‘I’ll get my miracle Chevy revving again’
VINTAGE CAR’S LUCKY ESCAPE AS GARAGE GUTTED
THE owner of a vintage truck stored at a fire-hit garage has claimed it is a “miracle” that the vehicle was found unscathed amid the devastation.
Deane Motors at Ballycoolin in Dublin was in flames on Tuesday with a number of cars damaged in the showroom.
Well-known car dealer Nadia Adan yesterday vowed her support to the devastated company.
And Donegal businessman Keith ‘Bear’ Gamble revealed that his 1958 Chevy truck which he had stored with Deane Motors is unharmed.
He told The Star: “I have been told that my Chevy truck did not get damaged. Luckily, it was the other side of a firewall. There might only be a bit of a soot smell. It’s a miracle.”
Keith had pledged to restore the vehicle.
He said: “When I first heard the news, and saw pictures of the fire in the garage, I thought, ‘For sure, the truck is gone’.
“However, I then saw another picture where there is still part of the garage standing.
Charities
“I was unsure of the condition of my truck, but I knew no matter how damaged she was, I wouldn’t give up on her.”
Keith, from Lifford in Donegal, added: “I knew I’d do my best to get her up and running again.”
The Chevy has been used to raise an estimated €110,000 for charities every year in Keith’s annual Bear Run 74 super car fundraiser.
Ashford Motors car dealership owner Nadia last night released a statement to provide support to the owners of Deane Motors.
Nadia told The Star: “My heart goes out to them. When you see colleagues like that in the same business as myself having such a devastating event happen. you can imagine the stress and what they are going through.”
She added: “The motor trade needs to come together and support these guys as they have been very good to the motor industry with a wealth of knowledge and experience.”
The fire brigade responded to a 999 call and found ”a well-developed fire with smoke drifting across the locality”.
Some 22 firefighters attended the scene, with crews using breathing apparatus as the fire ripped through parts of a showroom for motoring enthusiasts.
A statement from Deane Motors read: “Unfortunately, our family business is no more. Fifty years to build it, five hours to destroy it. The most important thing is [that] everyone is safe and nobody was harmed.”
Gardai and Dublin Fire Brigade are investigating the incident.
Gardai yesterday told that inquiries are ongoing.
The Star