A 1958 Beetle and 1999 Prius generate similar comments and reflections. Neither one has been manufactured in Canada. They just proved to be highly popular among Canadians in their respective times.
With automobiles like a 1914 Ford Model T, a 1989 Volvo 740 GT, a 1975 Bricklin SV-1, a 1961 Meteor Montcalm, a 1984 Plymouth Voyager and a 1989 Toyota Corolla, the organizers want to offer a different perspective. Are foreign-designed cars Canadian because they were built right here instead of their homeland?
The exhibition also showcases a number of vehicles that Canadian entrepreneurs have specifically created for domestic retail, including a 1903 Le Roy, a 1914 Russell (Model 14-28) and a 1971 Manic GT. Are they any more Canadian than the others? Consider this: the latter borrowed its platform and powertrain from Renault.
For Stephen Beatty, Managing Director of Toyota Canada, which serves as the main sponsor, the CSTM exhibition’s timing couldn’t be better. "The auto industry has dramatically evolved in recent years due to some significant and unexpected changes, from rising fuel prices to bankruptcies at GM and Chrysler," he said. "It’s time to celebrate the car for what it is and what it means to the people".
Sights, sounds and sensations
The organizers managed to put together more than just a diversified collection of historic automobiles. Visitors at the Museum will experience interactive and engaging multimedia features, including more than 20 TV ads starring various Canadian celebrities like Céline Dion, Bobby Hull and Jacques Villeneuve. Using a "dashboard," they will be able to listen to over a dozen popular songs inspired from the automobile.
Meanwhile, numerous artifacts reveal some lesser-known sides of the Canadian auto industry. For instance, there’s a certificate from Canadian Bartlett Automobile Company that yielded part of the automaker’s assets to a private investor.
 |
| Here are two Canadian-built models: a 1903 Le Roy (Kitchener, Ontario) and a 1975 Bricklin (St. John, New Brunswick). (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com) |
With automobiles like a 1914 Ford Model T, a 1989 Volvo 740 GT, a 1975 Bricklin SV-1, a 1961 Meteor Montcalm, a 1984 Plymouth Voyager and a 1989 Toyota Corolla, the organizers want to offer a different perspective. Are foreign-designed cars Canadian because they were built right here instead of their homeland?
The exhibition also showcases a number of vehicles that Canadian entrepreneurs have specifically created for domestic retail, including a 1903 Le Roy, a 1914 Russell (Model 14-28) and a 1971 Manic GT. Are they any more Canadian than the others? Consider this: the latter borrowed its platform and powertrain from Renault.
For Stephen Beatty, Managing Director of Toyota Canada, which serves as the main sponsor, the CSTM exhibition’s timing couldn’t be better. "The auto industry has dramatically evolved in recent years due to some significant and unexpected changes, from rising fuel prices to bankruptcies at GM and Chrysler," he said. "It’s time to celebrate the car for what it is and what it means to the people".
Sights, sounds and sensations
The organizers managed to put together more than just a diversified collection of historic automobiles. Visitors at the Museum will experience interactive and engaging multimedia features, including more than 20 TV ads starring various Canadian celebrities like Céline Dion, Bobby Hull and Jacques Villeneuve. Using a "dashboard," they will be able to listen to over a dozen popular songs inspired from the automobile.
Meanwhile, numerous artifacts reveal some lesser-known sides of the Canadian auto industry. For instance, there’s a certificate from Canadian Bartlett Automobile Company that yielded part of the automaker’s assets to a private investor.
 |
| An oversized dashboard allows visitors to listen to popular songs by Canadian artists that use the automobile as inspiration. (Photo: Luc Gagné/Auto123.com) |