from more than 300 hours of work, from repairing the bare metal of the bonnet and preparing it for paint to sketching the design, transferring it to the bonnet and hand-painting it in bright, psychedelic colours.
Visit our Products page on www.vintageart.ie for a selection that’s on sale now!
CONTACT US TODAY
Our pieces are for people who love character and see beauty in old metal, worn paint and stories built to last. They want something real, not mass produced, something that brings a bit of history into their home or workplace. From bars and restaurants to garages, home offices and man caves, our art also suits designers looking for bold, memorable pieces that spark conversation.
If you’re interested in a piece, contact us today. And if you don’t see what you’re looking for or an item is sold out, leave your details on the website contact form www.vintageart.ie and we can create a custom piece or source something similar.
Check out one of the videos we’ve previously produced on Ireland Made – stories of Irish transport in support of Kilgarvan Motor Museum: Irish Original Registration & Assembled Cars – Kilgarvan Motor Museum | Season 3 – Episode 39 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8pZTLpFlDU&t=46s
Check out the full blog: ‘The three Musketeers on a recent sourcing road trip to Counties Kerry and Limerick’ https://w3eea6243bde56915b6bb.cms.sitebuilder.letshost.ie/blog/
