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Special Commissions - The Jordan Car Special Commissions - The Jordan Car

Our Chairman, Sir Anthony O’Reilly, requested our Sculptors to make Formula One owner Eddie Jordan, a replica of the Jordan car in every possible detail. The detail was to incorporate the latest modifications, curves and design enhancements that the Jordan design team had engineered to ensure that the EJ10 would be the best in its class.

Unlike other briefs we receive, the final design in this case, was already completed. With the aid of a model, a few photographs and the life size blueprint drawings supplied by the Jordan Team, Tommy Murphy undertook the project. After three days of inspection, drawing and redrawing, the crafting began.


Paper cuts were made and crystal blown to various shapes and sizes to allow Tommy begin the skilled task of shaping, polishing and fitting 20 different pieces of crystal, which were to make up the final car.

With one week to go before the car is presented to Eddie Jordan, Tommy still awaits the graphics to apply the original logos to the car and the base made from the graphite used in the actual car manufacture. So much to do and so little time but as sure as the 1st race of the new Formula One season will have a Jordan car on the grid, Tommy ensures that the car will be at the presentation, “even if I have to drive it myself”
“The initial stage of creating a Claret decanter involves taking a small amount of molten crystal on the blowing rod and forming it into a small ball shape. Then a second gather of molten crystal is taken and this is pre-shaped using wooden tools made of Beach and Pear wood. After the piece is pre shaped it is then blown into a mould so that is fills out to the full shape of the mould; this stage of the blowing process is vital as the thickness of the crystal depends on the skill and the dexterity of the craftsman. Next comes the handle, which is another amount of molten crystal that has been shaped into along cylindrical shape and attached to the side of the decanter. As the handle cools, it is manually teased into the shape of an arch, until both sides of the handle have been firmly attached”.
 
Copyright Waterford Crystal 2001