Manitoba McLaughlin Buicks

[Guest imported_Thriller]

While on the way home from our family vacation yesterday, we stopped in at the Manitoba Antique Automobile Museum in western Manitoba. It isn't much of a museum, being primarily a steel quonset with many unrestored cars in a somewhat dusty environment (which is fine for storage, but not really for a museum). I stopped in because it was my first opportunity after acquiring a McLaughlin Buick myself a bit over a year ago. I was hoping for some reference material, but the cars were all older than mine.

Anyway, the building isn't well lit and the flash on my digital camera isn't the greatest, so the photos are a bit dark, but here are some photos of the McLaughlin Buicks in their collection. Click on the photos to see a larger version.

First, a general overview of one side of the building the McLaughlins are on.

1909

1910

1911

1913

1914

Another 1914

1917

A McLaughlin carriage from the days before their partnership with Buick.

Something every '51 Buick owner should have.

If you look around their site, you will get some misinformation regarding the partnership between the McLaughlin Carriage Company and Buick. However, this may be the most significant collection in western Canada.

As for others, I know of two McLaughlin Buicks for sure that are owned by Winnipeggers - my 29-51 and Ewing's 1938 Special. I've seen another pre-war Buick in town, but I'm not certain whether or not it is a McLaughlin. I know of another '29 owner, but again am not certain whether or not it is a McLaughlin.

I hope you enjoy the photos. I know they aren't great, but I thought I would share them with you. I suppose I could have played with the images to make them lighter, but I find that when I do that, things tend to get a washed out look about them.

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear Derek:

Do any of your photos show us the frame, engine or other numbers on these McLaughlins? If not, do you happen to have their e-mail address?

Regards, Dave Corbin

[Guest imported_Thriller]

Dave,

That little fence in most of the photos was as close as I was allowed to get. If you want to contact them, their web site is linked in the original post, so that would probably be the place to start.

I don't know how far you want to go, but some of their information about the partnership between McLaughlin and Buick is incorrect. They may be open to correct information, but as this is a small town operation, they could become obstinate at the suggestion as well.

Good luck with data...your research is valuable to us.

[Guest OracleUK]

In certain years when Regina, Saskatchewa, Plant was open, that is 1929-30, 1931, and 1938-41 Model Years, they assembled McL-Buicks and Manitoba dealers would have had Regina cars. A Regina-built 1938 was imported into the UK and restored here. It was worth £20,000, which is something like C$50,000? A very rare car and deserves to be in a museum. That all-important "9" after the Model Number in the post-1934 series tells you! Oshawa was number "0" by the way.

Also check out the Reynolds-Alberta Museum for its Regina cars, etc.

[Mark Shaw]

Looks like a great destination for a Prewar tour!

Thanks for posting the photos Derek.