Canadian cars

[Landman]

I thought you guys would enjoy looking at some uniquely Canadian cars.

[keiser31]

That white 1960 looks like one of the custom car model kits I did as a kid....lots of taillights, skirts, etc.

[Landman]

I wonder if it has one tailight too many.

[stephen48]

Good to see .Thanks for posting!

[John_Maine]

I have always been fascinated with Canadian versions of US cars. The white car is a 1960 Meteor which was a Ford body with "Mercury" trim sold by Mercury dealers to give them a "lower price" car. The Monarch was a Mercury body with "Ford" trim to give Ford dealers a more expensive medium priced Ford. When the restyled '61 Mercury came out and used the Meteor name on it's full sized cars and moved it to the mid-size '62 and '63 Meteor, the Canadian Meteor and Monarch disappeared. However, the Meteor reappeared in '64 as a Mercury body with Ford interiors and engines. The Meteor continued until 1980, I believe.

The '57 Pontiac (and all Canadian Pontiacs from 1955 on) were Pontiac bodies on Chevrolet chassies with Chevrolet engines, steering columns and steering wheels. Prior to '55, Canadian Pontiacs were Chevrolet bodies and mechanicals with an adapted Pontiac grille and dash. Nothing like seeing a '54 Canadian Pontiac with Chevrolet taillights and silver streaks on the back.

[Manuel]

The white 1960 Ford looks like a Meteor Montcalm which is the higher end of the range. There was a 6 and 2 V8's avail then.

The white Pontiac looks like a 1957 Laurentian. Tho there were other models avail in 57.

Pontiacs in Oz up to about the 1970's were from Canada.
Mainly Laurentians and Parisiennes in the later years.

Manuel in Oz

[Landman]

Right on both counts Manuel. They are Montcalm & Laurentian.

[Jim_Edwards]

I wonder if it has one tailight too many.

Nope, but it is interesting the exact same taillight arrangement appeared on the '61 Mercury Monterey.

[Oracle]

In Canada some dealers sold the lot...Ford cars and trucks, Mercury cars and trucks, Meteor, Monarch, plus British and German Fords (e.g. Anglia/Consul/Zephyr and Taunus).

[Manuel]

I didn't realise Commonwealth countries sold European Fords. Esp if they were along side Fords from the UK that were the same size.

Manuel in Oz

[Oracle]

The USA had Dagenham-built Fords from around 1955 to the Cortina Mark II, so 1968ish? They were sold worldwide, including Oz, Kiwiland, South Africa, Singapore, plus South America. I think the USA had the Taunus, as GM dealers in N America sold Opels as well as Vauxhalls [1957-61ish only in the USA for Vauxhall]. The Cologne-built Taunus was not a direct competitor for the British Fords..better quality for a start! I think German Fords were sold in South Africa but cannot confirm; they sold Vauxhalls and Opels in direct competition through a dual-dealership arrangement as in Canada.

The UK had US and Canadian Fords to 1966 whereupon they were replaced by rhd Australian Fords up to 1976.

[Manuel]

The Cologne-built Taunus was not a direct competitor for the British Fords..better quality for a start!
I agree with the quality bit. The UK models made/assembled in Oz were no better either.
But I always considered the Taunus to be Cortina sized roughly and it surprises me that they could compete price wise with Commonwealth preferred cars.

The UK had US and Canadian Fords to 1966 whereupon they were replaced by rhd Australian Fords up to 1976.
I can vaguely remember reading about that change over. I think the factories in north America decided they did not want to build RHD vehicles anymore :-(

Regards,
Manuel in Oz

[Oracle]

The last rhd North American Fords were the 1969/70 Fairlanes for SA and Australia, ex-Canada. Lincoln Cars Ltd in London imported N American Fords, Mercurys. and I think Meteors jufging by an advert from '65 that I saw. They also imported Taunus cars and then from 1967 Aussie Fords. The last Aussie Fords imported were 1980 LTDs.

[dictator27]

Canadian Pontiacs built from the end of WW2 to the 1954 model year used the Chev body with the Pontiac flathead 6 for power. The straight 8 Pontiac engine was too long for the Chev engine room.

Terry

[nzcarnerd]

More than that they used the Chev chassis as well and continued to do so with the bigger models right through to the end of the 1960s and on into? - I don't know how far.

[Landman]

Here's another one you don't see around every corner.

[pontiac1953]

Canadian Pontiacs built from the end of WW2 to the 1954 model year used the Chev body with the Pontiac flathead 6 for power. The straight 8 Pontiac engine was too long for the Chev engine room.

Terry

in canada, you had your choice, if you wanted a canadian built pontiac, you got a chevy engine, body, and frame. if you wanted the USA built pontiac, you got the pontiac built engine, body and frame. this was during 1953 and 1954, other years i'm not sure of. charles coker, 1953 pontiac tech advisor.

[Kingoftheroad]

When I think Canadian autos, 50s & 60s Mercury Trucks come to mind.

[Dave Boyer]

We don't even see these very much in Canada,

1960 Frontenac

[Landman]

More than that they used the Chev chassis as well and continued to do so with the bigger models right through to the end of the 1960s and on into? - I don't know how far.

At least until 1960. The different track of the Chevy chassis is readily apparent on the 59 Parisienne. The wheels look "sunk in". The difference in wheel base is apparent in the '60 comparison shot. The Bonie is as long as a Parisienne with a continental kit.

[John_Maine]

GM continued to make Parisiennes and Laurentians into the mid to late 70's and continued the Parisienne into the early 80's when it became a Caprice with a Pontiac split grille and different taillights. When Pontiac dropped the big body Bonneville in '82 in the US and renamed the LeMans the Bonneville Model G, Pontiac dealers clamored for a larger car so GM gave them the Parisienne in '83. In '85, they grafted the '81 Bonneville rear quarters, trunk and taillights onto the Caprice body in an effort to differentiate it with the Caprice. The Parisienne sedan was dropped after the '86 model year but continued as a wagon until 1991 when the Caprice was redesigned.

In '71, I believe Canadian Pontiacs became the same as US Pontiacs except for the carryover of the Canadian names. They stayed that way until '81 when they once again became Chevrolet based.

Pontiac in Canada also sold a Chevrolet Corsicas as Pontiac Tempests. And they also had a version of the Chevette.

[Oracle]

This may be of interest and apologies if it's not:

There were major positive results as a result of the ‘Auto-Pact’ though: in three years, Canadian production went up from 670,290 to more than one million units. Chevrolet production increased from 162,989 in 1965 to 217,288 in 1969, and Chevrolet and GMC Trucks from 68,420 to 106,461 in the same period, which meant in turn huge increases in production at Windsor and St. Catherines Plants. In 1965/66, employment reached 19,000, and the six millionth vehicle was produced, in October 1967 in the St. Therese Plant. As St. Therese came ‘on-line’, so the demand for Windsor-produced parts grew. However, there was a degree of ‘change-round’ when 1970 ‘B-Body’ production moved from Oshawa to St. Thérèse, then back again for 1972 when St. Thérèse was converted to Chevrolet Vega production.

St. Thérèse built the last r.h.d. Chevrolet Impala 4-Door Hardtops and Wagons[?] in six-cylinder and 327/350 V-8 motor versions and Oshawa built the last r.h.d. Pontiac Parisienne 4-Door Hardtops and Chevrolet Chevelles at the end of 1969 model Year. All 1969 Convertibles were l.h.d only.

Oshawa produced the last l.h.d ‘B-Body’ cars with St. Catherines-built 350 V-8 motors when the unibody ‘A’-body cars replaced the chassised ‘B-Bodies’ at Oshawa # 1 Plant. The Pontiac Parisienne which had been a ‘thinly-disguised’ Chevrolet for 1983/4 was built in the Fairfax, U.S. Plant for 1985/6. For the record, the last Chevrolet Impala built in Canada was a four-door Sedan on 16 November 1985, a 1986 Model car. The so-called ‘last-car’ was a Caprice, painted 2-tone blue which had been readied a few weeks before, and which was set-aside for the last ‘drop’ and inserted after the last Impala, and driven off the line by Lionel Dignard on November 16 1985. That day also saw the last Chevrolet Caprice Wagons destined for Saudi Arabia. RIP Impala! The last ‘A-body’ which replaced the Impala/Caprice was a 600, made obsolete by the ‘W-Body’ Lumina.

[Dave@Moon]

Pontiac in Canada....also had a version of the Chevette.

From 1981 to 1987 it (the Pontiac Acadian) was sold in the U.S. as the Pontiac T1000, dropping the "T" to become the Pontiac 1000 for the last 2 years. But for the name plate the 2 cars were identical.

My best friend inherited his mother 1981 T1000 after college. Silver-grey (the paint dulled very quickly) with black trim, we called it "The Toaster". The name stuck even after his mother (after 3 or 4 close calls when people pulled out on her not seeing the dull-colored car) took it to Maaco and painted it bright bulldozer yellow in 1982. That car was the very first car I ever heard referred to as "a boring appliance"..., thus the "The Toaster" name.

[Landman]

Here's a nice original looking Pontiac.

[dei]

Posting a photo of my 1951 Nash CANADIAN STATESMAN. Really not much visual change from the US model, just fender badges stating Canadian Statesman. Mine has the flat head 6.

A friend of mine has his fathers original purchase 1960 Monarch which is distinctly Canadian. It has been published in many times and yet I can't find my picture of it. When I do, will post one.