Studes in Roadside Americana photos

[8E45E]

11383 --- For those wondering, the car facing toward us beside the Oldsmobile is a 1949 Meteor. This was a re-styled Ford built by Ford of Canada and sold only in Canada by Mercury dealers. 1949 was Meteor's first year.

There are quite a number of Canadian market cars besides that one Meteor. The '58 convertible parked along the wall is definitely a Meteor, and there is at least one Monarch, two Canadian Pontiacs (note the narrow track on the '59 Parisienne convertible, BP!!), and the '58 Dodge Regent Custom Suburban wagon parked on the street.

Craig

[Dwain G.]

That poor little Triumph 10!

[BobPalma]

There are quite a number of Canadian market cars besides that one Meteor. The '58 convertible parked along the wall is definitely a Meteor, and there is at least one Monarch, two Canadian Pontiacs (note the narrow track on the '59 Parisienne convertible, BP!!), and the '58 Dodge Regent Custom Suburban wagon parked on the street. Craig

Yeah, Craig, and it's a high-zoot Bonneville to boot...or did they use the Catalina / Star Chief / Bonneville model names in Canada, Craig? BP

[8E45E]

Yeah, Craig, and it's a high-zoot Bonneville to boot...or did they use the Catalina / Star Chief / Bonneville model names in Canada, Craig?

Catalinas, Star Chiefs and Bonnevilles were imports into Canada with genuine Pontiac engines on genuine Pontiac Wide-Track chassis. Canadian Pontiac Strato Cheifs, Laurentians, and Parisiennes were Pontiac bodies on Chevrolet chassis with 261's, 283's, and 348's.

Craig

[BobPalma]

Catalinas, Star Chiefs and Bonnevilles were imports into Canada with genuine Pontiac engines on genuine Pontiac Wide-Track chassis. Canadian Pontiac Strato Cheifs, Laurentians, and Parisiennes were Pontiac bodies on Chevrolet chassis with 261's, 283's, and 348's. Craig

Got it, Craig.

Did a buyer have a choice of U.S.-spec cars (and model names) and/or Canadian-spec cars (and model names) in a given year?

That sounds confusing. BP

[NCDave51]

There are quite a number of Canadian market cars besides that one Meteor. The '58 convertible parked along the wall is definitely a Meteor, and there is at least one Monarch, two Canadian Pontiacs (note the narrow track on the '59 Parisienne convertible, BP!!), and the '58 Dodge Regent Custom Suburban wagon parked on the street.

Craig

The Auto Pact signed January 1965 gave a ton of Canada-only model names, many of them French-Canadian in history: “Beaumont”, “Acadian”, “Canso”, “Montcalm”, “Montclair”, etc.

Pre-dating the Pact was Chrysler Canada Corp’s “Fargo” lineup of trucks, many of them “captive exports” down to the US, I believe.

[8E45E]

Got it, Craig.

Did a buyer have a choice of U.S.-spec cars (and model names) and/or Canadian-spec cars (and model names) in a given year?

That sounds confusing.

They did, but it pushed up prices into Buick territory for U.S. Pontiacs; especially before 1965 when the Auto-pact took effect. And since Pontiac dealers were dualed with Buick dealers in Canada, it was usually and 'easy sell' to put a potential buyer into a Buick, not to mentions Buicks would be 'in stock' where a U.S. Pontiac would usually have to be special ordered. My great-aunt did order a 1962 Bonneville from Jenner Motors, the local Pontiac-Buick dealer in Edmonton, despite the salesman trying to talk here into a Buick that she could drive away the same day. She held out, paid the deposit, and got her Bonneville.

Craig

[8E45E]

The Auto Pact signed January 1965 gave a ton of Canada-only model names, many of them French-Canadian in history: “Beaumont”, “Acadian”, “Canso”, “Montcalm”, “Montclair”, etc.

Those names existed well before 1965.

First 'Montclair' was used on a Mercury in both the U.S. and Canada.

The Montcalm became the top-line Meteor starting in 1959. The names, 'Acadian' was first used in 1962 for the Chevy II-based Canadian Pontiac, with the 'Beaumont' matching the Nova trim until 1963. In 1964, the 'Beaumont' name was applied to the new A-body line that was based on the Chevelle. 'Canso' and 'Invader' were trim levels for Acadians

In fact, the Auto Pact muddied the waters some by the late 1960's, early 1970's when some Catalinas were being assembled in Quebec, and Beaumonts were assembled in Ypsilanti, MI.

Craig

[6hk71400]

To further muddy the waters, engine choices were different than US counterparts. It has already been mentioned about the 283 but I think there were other various changes. I don't know how things are different today but it doesn't matter. I am not going to buy another new car. When the 97 Olds 88 goes out of service, I have the 56 and 62 to drive, plus I can replace the Olds with another Studebaker

Bob Miles

[Noxnabaker]

This is interesting since the only Canadian made cars we got in Sweden was Studebakers, thou a few private imports came here.
I remember in -78 a boy my age turned up in a silver 4 door -64 Acadian V8 at the place we used to hang out & fix our vcars. He got it from his uncle who bought it when he lived in Canada. The car was like new but that boy & his "cool" rocker friends made it quite rough in just one year. Sad.

[Greenstude]

The 1965 Auto Pact considerably lessened the difference between Canadian and U.S. car models. Since vehicles and parts could cross the border duty-free, manufacturers often would build all the vehicles of one model for North America in the same factory.

There are other examples of Canada-only cars. Canadian Dodges were built on Plymouth bodies for many years, and had different model names from U.S. Dodges. The bigger U.S. Dodges were sold in Canada, but were much less common. My father's 1952 Dodge Mayfair 2-door hardtop was essentially a Plymouth Belvedere.

In most of the 1960s, Valiants in Canada were a stand-alone make sold by both Plymouth and Dodge dealers. The front was the same as a U.S. Valiant, while the rear was the same as a U.S. Lancer. Lancers never were sold in Canada. Someone driving a Canadian Valiant in the U.S. could get some strange looks.

Today of course, few if any North American cars are built entirely in one country. The engine may come from one country, the transmission from another and final assembly in another. A part may cross the border several times as its assembly progresses. The first character of the V.I.N. tells in which country final assembly of the vehicle took place.

Bill

[NCDave51]

From “Sears in the 1950s”:

https://youtu.be/QWhnvmIxCcY

Might there be 4 Studebakers here in one setting...?

[Dwain G.]

I think there's 5 Studes at 4.00'.

[JGK 940]

Two more breathtakers from Patty at Imbued With Hues.

[Dwain G.]

Looks like Ralfie's Dad's Olds on the car lot