Island Car Club – San Gwann

Island Car Club

Triq il-Mandolina Garage 3, Blk B, San Ġwann

Telephone: +356 9947 7644

\The Island Car Club has its origins in the Malta Branch of the Forces Motoring Club, which was active in the 1950s. The FMC was quite a high-powered organization, with headquarters in London and branches in a number of places where significant numbers of British servicemen were based, such as Cyprus, Aden and Singapore besides Malta. In the early years, Chairmen of the Malta Branch and many members were high-ranking officers like Army Colonels, Navy Captains and Air Force Group Captains. Later on, when the number of service people decreased with the rundown, the seniority level dropped too. Among leading lights of the period one recalls Bob Marshall, ‘Bunny’ Rabbits, David Wilson and the inimitable Bill Duxbury, who has retained links with Malta to the present day, and who’s red Ford Consul, affectionately known as The Fire Engine, was a regular participant in Club events.

As its name implied, the FMC was a club for the armed forces and membership was restricted to persons who wore or had worn British Forces uniform. The first two Maltese members were Francis Gera and Alex Agius Cesareo, who later served for many years as Committee Member and Chairman. They both joined in the late 1950s, and had the right to become members because they had been in the Territorial Army. Later the ‘uniform’ rule was relaxed to allow Maltese who were keen motorists and were considered assets to the Club, to join even though they had never had any connection with the Forces. Club members Aldo Laferla, Mario Said and others joined in this manner.