Shropshire Star

Me and My Car – Shane Lynch

Gabrielle Fagan speaks to the car-mad Lynch about car ownership and his passion for road trips

Published

Shane Lynch, 40, made a name for himself in the boyband Boyzone but his real obsession isn’t music, it’s motors. The married dad-of-two, who hails from Dublin, talks to Gabrielle Fagan about owning every car he’s dreamed about, his passion for pick-up trucks and his love of the American highway

Shane Lynch presents Supercar Megabuild, which airs on Thursdays on National Geographic

What was your first car?

My first car was a Toyota Hilux, a pick-up. I loved the US TV show, The Fall Guy in the Eighties, which was about a stunt man/bounty hunter, Colt Seavers, played by Lee Majors and he drove a pick-up truck. I vowed that when I got older I would get myself a pick-up truck. I was kicked out of school when I was 14 and I started working for my dad and I was a car mechanic earning my own money and I saved up for that car. I didn’t drink or party, and I had motorbikes and I saved for that truck.

Lynch has been driving race cars for over 17 years
(National Geographic)

On my 17th birthday, I paid 1,900 punt (the Irish pound) for it. It was rotten but my dad and I took it back to our workshop and we worked on it and that was my pride and joy. I loved it, and I still love them today and I have a lot of them.

What’s your current car?

In my current collection, it ranges from a Rolls Royce, Bentley, Ferrari, a few Mercedes, Fords. I have quite a few cars – I have a large barn full of them. I’m a collector, I love cars, I customise cars, I build cars, and cars are just what I do. I have a few that I love and probably will never sell but realistically everything’s in terms of value of cars.

What’s your dream car?

Every car is a dream car to me. When a new model comes out, you love it and dream of it and then once I have it, the dream moves on. I’m very blessed to say I’ve owned every dream car I’ve ever wanted and still own them. I love supercar sports cars right through to my pick-up trucks. It depends on the day and my mood. I bought a Porsche 911 at 19-years-old when I was in the band.

With the benefit of hindsight, I should have bought a house in Brixton and ploughed money into properties, then I would have been a billionaire instead of a millionaire but I have no regrets. I love cars, they’re my passion and I’ve been driving race cars for over 17 years. It’s my heritage. When I was growing up I saw my dad build and drive race cars because he had his own garage.

Did you pass your driving test the first time?

I did for sure. I was so excited. I passed on my 17th birthday, the 3rd of July.

Do you consider yourself a good driver?

I think everyone considers themselves a good driver. Of course, I consider myself the best driver out there!

Any bad habits?

I think I’m an exceptional on-the-road driver. I follow the speed limit, and I’m calm, cool and collected.

I have no problem with someone carving me up, or jumping in front of me in traffic, I’m fine. I’m never in a hurry, I’m always chilled out. I always leave early for appointments because nowadays congestion is such a problem it stresses you out if you don’t, so I just leave early to avoid that.

What annoys you about other drivers?

I think the only thing that might annoy me is motorway stuff where you see a lack of understanding for other drivers. It’s about realising sometimes people have to get to places for reasons, which can be really urgent and you don’t know what bad time they might be going through. So don’t hold them up because you think it’s your right to be in one particular lane or to go at a certain speed.

Do you wash your own car?

I haven’t washed a car since I was 17 years old. I hate washing cars, it does my head in. My first pick-up truck I probably washed and then gave up.

What do you listen to in the car?

In recent years, I went from Radio One to Radio Two and now I’ve gone from Radio Two to LBC and from that to Radio Four. I’m a Radio Four guy. I love the Archers, and I love chat radio and I never thought I’d get there but I now listen to Talk Radio.

What’s been your favourite road trip?

I love road trips. One of the most unbelievable trips of my life was when I was about 23 and I had just come out of Boyzone and it was kind of mad escapism. I literally had done my motorbike test a week before and off I went. It was one of the greatest road trips of my life. It was me and two mates and we went from London to Cyprus on motorbikes.

We rode through the UK, got the ferry to France, [rode] through Switzerland, to Italy, then got the ferry to Greece, over the other side of Greece and then to Cyprus. It was unbelievable. It was freedom. You can only think about driving the bike and it takes your mind to another place where you have to totally focus on the road.

What’s your idea of a dream road trip?

I had an amazing road trip in a car for my honeymoon. Me and my wife, we did the whole East Coast of America. We started in Florida and ended up in Maine. We drove the whole route and we followed a guide book which took us to different types of places from West Virginia, North Virginia, Carolina. It was incredible. I’m a big fan of America and so for me a dream road trip would be another one in the States.

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