Canadian designed, built and owned cars trace the first 100 years of Canada’s history in the third annual Art and the Automobile Exhibit at the Canadian International Auto Show.
By Gerry Malloy
Canada’s automotive history is as old as the country itself, dating back to this Steam Buggy built in 1867 by Henry Seth Taylor, a watchmaker, jeweler, and businessman in Stanstead, Quebec. This reconstruction of that original now resides at the Canadian Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa.
While the Art and the Automobile feature focuses on the automobile’s role in the context of Canadian history, not all the vehicles on display were built in Canada – witness the Duesenberg Model J and Aston Martin DB5 in this photo.
As has become its custom, the Art and the Automobile exhibit constitutes a gallery-like setting with most of the cars displayed in front of backdrops depicting scenes from Canadian history of the same period as their construction.
More than 100 different Canadian car nameplates were built during that first century, only a handful of which survived for any extended period. One of those survivors was the Monarch brand, introduced by Ford Canada in 1946 as a parallel to, and based on, the Mercury line to give Ford dealers an upscale model to sell. Mercury dealers then got a Ford-based Meteor to give them an entry into the lower-priced market.
This 1956 Monarch Richelieu convertible is one of only 163 such models built in Oakville, Ontario, of which only about 11 are known to exist.
The star car in the Art and the Automobile exhibit is this 1951 General Motors Le Sabre concept car – or dream car as concepts were known back then. It wasn’t designed or built in Canada but one of its first public appearances was at the Canadian National Exhibition in 1951. Designed under the direction of legendary styling chief Harley Earl, the Le Sabre was GM’s first post-war dream car. It introduced a host of styling features, such as the wraparound windshield, that would appear in GM production cars over the next decade.
More than just a styling exercise, the Le Sabre was an engineering test bed as well. Its advanced features included an automatic rain-sensing top, built-in hydraulic jacks and extensive use of magnesium and aluminum in its structure. Power came from a supercharged 215 cubic-inch (3.5L) V-8 engine fitted with two carburetors. One was used for normal operation on gasoline while the second added an injection of methanol, from a separate tank, to boost power when acceleration was called for.
Among the early Canadian marques that failed to survive was the McKay, built in Nova Scotia, beginning in 1908, with a locally produced body and an American Buda engine. Only about 125 McKays were built before the company was shut down in 1914. This 1910 model, one of only two known to survive, was acquired by the Canadian Automotive Museum in 1986. The McKay is set in front of an ‘Anne of Green Gables’ scene provided by Parks Canada.
Established in 1905 by the company now known as CCM, the Russell was arguably the most Canadian car ever with every component of the vehicle designed and built in this country until 1910, when the British Knight sleeve-valve engine was adopted. A couple years later, Russell began building those engines in Canada, too. This 1914 model was one of the last in the line as production was ceased in 1916 to build war materials.
Better known as a Canadian brand was the McLaughlin-Buick, originally built by the McLaughlin Motor Car Company, which later became General Motors of Canada. This unique 1927 model is one of two open Touring cars specially built for a Royal Tour by the Prince of Wales.
This 12-cylinder 1935 Packard Twelve Coupe Roadster was not built in Canada, although other Packards were during the 1930s. This rare model, with Body by Dietrich, was delivered new to Packard Ontario Motor Car Co. for the founder of National Grocers in Canada.
By 1955, when this Packard Caribbean convertible was built, the company was nearing its final days, before merging with and being absorbed by Studebaker. The luxurious Caribbean was a direct competitor to the Cadillac Eldorado of the day.
This Canadian-owned 1949 Cadillac Coupe de Ville Prototype is a very special car built by General Motors for the Transportation Unlimited Exhibition of the first post-World War II Auto Show held in New York at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The predecessor of GM’s two-door hardtop production models, it became the personal car of GM president Charles Wilson.
Reflected in the hood of the Cadillac prototype is the Newfoundland and Labrador Coat of Arms. Newfoundland became Canada’s tenth province in 1949 when this car was built.
This 1941 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe is the only such model known to exist with its body modified by designer Howard (Dutch) Darrin. It’s easily identified by the trademark ‘Darrin Dip’ in the door.
With styling by famed industrial designer Raymond Loewy, this 1937 Studebaker Dictator Coupe was one of the prettiest cars of its day. It was produced during the brief period (1936-1946) when Studebaker did not build cars in Canada.
This 1936 Rolls-Royce Phantom III Sedanca de Ville is one of two Sedanca de Villes – with a closed rear passenger compartment and an open front section for the driver – built by Carrosserie Henry Binder of Paris, famous for the coachwork on two of the Bugatti Royales.
It is the last model of Rolls Royce that Sir Henry Royce, founder of the famous company with Charles Rolls and Claude Johnson, was involved with prior to his death in 1933. Like all Rolls-Royce, it is adorned with the ‘Spirit of Ecstacy’ hood ornament.
Of course there’s a Corvette in the exhibit, in this case a fuel-injected 1962 model – the last of the solid-rear-axle cars before the arrival of the iconic Sting Ray. It’s displayed in front of a backdrop commemorating the opening of the Trans Canada Highway in 1962, provided by Parks Canada.
The 1965 Aston Martin DB5 seen here beyond the trunk of a Duesenberg Model J is arguably the most famous car model ever for it’s the same one driven by James Bond in the movie Goldfinger.
What’s a classic car show without a Duesenberg? This 1929 Model J Dual Cowl Phaeton was the first model year of the famous Model J series.
The face of power, the Model J’s front end is a statement in chrome. This car was originally owned by S.L. (Roxy) Rothafel of Roxy Theatre and Radio City Music Hall fame.
The Art and the Automobile exhibit was organized by, and most of the cars within it have previously taken part in, the Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The 2017 Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance will take place on September 17, 2017 at the Cobble Beach Golf Links Resort Community in Kemble, Ontario, a few minutes north of Owen Sound. More information is available at www.cobblebeachconcours.com.
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