The following was taken from a Brit car forum I follow (BSCCOC). There's been a lengthy discussion of if, when, why, any Brit cars were ever assembled in Canada. Only the last paragraph will be of interest to most Stude people.................
Austins were never assembled in Canada, and although there were rumours of
Austin assembling cars in Canada when the Devon was introduced, by the time
the Somerset was on the market the rumours were gone. Austin sold over
10,000 cars in Canada in 1950 when currency restrictions temporarily all but
ended importation of cars from the U.S. But by 1954 Austin sales had fallen
to less than 5,000 and that included all models, from the A35 through to the
Westminster. (GM of Canada started importing Vauxhalls in 1949-50 for
Pontiac-Buick dealers when they could not import Buicks.)
The auto trade agreement between Canada and the U.S. was signed in 1965 and
had no effect on import duties on vehicles from other countries. If
anything, had Austin started assembling cars in Canada the Autopact, as it
was called, would have helped the operation as Austin would be able to
export cars to the U.S. duty free. In 1963, two years before Autopact, the
Canadian govenment implemented a policy permitting Canadian auto
manufacturers to deduct a percentage of their exports (cars) from the value
of their imports (parts) in determining the value of import duties owing.
That policy helped push Studebaker to move all its operations to Canada and
close the South Bend plant. That would have helped Austin as well, as they
could deduct their car exports to the U.S. from the parts imports from
Britain. Also, after 1952 the company was no longer Austin but British
Motor Corporation and the plant could have also assembled Morris and MG
cars.
The Studebaker plant also still stands in Hamilton at 369 East Ferrie
Street. (It was numbered 349 East Ferrie when Studebaker was there.) There
is a website that has photos of the plant, but that building is not the
Studebaker plant but the old Otis plant next door at North Victoria and East
Ferrie. The two plants are built right next to each other, but the Otis
plant dates back to WW I while the Studebaker plant was built in WW II.
Bill
Toronto, ON
Austins were never assembled in Canada, and although there were rumours of
Austin assembling cars in Canada when the Devon was introduced, by the time
the Somerset was on the market the rumours were gone. Austin sold over
10,000 cars in Canada in 1950 when currency restrictions temporarily all but
ended importation of cars from the U.S. But by 1954 Austin sales had fallen
to less than 5,000 and that included all models, from the A35 through to the
Westminster. (GM of Canada started importing Vauxhalls in 1949-50 for
Pontiac-Buick dealers when they could not import Buicks.)
The auto trade agreement between Canada and the U.S. was signed in 1965 and
had no effect on import duties on vehicles from other countries. If
anything, had Austin started assembling cars in Canada the Autopact, as it
was called, would have helped the operation as Austin would be able to
export cars to the U.S. duty free. In 1963, two years before Autopact, the
Canadian govenment implemented a policy permitting Canadian auto
manufacturers to deduct a percentage of their exports (cars) from the value
of their imports (parts) in determining the value of import duties owing.
That policy helped push Studebaker to move all its operations to Canada and
close the South Bend plant. That would have helped Austin as well, as they
could deduct their car exports to the U.S. from the parts imports from
Britain. Also, after 1952 the company was no longer Austin but British
Motor Corporation and the plant could have also assembled Morris and MG
cars.
The Studebaker plant also still stands in Hamilton at 369 East Ferrie
Street. (It was numbered 349 East Ferrie when Studebaker was there.) There
is a website that has photos of the plant, but that building is not the
Studebaker plant but the old Otis plant next door at North Victoria and East
Ferrie. The two plants are built right next to each other, but the Otis
plant dates back to WW I while the Studebaker plant was built in WW II.
Bill
Toronto, ON
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