Some people claim they can tell whether a car is male or female. My neighbour, for instance, says that the Miata and New Beetle are strictly women’s’ cars, while the Challenger and Dodge Ram are naturally designed for men.
When I asked this would-be sexologist to put on his sociologist’s hat on for a moment and give me an example of a “Canadian” car, he confidently answered “the Chevrolet Camaro.” Which is logical: the current model is built in Oshawa, while the previous one was produced in Boisbriand, two Canadian cities.
So I asked the million-dollar question: “Does that mean that the Hyundai Sonata, which was assembled in Bromont from 1990 to 1994, was also a Canadian car?” He clenched his jaw, furiously shook his head from side to side and bit out an exasperated “of COURSE not. It’s an Asian car. It’s not the same thing”.
But what my fifty-year-old neighbour and faithful American-car buyer doesn’t know is that the Chevrolet Aveo he acquired last year is a product developed and built in South Korea, and the Dodge Journey that serves as his son’s family hauler is originally from Toluca, Mexico. You know, real American cars.
Like its gender, the national identity of a car is concept shrouded in artistic vagueness. And that’s exactly what the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa will attempt to demonstrate with its new permanent exhibition, “In Search of the Canadian Car”.
In a dedicated hall, a 1989 Toyota Corolla will be rubbing shoulders with, among others, a 1903 LeRoy, a 1989 Volvo 740, a 1975 Bricklin SV-1 and a 1971 Manic GT. The thematic collection will even include a 1960 Beetle and a 1998 Prius, both considered “Canadian” by some of our fellow citizens – which apparently explains the popularity of the models.
Each car will bring us one step closer to understanding the concept of automotive identity. However, while McLuhan compared Canada to a cultural mosaic, the torturous interpretations of my neighbour evoke more of a crude mishmash of origins. Who knows, maybe the Ottawa exhibition has a better definition for me…
When I asked this would-be sexologist to put on his sociologist’s hat on for a moment and give me an example of a “Canadian” car, he confidently answered “the Chevrolet Camaro.” Which is logical: the current model is built in Oshawa, while the previous one was produced in Boisbriand, two Canadian cities.
So I asked the million-dollar question: “Does that mean that the Hyundai Sonata, which was assembled in Bromont from 1990 to 1994, was also a Canadian car?” He clenched his jaw, furiously shook his head from side to side and bit out an exasperated “of COURSE not. It’s an Asian car. It’s not the same thing”.
But what my fifty-year-old neighbour and faithful American-car buyer doesn’t know is that the Chevrolet Aveo he acquired last year is a product developed and built in South Korea, and the Dodge Journey that serves as his son’s family hauler is originally from Toluca, Mexico. You know, real American cars.
Like its gender, the national identity of a car is concept shrouded in artistic vagueness. And that’s exactly what the Canada Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa will attempt to demonstrate with its new permanent exhibition, “In Search of the Canadian Car”.
In a dedicated hall, a 1989 Toyota Corolla will be rubbing shoulders with, among others, a 1903 LeRoy, a 1989 Volvo 740, a 1975 Bricklin SV-1 and a 1971 Manic GT. The thematic collection will even include a 1960 Beetle and a 1998 Prius, both considered “Canadian” by some of our fellow citizens – which apparently explains the popularity of the models.
Each car will bring us one step closer to understanding the concept of automotive identity. However, while McLuhan compared Canada to a cultural mosaic, the torturous interpretations of my neighbour evoke more of a crude mishmash of origins. Who knows, maybe the Ottawa exhibition has a better definition for me…