Stunning collection of vintage cars for auction in Waterford

An absolutely stunning collection of vintage and classic cars, along with equally impressive carts, will go under the auctioneer's hammer in Waterford on June 16.

The classic car, traps, carriages and transport memorabilia auction will take place at RJ Keighery Antiques in William Street, Waterford, and it's sure to attract immense interest from car enthusiasts.

Waterford News & Star spoke to auctioneer, Thomas Keighery about the collection and how it came to be that such a stunning group of vehicles would be brought to the market.

"They were left to a lady in a will from her father," said Thomas.

"They were stored in a shed for five to 10 years," he added.

However, Thomas pointed out the vehicles were exquisitely stored resulting in them being in pristine condition.

"They were well stored," he said.

"They were wrapped as well so they really are in unbelievable condition," he added.

Thomas said that such was the condition of the vehicles that minimal work was required to prepare them for the forthcoming auction.

"We just had to give them a buff really, that's all," he said.

"The lady's father was into cars and had gathered them over time," he added.

It's also understood the cars were actually being driven until the owner passed away.

With such a classic and eclectic collection there is obviously an immense amount of history attached to the vehicles which stretch back as far as 1912.

"It's very rare for such a collection to come to the market like this," said Thomas.

Commenting that younger people tend to be into slightly newer classics Thomas said: "You don't see many pre-1950s cars coming to the market and definitely not a collection like this."

While the oldest car going under the hammer is a 1912 Model T Ford, one of the rarest vehicles in the collection is an Italian, 1926 Bianchi, which is wrapped in leather.

"It has timber spokes as well and the craftsmanship is brilliant," said Thomas.

"It's very rare and there are only a couple of hundred of them in existence anywhere," he said. Such is the rarity of the car that Thomas said it was difficult carrying out research into it.

"The detail of the interior is incredible but it was difficult to find out much about its history, it's very rare," he said.

While RJ Keighery Antiques have auctioned some classic vehicles in the past Thomas said it's very rare to have such a quantity of cars from the one owner going under the hammer.

He said one of the vehicles, a 1934 Morris Isis, would make a lovely wedding car. One of the biggest cars in the collection he said there were some tentative moments as they tried to get it into the showroom.

"We got it in by millimetres," he said.

"This is very different to our normal auctions," he added, commenting that ordinarily the focus would be on antique furniture and household items.

"We got a call that there were cars left in a will and to be honest we expected them to be rusty so we couldn't believe it when we actually saw them, our eyes lit up," said Thomas.

"It will bring a smile to enthusiasts faces because they're a throw-back to a classic time," he added. In addition to the cars the classic and vintage traps are also in stunning condition and there is a stunning collection of vintage signs and equipment such as oil dispensers.

While the auction itself will get under way at 12 noon on June 16, viewing of the collection is available at the showroom throughout this week from 12 noon to 5pm. For more information about the collection go online to antiquesireland.ie or phone