A small company in Askeaton is producing its own version of a jeep-style vehicle.
Ireland's newest car factory is a small operation based currently in a County Limerick farmyard. Askeaton Auto Works currently produce what is essentially a copy of the World War II American-style jeep. Featuring an anti-rust finished high grade steel chassis, fibreglass body panels and a choice of engines, the Askeaton Geep (as it is called) can be described as
A tough and reliable vehicle.
Billy Hewson set up the company with Michael O’Sullivan, a former maintenance engineer at Aughinish Alumina. Prices range from £3,200 to £5,200, depending on engine type. So far three have been sold, and negotiations are underway with the Aughinish Alumina factory to supply it with over forty of these utility vehicles.
The Geep is easy to repair and run, and costs are kept low thanks to the use of reconditioned parts. And while durable it is not as heavy as a Land Rover. As O’Sullivan explains it is
More comfortable on the road to drive...and you can use it across the land.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 27 October 1982. The reporter is Michael Walsh.
