Every year, a small town in the Eastern Townships, east of Montreal, plays host to a huge gathering of classic cars. To get your car on the grounds, it has to be at least 25 years of age. Once in, you can choose to exhibit your car or have it judged.
I've been to Granby many times over the years, but never have I entered a car – until now. My uncle, a true car fanatic such as myself, happens to have a pair of classics and happened to give me a call. He wanted to know if I'd be interested in trekking out to the event behind the wheel of one of his gems.
“Let me think about it... OK!”
I pulled up to his house and there stood, in all its splendour and grandeur, his 1967 Cadillac DeVille Convertible. We wasted no time and hit the road, me in the Caddy, he in his 1969 Ford F-100.
The drive was memorable. In fact, those 90 minutes behind the wheel of this car are some of the best I've ever experienced. I’d driven the boat before, but never in this capacity. Truthfully, had it not been for an estimated fuel consumption average of 27-28 litres per 100 km, it would have been perfect.
With the top down and an acre of bonnet ahead of me, I was master and ruler of the road. What a ride! In fact, it blew my mind so much that I'm gonna try my hand at writing a review on the Caddy.
While there, at the show, I came within inches of purchasing an old BMW. If you follow me on Twitter @Matt_St_Pierre, you know which one. It was that kind of day...
After walking miles, soaking in Barracudas, Beaumonts, Beetles and Bonnevilles and getting burnt by the sun, we headed home.
This time, I straddled the F-100. Sporting a 302 V8 (the Caddy's got a 429...) and a column-mounted 3-speed manual 'box, the truck moves and is properly loud. The thing shudders slightly at low speeds when releasing the clutch pedal, but otherwise it's another phenomenal driving experience.
I am truly jealous of those, like my father and uncle that were born in the 1940s and were able to drive these cars when new. Both guys worked as car washers in the mid to late '50s and got to move cars like the DeVille, Chrysler Crown Royals and Ford Fairlanes when they still had that new-car smell.
I guess they're me 40 years earlier (I got my first press car in the late '90s), and so someone may say one day in 2035 that I was a lucky bastard because I got to drive around in a brand-new 2003 Nissan 350Z...
I've been to Granby many times over the years, but never have I entered a car – until now. My uncle, a true car fanatic such as myself, happens to have a pair of classics and happened to give me a call. He wanted to know if I'd be interested in trekking out to the event behind the wheel of one of his gems.
“Let me think about it... OK!”
I pulled up to his house and there stood, in all its splendour and grandeur, his 1967 Cadillac DeVille Convertible. We wasted no time and hit the road, me in the Caddy, he in his 1969 Ford F-100.
The drive was memorable. In fact, those 90 minutes behind the wheel of this car are some of the best I've ever experienced. I’d driven the boat before, but never in this capacity. Truthfully, had it not been for an estimated fuel consumption average of 27-28 litres per 100 km, it would have been perfect.
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| Photo: Matthieu St-Pierre/Auto123.com |
With the top down and an acre of bonnet ahead of me, I was master and ruler of the road. What a ride! In fact, it blew my mind so much that I'm gonna try my hand at writing a review on the Caddy.
While there, at the show, I came within inches of purchasing an old BMW. If you follow me on Twitter @Matt_St_Pierre, you know which one. It was that kind of day...
After walking miles, soaking in Barracudas, Beaumonts, Beetles and Bonnevilles and getting burnt by the sun, we headed home.
This time, I straddled the F-100. Sporting a 302 V8 (the Caddy's got a 429...) and a column-mounted 3-speed manual 'box, the truck moves and is properly loud. The thing shudders slightly at low speeds when releasing the clutch pedal, but otherwise it's another phenomenal driving experience.
I am truly jealous of those, like my father and uncle that were born in the 1940s and were able to drive these cars when new. Both guys worked as car washers in the mid to late '50s and got to move cars like the DeVille, Chrysler Crown Royals and Ford Fairlanes when they still had that new-car smell.
I guess they're me 40 years earlier (I got my first press car in the late '90s), and so someone may say one day in 2035 that I was a lucky bastard because I got to drive around in a brand-new 2003 Nissan 350Z...