espo Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 Just got my July Issue of Hemmings Classic Cars and their main theme this month has to do with cars and trucks sold in Canada. They have one article that covers some of the history and a few articles on specific models one of which is the 1956 Crown Victoria from Ford of Canada that is also the cover car. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamsuperdan Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 Even up to the 90s we saw a lot of vehicles that weren't available in the US. Even though they kind of were...albeit under a different name. And a lot of the time, some of the cars we got were different/better than the US versions. For example, the 1995-1996 BMW M3. Canadian cars got the Euro-spec engine, while in the US it was de-tuned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk11 Posted June 10 Share Posted June 10 A couple of great reference books written by noted historian Perry Zavitz help fill in the gaps... 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyK Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 I still remember being a kid on vacation with my family in Canada in the '60's. I was very much into cars and enjoyed seeing the slight variations of cars I knew in the USA with the ones in Canada. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hall Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 I remember the first time I became aware of Canadian-specific cars was in the 80s as a teenager in the Florida Keys...snowbirds w/ Ontario plates..a neighbor had a '78 Chevy Bel Air 4dr, there was a 74 Meteor Rideau 500 2dr around town, a late 77 Pontiac Laurentian 2dr, and a Pontiac Tempest (Chevy Corsica). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JollySipper Posted June 11 Share Posted June 11 On 6/10/2024 at 4:45 PM, iamsuperdan said: For example, the 1995-1996 BMW M3. Canadian cars got the Euro-spec engine, while in the US it was de-tuned. I follow a site called BimmerTips on Instagram..... That was one of their factoids today! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rodent Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 1 hour ago, JollySipper said: I follow a site called BimmerTips on Instagram..... That was one of their factoids today! Ya, we got the single throttle body version like the M50-52. ROW got the inDUHvidual throttle bodies like a proper S50-52. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Junkman Posted June 12 Share Posted June 12 (edited) Early in my relationship with Mrs Junkman, who's still an unadulterated Canadian after 40+ years here, I saw that Ladas were loose on the streets during a visit tothe Great White North (think 1982-83). To paraphrase Dr Ian Malcom in Jurassic Park: "Just because a Canadian could buy a Lada, they never stopped to think if they should". 😁 Edited June 12 by The Junkman 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike 1017 Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 On 6/10/2024 at 1:28 PM, espo said: Just got my July Issue of Hemmings Classic Cars and their main theme this month has to do with cars and trucks sold in Canada. They have one article that covers some of the history and a few articles on specific models one of which is the 1956 Crown Victoria from Ford of Canada that is also the cover car. I just got the magazine Tuesday. The stories and pictures are a great read. The 1956 Meteor Rideau Crown Victoria is one beautiful car. Mike 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk11 Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 (edited) Interesting article from a Pontiac magazine... Pic from the Hemmings article ... https://www.hemmings.com/stories/car-culture/this-1956-meteor-rideau-flashed-brightly-to-help-ford-grow-across-canada/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=EDaily&utm_campaign=2024-08-01&uemlid=edd443be080701c85bc07bed2a28853c3574282a17a86c999688a395e6f61ce8 And there was a Collectible Automobile issue a few years ago that had a '56 Meteor on the cover, accompanied by an article on the Meteors written by Perry Zavitz. Edited August 2 by mk11 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stavanzer Posted August 2 Share Posted August 2 Back in the 1980's Scale Auto did an article on a "Plodge" a Canadian, Dodge/Plymouth Mash up done with Johan Kits, IIRC. Involved cutting the front end off one Promo, and transplanting on the another Kit. It was an Excellent Conversion, and I wanted to due one, but I had no budget to buy two (even for the time) expensive Johan Kits to cut up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Thibodeau Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 Hi! In the 60's (at least), Canadian Pontiac dealers offered an ACADIAN CANSO, a rebrand of the Chevy Chevelle (or was-it the Chevy 2 Nova?), with a few styling differences. Can you say "badge engineering"? CT 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hall Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 Just now, Claude Thibodeau said: Hi! In the 60's (at least), Canadian Pontiac dealers offered an ACADIAN CANSO, a rebrand of the Chevy Chevelle (or was-it the Chevy 2 Nova?), with a few styling differences. Can you say "badge engineering"? CT The Acadian Canso was Chevy II based, the Beaumont was Chevelle based (w/ a Pontiac dash). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bytownshaker Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 In the 70's i had a SD 396 Beaumont and a Acadian Canso (that was a winter car). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bytownshaker Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 On 8/1/2024 at 8:20 PM, mk11 said: Interesting article from a Pontiac magazine... Pic from the Hemmings article ... https://www.hemmings.com/stories/car-culture/this-1956-meteor-rideau-flashed-brightly-to-help-ford-grow-across-canada/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=EDaily&utm_campaign=2024-08-01&uemlid=edd443be080701c85bc07bed2a28853c3574282a17a86c999688a395e6f61ce8 And there was a Collectible Automobile issue a few years ago that had a '56 Meteor on the cover, accompanied by an article on the Meteors written by Perry Zavitz. While I was going to college I used to pump gas at my brother's FINA station, he had a 56 Meteor (identical to the one pictured above), I thought it was neat the crown trim was also part of the headliner. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Thibodeau Posted August 3 Share Posted August 3 9 hours ago, Rob Hall said: The Acadian Canso was Chevy II based, the Beaumont was Chevelle based (w/ a Pontiac dash). Thanks Robert! I stand corrected: I'm getting older by the day, so...LOL CT 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falcon Ranchero Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 (edited) I also got that issue of Hemmings; always love to see our native cars, as there are quite a few in town. Even back in the day some of my relatives had some; my Great Uncle had a '60 Meteor, and his father had a '58 Meteor (pictured below). One of my personal favourite Canadian cars is the Frontenac, the Canadian version of the Falcon, and I believe it was the best selling car in Canada for 1960. Though it was only one year they were produced. The car featured a maple leaf in the center grille, center trunk, on each front fender, all four hubcaps, and in the center steering wheel for a total of 9 maple leaves. Can't get more Canadian than that! Edited August 28 by Falcon Ranchero 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falcon Ranchero Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 On 6/10/2024 at 7:47 PM, mk11 said: A couple of great reference books written by noted historian Perry Zavitz help fill in the gaps... Where can one find those books? I may be interested in reading one or both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk11 Posted August 28 Share Posted August 28 The 'Old Autos' website would be a good place to start. They also publish a bi-monthly newspaper for old car fans, with lots of articles on the north of the border variants along with other historical stuff. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Bartrop Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 I got my copy of Monarch & Meteor from these guys. https://www.transportbooks.com/?v=e4b09f3f8402 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falcon Ranchero Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 Thanks guys; I actually found the Monarch Meteor book on both those websites you suggested; the Old Autos site has it for $5 less than transportbooks.com. I'm happy to say I am going to order it 👍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falcon Ranchero Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 Interested in the Frontenac: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falcon Ranchero Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 There was even a running/driving prototype for 1961, but it never went into production Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espo Posted August 29 Author Share Posted August 29 Something I find interesting about the Canadian market cars is that they seem more ornate than the US models. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Junkman Posted August 29 Share Posted August 29 On 8/3/2024 at 6:34 AM, Rob Hall said: The Acadian Canso was Chevy II based, the Beaumont was Chevelle based (w/ a Pontiac dash). In my previous life as a CHP officer I was called by a deputy sheriff to verify the identity of a car he'd never encountered before (my agency had a reputation of knowing the VIN locations on every vehicle back to the Hupmobile-aah, no.) I found he had stopped a 1968/69 Beaumont and was amazed that I was familiar with it. As I've said I'm married to a Canadian so it held no mystery to me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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