One For The Road - Whisky Is Cheaper Than Gas
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Aug 14, 2008
The locals of Islay have been running their cars on nothing but whisky, a fine example was Donnie MacKinnon, 66, who was seen tipping a full gallon of Lagavulin Scotch into his six-litre 1978 Rolls Royce.
When MacKinnon started the motor, thick smoke poured from the exhaust and the engine rumbled, but the vintage motor went on smoothly.
“I’ve got a 1936 Armstrong Siddeley in the garage that I’m going to try next.
“Vintage whisky seems to work best on older cars. I put nothing but the best in mine,” he said. The idea to use whisky had come up when MacKinnon and his pals Roland Worthington-Eyre and George Middleton were chatting about the soaring cost of petrol and diesel, which has hit 128p and 145p respectively on Islay.
Worthington-Eyre had filled up his 1970 Morris Traveller with a 70cl bottle of Scotch and topped it up with a 16-year-old Lagavulin malt.
“It’s all about cost, but with the way things are going whisky may end up being cheaper than petrol. “Islay gives a lot to the Exchequer every year and we get very little back in return. Surely the Chancellor could grant us some leeway to develop whisky fuel,” he added.
Engine expert John Cooper, from Glasgow University, last night agreed whisky does work as fuel. “It is not as refined as petrol and diesel but it will work,” he said.
