Canada and the United States have long been close neighbors. The large and relatively open border results in many things shared between the two countries from the economy to culture. However, there are also many subtle differences between the countries and the people. This is also the case with the automobile market. Canada and the US have very similar automobile markets, but there are small differences. This was especially true during the 1940s to the 1970s, when the differences were most apparent. It was during this period that Canada had numerous unique car brands and models that were not offered in the United States. This multipart series will cover the history of Canada’s auto industry and take an in-depth examination of the unique cars offered by Chrysler, Ford and General Motors.
One of Canada’s most successful early cars was the McLaughlin-Buick Brand. This is a 1931 McLaughlin Buick Series 50 4-door sedan (click link to read the history or McLaughlin-Buick).
Canada is the world’s second largest country by land mass, but historically has had a population that is only about 10% of the United States. Having a much smaller population, the Canadian Government took steps to protect the indigenous automobile industry. At the dawn of the auto industry, this was done through hefty import duties that were imposed on foreign produced vehicles and parts. Due to economies of scale, cars produced in the United States could be produced at a significantly lower cost. These tariffs allowed the Canadian produced cars to be competitively priced. The tariffs were initially complex, but were simplified in 1936 when a 17.5% duty was imposed along with a 7.5% excise tax. This system stayed in place for about three decades and had a dramatic effect on the Canadian Automotive landscape.
This 1956 Meteor Rideau was sold at Mercury-Lincoln dealers. At this time, Meteors were a re-trimmed Ford and competed in the low-priced category.
The tariffs resulted in many US manufacturers establishing Canadian production facilities during the infancy of the automobile industry. Many of the major components were still manufactured in the United States, but the assembly and some of the parts were Canadian sourced. This allowed the manufacturers to meet the Canadian content requirements and avoid the tariffs. Initially, American cars produced in Canada only had minor differences from those produced in the United States. As time progressed, increased sales allowed for manufactures to setup more production facilities in Canada, such as engine foundries. However, since the Canadian market was always much smaller than that of the United States, the diversity of the products made in Canada was considerably simplified.
American Pontiac’s got a “Wide-Track” for 1959, but Canadian Pontiacs used Chevrolet’s smaller 119″ chassis with the narrow track. This Parisienne was the equivalent to a Chevrolet Impala.
Furthermore, Canada’s wide spread out sparse population resulted in a thinner dealership network. This created the need for each individual dealership to have to cover a wide range of vehicles, from low to high priced. A Pontiac-Buick dealer in the middle of the prairies needed a lower priced car to survive. While the Ford dealer in a small town also needed a higher-end vehicle to keep customers who were ready to move up to a more expensive car. American made models could be and were imported, but the hefty tariffs caused very high prices which kept the sales limited.
Like Pontiac, Canadian Dodges competed in the low priced category. For 1957, the low-priced Canadian Dodges consisted of three models, the Crusader, Regent and Mayfair. These three cars were essentially Plymouths with Dodge front clips. The Custom Royal was also sold in Canada for 1957, and it used the larger US Dodge chassis and the same sheet metal as the US Dodge. However, the smaller Canadian “Plodges” vastly outsold the larger US-style Dodges in Canada.
As the auto industry in Canada grew, the solution was the introduction of unique Canadian models and brands. These Canadian cars gave the dealership networks a wide range of products to cover all price ranges. Additionally, these cars were produced in Canada so they avoided the tariffs. Chrysler and General Motors created cheaper versions of their medium priced brands, Dodge and Pontiac. For a number of years, Canadian Dodge-Desoto-Chrysler dealers sold lower-priced Dodges that were essentially Plymouths bodies dressed up with Dodge front clips and trim, hence the unofficial nickname “Plodge.” Canadian Pontiacs looked like US models, but actually used Chevrolet body shells, chassis and drivetrains. With the much smaller production numbers in Canada, it made much more economic sense to limit the production differences between the brands. Producing a Dodge with the majority of its major components shared with a Plymouth or a Pontiac that used Chevrolet bodies, chassis and drivelines saved significant costs and simplified manufacturing. This allowed for Canadian Dodge and Pontiacs to be priced similarly to Plymouth and Chevrolet. It was a cost effective solution to offering the Canadian customer a variety of cars and brands similar to the US market. It also fulfilled the need of Dodge-Desoto-Chrysler and Pontiac-Buick dealers to have a low priced model to sell.
This is a 1951 Monarch. Ford Dealers sold the Monarch brand which competed in the medium price category. Monarchs were Mercury’s that had been had unique grilles and new trim.
Ford took a slightly different approach. Rather than making lower priced versions of American brands, it introduced new brands that could be sold at Ford dealerships and Mercury-Lincoln Dealerships. The Meteor was a low priced brand that was offered at Mercury-Lincoln dealers. The Meteor began as what was essentially a badge engineered Ford with Mercury-like styling. The Monarch was the mid-price brand offered at Ford dealerships and was basically a badge-engineered Mercury with Ford-like styling. The Monarch brand allowed Ford dealers to sell a mid-priced car. This formula continued until 1961, after which both brands were dropped (there was no 1958 Monarch, as Edsel briefly filled its spot). For 1962 and 1963 Ford of Canada sold the Mercury Meteor intermediate sized car. As a result Ford of Canada introduced the Mercury 400 for the 1963 model year, which was a bare bones Mercury that sold in the low-priced standard sized car class. However, in 1964, the Meteor brand was reintroduced after the intermediate sized Meteor was dropped. It was still a low-priced brand but now based on the Mercury body, along the lines of the Mercury 400. Priced similarly to Ford, it had the same engine options as Ford, and was equipped and trimmed similarly to a Ford.
The Canadian Chrysler line-up included the separate Valiant brand. The Valiant brand cars were sold at both the Dodge-Chrysler and Plymouth-Chrysler dealerships. The Canadian Valiant brand lasted until 1966. For the 1963-64 model year, the Valiant was a US-style Dodge Dart body with a US-style Plymouth Valiant front clip and dashboard.
In addition to the traditional “standard” models, the big three offered some unique branded compacts and intermediate cars. These included Chrysler’s Valiant brand. Canadian Valiants were not the same as the US-market Plymouth Valiant. In Canada Valiant was an independent brand. For the 1960-62 years, the Canadian Valiant only had very minor differences to the US Plymouth Valiant. During the 1963-64 model years the Valiant used the larger US Dodge Dart body with a Plymouth Valiant front clip and dashboard. Things changed again in 1965 with the Canadian Valiant line-up which was composed of two model sizes. The smaller 100 and Custom 100s were essentially US-Plymouth Valiants, and the larger 200, Custom 200 and Signet were essentially Dodge Darts. In mid -1964. The Barracuda was added to the Valiant line, it is was very similar to the US Plymouth Valiant other than badging. For 1966 all Canadian Valiants used US market Dodge Dart bodies front to back, except for the Barracuda. The Valiant brand was sold at both Plymouth-Chrysler and Dodge-Chrysler dealers. In 1967, the Valiant brand was dropped, and Canada marketed the Plymouth Valiant and Dodge Dart which were essentially the same as the US market cars.
The 1965 Valiant line-up was quite extensive. The smaller 100s, Custom 100s and Barracudas were very similar to the US Plymouth Valiant and Barracuda. They used the 106″ wheelbase and were equivalent to the US Plymouth Valiant 100, 200 and Plymouth Barracuda. The 200, Custom 200s and Signet, use Dart bodies with the 111″ wheelbase. They were equivalent to the Dart 170, 270 and GT.
GM of Canada introduced the Acadian brand in 1962 which marketed a badge engineered Chevy II for Pontiac-Buick dealers. In 1964 Acadian expanded to included to include an intermediate sized car, the Acadian Beaumont. Like the smaller Acadian Invader and Canso, the Acadian Beaumont was essentially a badge-engineered Chevelle with Pontiac-like interior and exterior styling. In 1966 Beaumont, which remained a Chevelle clone, became its own brand. Beaumont lasted until 1969, and it was replaced by the Pontiac LeMans in 1970. The Acadian brand lasted until 1971 when it was replaced by the Pontiac Ventura II introduced mid-year. Most Ford Canadian compacts and intermediate were nearly identical to the US markets, but for a brief period Ford introduced the Frontenac, as a badge engineered Falcon that could be sold at Meteor-Mercury-Lincoln dealers.
Acadians were sold by Pontiac dealers but were not Pontiacs. Acadian was a separate brand which consisted of numerous models, as listed on this brochure. In 1964 and 65, the Acadian Beaumonts were rebadged Chevelles, and the Canso and Invader were rebadged Chevy IIs. In 1966, Beaumont became a separate brand, but remained a rebadged Chevelle. All Acadians and Beaumonts used Chevrolet drivetrains, and were essentially identical to the Chevrolet equivalents other than the styling and interior changes.
The charts below is an overview of the unique Canadian brands and/or models that had significant differences from the US models between the years 1946 and 1981. This is chart is just a basic overview and not meant to detail all of the models and minor differences, so it is somewhat generalized. (click the charts to see a larger version)
In 1964 the Meteor Brand was relaunched after its demise in 1961. The Meteor was now a rebadged Mercury, but it competed in the low-price category. These Meteors essentially mirrored Fords drivetrains, and equipment levels. For 1965, all Meteors used a Ford style roof rather than the reverse Mercury roof. As time went on, the Meteor became less unique from Mercury until it was relegated to an entry-level Mercury model, the Mercury Marquis Meteor, in 1977.
As we all know, things did not stay the course in Canada and its automotive market has evolved to one that is nearly identical to the American market. During the late 1950s, the Canadian Government was concerned for the significant trade deficit with the United States in the automotive market. Canadian automobile manufacturing was inefficient due to the small economies of scale imposed by the smaller market. Productivity was only about 60-65% compared to the Americans. Canadian autoworkers were paid about 70% of the wages of an American autoworker, but the cost of cars to the Canadian consumer was much higher compared to the cost of cars to American customers.
Pontiac’s Parisienne 2+2 used a Chevrolet chassis and engine line-up. This car was Pontiac’s equivalent to the Impala SS.
In 1960, Prime Minister John Diefenbaker appointed Vincent Bladen, a University of Toronto economist, to study the industry. His study had three recommendations. First he recommended that the 7.5% excise tax be removed. Second, he believe that the Canadian content requirements be reduced for small auto manufactures. At that time, Canadian cars needed a minimum of 60% Canadian parts and labour. He believed this change would encourage small car builders to sell their products in Canada. Lastly, he recommended a system of earned duty-free import parts be established, based on increased Canadian production. However, the big take-away from Bladen’s study was that the North American market needed to looked at as one entity, rather than separate Canadian and US markets. Bladen’s study resulted in some small changes to the tariff rules through the early 1960s.
Vincent Bladen lecturing his students.
This eventually lead the 1965 “Agreement concerning Automobile products between the United States and Canada,” more commonly known as the Auto Pact. Prime Minister Lester Pearson and President Lynden Johnson signed the agreement on January 16th 1965. This agreement would have a drastic effect on the Canadian Automobile market. The agreement in its simplest terms allowed for automobiles and their parts to cross the border duty free at the manufacture level. This change meant that no longer did a car have to be produced in Canada to avoid the tariffs. This trade agreement was great for the auto manufacturers, and it drastically increased the number of vehicles produced in Canada. However, it also lead to there being less variety in the cars being produced in Canada.
Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson and US President Lynden Johnson.
The Auto Pact increased the number of cars exported from US to the Canadian market and the number of cars imported from Canada into the US. Canada’s share of North American auto production increased from 7.1% in 1965 to 11.2% by 1971. Canadian vehicle and parts exports to the US increased from $886 million in 1966 to $9.9 billion in 1977. US vehicles and parts imported into Canada grew from $1.5 billion in 1966 to $10.9 billion in 1977. However, it did cause some political disagreement between Canadian and US governments through the 1970s over the trade deficits. By 1989, the North America Free Trade Agreement was put in place, making the Auto Pact no longer necessary. By 2001, the World Trade Organization had deemed the Auto Pact was inconsistent with world trade rules and it was ended. By this time Canada was above the production/sales ratio and the minimum value-added requirements of the Auto Pact.
Chrysler Canada’s Windsor plant produced all of the Chrysler Cordoba’s introduced in 1975. Chrysler Canada was one of the first to abandon Canadian specific models, but was the first of the big three to consolidate manufacturing between Canada and the US.
The Auto Pact was the beginning of the end to the unique automobile industry in Canada. It would lead to the Big three manufactures drastically overhauling their Canadian production operations. Once the door at the border was opened which allowed parts and cars to cross the border tariff free, the organization of production at the various plants could be consolidated between the two countries to make production more efficient. Instead of having Canadian plants produce an entire array of vehicles for the Canadian market only, a plant in Canada could produce one model which could supply both Canada and the United States. One such example was the Chrysler Cordoba introduced for 1975. All Cordobas were produced in the Windsor, Ontario plant. It was no longer necessary or economical to produce Canadian specific models. By the end of the 1970s, most of the big three cars were very similar in the US and Canadian markets, and most production between Canada and the US had been consolidated.
This is one of the last GM cars designed for the Canadian market only, the 1982 Pontiac Parisienne. Pontiac abandoned the full-size B-body in the US market for the 1982 model year. So, GM of Canada engineered the 1982 Parisienne for the Canadian market from the full-size Chevrolet, in a similar fashion to the 1950s and 1960s. In 1983, the Canadian-made Pontiac Parisienne was introduced to the US market to fulfill the demand for a true full-size Pontiac. This was the first time that a Canadian Pontiac was imported to the US.
That said, through the 1980s until present time, there still remained some unique cars, models and brands sold in Canada by major manufacturers. GM even had a few unique brands, such as Passport and Asuna. However, these vehicles were typically nothing more than lightly badge engineered vehicles. None of these cars had any significantly engineering differences to other models offered in either the US market or other international markets.
This article should have provided you with a better understanding of the history of the Canadian automobile market. However, this is only an overview and simplified explanation of some of the unique Canadian cars. As we go through this series, the many different Canadian cars, in particular those from 1946-1980, will be highlighted in greater detail.
Related Reading:
Canadian Ford Branding History
1974 Mercury Meteor Rideau 500 – A Real Canadian Survivor
1982-1986 Pontiac Parisienne – The Canadian Immigrant
Thanks for the article. And from a Commonwealth perspective, a Canadian car had lower import duties in than an American car. Certainly for Australia, I can’t comment for other Commonwealth nations
The same in the Uk untill the 70s with RHD GM products from Canada .
That carried over to non-Commonwealth right-hand-drive markets such as Japan and the Republic of Ireland which would be offered Canadian cars since it made sense to concentrate all right-hand-drive cars in one location.
The Walkerville Ford plant near Windsor supplied Model T and Model A to the Commonwealth due to favourable tariffs. I remember reading that the Canadian Model A could be identified by the use of square drive Robertson screws instead of slotted screws. I don’t know about the Model T.
Vince: maybe you can answer this question. How was it that a Ford dashboard fit exactly into a Mercury interior? For instance the 69 and 70 “cockpit” style dashboard in the large Ford and the 69/70 large Mercury dashboard were very different. Were the cowls interchangeable? Thanks! — Clarence Ellis
The cowl structure (formerly called the firewall) in any car is pretty much the most complex and critical body component, as it ties in to the other key body elements and the A-Pillar and roof. As such, cowl structures are changed as infrequently as possible, since it’s easy to change the external sheet metal around them.
There’s no doubt in my mind that the cowl structure was identical in both the big Fords and Mercurys, as was much/most of their inner body structure. The dash is a separate structure that attaches to the cowl, and can be made in different shapes. But the basic hard point dimensions of these two bodies were identical, or certainly extremely close to that.
As Paul said the cowl structure is shared. Meteors often used Ford interiors, which helped lower costs, both by using cheaper interior components, but also by simplifying the production.
Vince, thank you for this history. I was familiar with bits of this story, but was never able to piece together the economic and political history of Canada/US auto tariffs until now.
I find the Bladen report interesting — that a Prime Minister would designate one person to study and make recommendations on such a significant industry, and that that person’s report would lead to a major breakthrough (the Auto Pact) just a few years later, but under another prime minister’s government (of a different political party). I guess that suggests that reforming auto tariffs was a popular move at the time, but I’m curious as to why?
Was it largely concern over the trade deficit with the United States? Or was it partly driven by the appeal of lower-priced consumer goods, or possibly hoping that the benefits of tariff reductions (and possibly increased manufacturing employment due to Canada’s lower labor costs) would offset any decreased stability granted by higher tariffs? And I’m curious too, if you know how Canada’s auto unions supported (or didn’t support) the Auto Pact concept.
Well, I feel like I have a much better understanding now of the differences between Canadian and US cars during these decades. Thanks for putting this all together!
I’m going to take a stab at this, but it’s purely a guess based on later outcomes. Meaning that due to the lower labor costs in Canada, the Big Three expanded production in Canada to import significant volume of cars back to the US. I’m pretty sure that it was a healthy net flow to the US versus the other direction.
And lower prices had to be an attractive element too. Much of the developed world was starting to move to lower tariffs as the benefits were seen to outweigh the negatives.
Thanks Eric. I am not expert on the politics of the time, but it’s my understanding that it had to do with the high trade deficit, and the inefficient/expensive auto industry in Canada. Much of the the high cost and inefficiencies were the result of a relatively large variety of cars being built in small numbers in Canada. This also meant that there was a lack interest of foreign investment. I am not sure on the union’s stance at the time, but I would think they would be in support. Obviously it played to their benefit because production increased. Of course, the manufacturers also would have known that the Auto Pact would benefit them, so I’d imagine they would have lobbied in support. In the end, they greatly benefited from the plant consolidation and as Paul mentions the slightly lower labour costs.
Interesting – seems like this may have been one of those few instances where the auto industry and its labor unions both supported a similar policy – and maybe the Conservative and Liberal parties had a good bit of agreement on this as well.
The downside was the loss of those obscure car models we’ve come to appreciate decades later.
Thanks very much for creating this series Vince, I’m looking forward to the next installment. My mom had a ’64 Meteor (non-Breezeway) coupe with a 352 V8 that was an absolute tank but very spartan. I’d love to have a Frontenac as well.
While most will be interested in the unique models offered in Canada, for me the real story is the industrial policies of the Canadian Government and the creation of the Auto Pact — that was very much the precursor to NAFTA and the closer integration of Canada-US manufacturing, resources and trade that exist today. North of the Maple Curtain, there is concern about Biden’s EV plan which offers subsidies only for EVs manufactured in the US – something that runs against the spirit of 60 years of auto manufacturing integration. Hopefully this will be resolved.
Looking forward to the next chapter!
I learned a lot from this article. Thanks.
Great write up. I believe British Commonwealth members were not subject to the tariff which helps explain the relative popularity of British cars in Canada vs the US.
Thanks for taking this on. There have been so many questions about this issue in the past here at articles about Canadian cars. Now we’ll have something to link to.
Wow, I knew there were Canadian only cars, but I had no idea the differences (pre-Auto pact) were so vast. I was thinking you would need a spreadsheet to keep track of all this, and then I got to your chart! Interesting read, looking forward to the next installments.
I figured the chart would make an easy quick reference guide, which is kind of the goal of this whole article. The follow-up articles will more detail.
Well done!
I learned a lot!
Thank you!
The differences sometimes even extended to trims powertrains and option availability in lines that were ostensibly the same in both countries. Take the 2 1965 Ford brochure pages posted below as an example. The LTD in Canada was only available as 4 door hardtop, no coupe as in the US. The first V8 option was the 352-2V, not offered in the US.
No 289 until 1966. The options list in Canada is much shorter, missing such decadent items as AC, Speed Control, Safety-Convenience panel with power locks, &FM radio among others . The LTD interior in Canada has completely different seats and panels,
In fact, it’s the 1965 Mercury Park Lane interior. Big Fords wouldn’t become harmonized
in both countries until 1967.
The US version.
When get to my Ford article, I plan to include these finer details. I may have to reach out to your Roger, you know these cars better than anyone.
Interesting stuff – I had never really thought about the different approaches taken by GM/Chrysler on the one hand vs. Ford.
Now you have me wondering about the Canadian operations of the independent manufacturers. Studebakers is a pretty familiar story, but I don’t know anything about the others.
I do have some information on the independents in Canada, but I don’t know much of it off the top of my head. Maybe if I get really ambitious I can do a forth chapter.
One obscure independent did offer a distinct Canadian model. DeVaux was bought out by Continental Motors, which produced the DeVaux as a Continental car while supplying engines for everyone else. They briefly made a Canadian version called the Frontenac, obviously not the same as the later Falcon.
I’m pretty sure Nash and Hudson never had special Canadian models.
Thanks for the article Vince. It’s facinating to have a look into the history of the canadian auto industrie and it’s differences to the US.
Great lead into a series I look forward to reading, Vince. Well done.
This site has gotten into this subject before with individual models, but this will be nice and comprehensive.
What a difference several decades can make. My Honda Civic was assembled in Canada, with an engine built in the US. The Civic was supposed to be a Japanese car the last time I checked. 😂
The highest performance version of my 10th Generation Civic, the Type-R, was built in Brittan. To bring to America. Wow, just wow.
I think my Mustang is an American car, but now I’m not so sure. 😉 (Actually I am sure, as its VIN starts with a 1).
Thanks Rick. Things are no longer clear cut anymore when it comes to country of origin. A lot of pickup guys I know see that I drive a Toyota truck and say they’d never drive a “foreign” truck, only an American truck. This is despite the fact that most of the people saying that drive an American branded truck, often made in Mexico, and that has less US content than my truck!
Big Toyota pickups from 2010 onward built exclusively in Texas, something you’ll hear or read about in advertising in that state (“the only truck built right here in Texas!” blare the TV dealership ads). I recall the Sienna is the most “US/Canadian” import-branded vehicle, as measured by the Munroney sticker.
That ’65 Valiant brochure has an oddity that I have seen in other Mopar compacts sales literature of the era. The light blue wagon on the “body styles” diagrams page has sedan wheelwells at the rear. I don’t believe there were ever any wagons in the ’63-’66 era that did not have fully radiused rear openings. Oddly, the American ’66 brochure shows a fully rendered wagon with flat-topped rear cutouts (attached). elsewhere in the same brochure, its got a larger rendering with the correct, radiused openings. It’s hard to believe they didn’t know they were doing it.
That is interesting! You’re right, there were no ’63-’66 A-body wagons—not anywhere in the world—with the sedan-type rear wheel arches.
I am just guessing, but I think it may have to do with the artwork. I’d guess they had some sort of base drawing that they can alter to create the different models for all those side profile drawings. I’d guess they just used that same base drawing to create all cars, even the wagons resulting in the incorrect wheel arch.
Vince, thank you for such a well researched and written piece. When I see one of your articles appear, I drop everything and enjoy a good read.
My father often talked about the pre-auto pact scene and the fact a Canadian worker only made 70% of that of a Canadian. He believed high import tariffs allowed the car makers to sell an inferior product at a higher price.
Canada was founded with the idea of a protected national market. Sir John A Macdonald’s “National Policy,” allowed Canadian business to develop while under import protection. By the 1960’s, this policy was long past its best before date and the auto pact was the first major step. At the same time we were cutting our remaining ties to the UK, meaning none of the “colonial preference” malarkey played out anymore.
The Canada-US Free Trade Agreement of 1987 furthered this and finally, NAFTA in 1994 completed the integration of the US and Canadian economies.
The car scene in Canada and the USA is pretty much the same, with a few very minor differences.
Great article, just one thing to point out.
I’m almost certain the Meteor was produced for 1962 and not discontinued in 1961. My father had considered a Meteor as his first car but it was more expensive and slightly bigger to store in the single-car garage we had. As a result he opted for a Comet 4 door sedan.
Garry, in Canada there was no 1962 Meteor brand, but there was a 1962 Mercury Meteor, which was an intermediate sized car. This may be what you were thinking of. Ford of Canada discontinued Meteor in 1962 because the Mercury dealers now carried the Mercury Meteor model. Since it would be too confusing to have two Meteors, they just dropped it all together. However, in 1963, they introduced the Mercury 400, which was basically a stripped Mercury with Ford running gear. The Meteor brand returned with the end of the intermediate sized Mercury Meteor.
Of note, the Monarch brand also was briefly killed off in 1958, due to Edsel taking it’s spot in the hierarchy. Edsel sales were so poor in Canada that Monarch returned for 1959.
I will detail all this history in a Ford of Canada article.
Why didn’t the manufacturers rationalize their dealer networks in Canada instead of going to the substantial trouble of designing and marketing new brands and products? It seems like it would have been easier to grant full-line Ford dealership status to those Mercury/Lincoln dealers in rural areas (and vice versa) if the market in the area could only support one dealer.
For that matter, why did rural Canadian towns end up exclusively served by mid-market/high-end dealers? That product mix seems ill-suited to the agriculture-heavy plains.
At the time these plans came to fruition, there each brand had one size car. So for a dealer to have a full line-up of cars from small and cheap to large and expensive it needed to carry multiple brands. I don’t know how the dealership networks worked, but it seems that they couldn’t or didn’t mix certain brands In the Canadian dealerships (ie Ford and Mercury, Chevrolet and Pontiac, and Plymouth and Dodge). So this was the solution at the time, introduce new brands or offer cheaper versions of the same brands to cover off the gaps in the dealer networks. Don’t forget Ford in the USA was doing a similar thing trying to emulate GM in the 1950s, with the introduction of the Edsel and Continental brands. That said, Ford of USA had independent Edsel dealers, but in Canada they were sold at Ford-Edsel dealers, and supplanted the Monarch brand for 1958.
There was a 1962-63 Meteor, it was Mercury’s intermediate , and the same in both countries
No doubt lots of work, Vince, and thankyou. I’ll be able to flick back here when Canadian cars come up next, for context.
Here’s a trivial addition for you. Ford Australia was a subsidiary of Ford Canada, formed in 1925, and certainly still was as late as the ’60’s and maybe even still. (I cannot find an easy answer online: bizarrely, found a reference to it still being the case in a ’65 US Senate enquiry about world anti-trust laws that popped up while trying!) I wonder how it worked financially: might have been nice for Ford Canada to have been boosted by the sales of its offsider downunder! I do know that, re-investment apart, no dividend was ever paid to an Australian entity by any US maker.
Were the Canadian badge-shuffles re-engineered much? I just read a long article on the release of the ’66 Falcon here, which looked essentially like the US one. The local one had substantial changes, by which I don’t just mean trim and seats and so on, but real body-engineering type stuff, and even very similar-looking panels that aren’t.
You’re welcome Justy. There was some reengineering but mostly for cosmetics, under the skin the cars weren’t changed much. Meteor’s had styling changes, but the majority of the sheet metal and all of the mechanical components would be the same as the Ford or Mercury it was based on. For the Pontiacs, all of the body panels appeared similar to the US models, but they were made to fit the the Chevrolet body shell, so they were actually different. However, again, the chassis and drivetrains were the same as Chevrolet. The Dodges, also depending on the year had some minor changes to fit Dodge clips to Plymouth bodies, and new trim, etc. But underneath they were the same as the Plymouth they were based on. This is much the case for the smaller cars that were unique to Canada. Chrysler Canada did have a bunch of unique engines, only made in Canada, but they were simply bore and stroke variations of existing US engines.
The Falcon itself didn’t really have any major differences from between Canada and the US.
An interesting topic to me for sure. My Dad had some Canada only cars in his day.
The auto industry here in Canada has evolved, you could say shrunken in terms of the Big 3, but the Japanese brands, notably Honda and Toyota have opened factories here now, as is well known.
I remember Bricklins being built in New Brunswick for a time. Also Camaros and Firebirds in Quebec. We still have Chrysler in Brampton and Windsor, Ford in Oakville, and GM in Ingersoll and Oshawa. Looking forward to the next chapter.
The Bricklin was featured on a Canadian stamp in the 1990s. Don’t forget Hyundai’s attempt to manufacture Sonatas in Bromont, Que.
Magna built a cool Torrero concept SUV in the 1990s and in the 1980s, Daihatsu and Bombardier (Quebec snowmobile company) were considering a joint venture that would have build subcompacts in Canada — too bad it didn’t come to fruition – Sprint/Firefly sales show it could have been a decent seller.
My daily driver is a Volvo 245 assembled in Nova Scotia (Maple Leaf on the frame still visible). https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Volvo_Halifax_Assembly
Left out that for years the bumper and pollution standards were different. So some Canadian cars look the same but under the bumpers the structures differ. Also some Canadian cars have different pollution devices so the engine controls may differ for some models in some years.
Even today Honda/Acura treats the US and Canadian markets separately because the company has different marketing goals.
They have different trim levels, each with different combinations of equipment.
Canadian cars will tend to have more weather related features like auto windshield washers and heated seats/steering wheels. American cars will have more luxury features like Homelink controls, safety features and infotainment features.
Also the windshield washer tanks in Canada have capacities twice that of American Hondas/Acuras.
Yes, I did leave out the difference in bumper laws and emissions standards. This is just an overview article and it is more focused on the earlier years before that stuff came into play. The bumper laws and emissions differences weren’t something overtly noticeable between the two markets in most cases anyway. For example a 1984 Chevrolet Caprice built for Canada had stronger 5-mph bumpers and a non-computer controlled carburetor, while a US market Caprice had weaker 2.5 mph bumpers and a computer control carburetor for less emissions. Parked side by side and driven back to back, most people wouldn’t notice any difference beyond the metric versus imperial gauges.
Excellent biography Vince, on the Canadian industry.
‘Cars of Canada’ by Hugh Durnford, published in 1973, was one of my first childhood ‘bibles’ on the history of the Canadian automobile industry. It focused heavily on the pioneers, and flourishing industry in the 1910s through 1920s. When there were a myriad of small independent makers. Several cities/towns in Ontario, had their own local car maker. Some were relatively well-known, like the Gray-Dort, based in Chatham.
There were other excellent books as well, published later in the ’70s. How I first learned of cars like the Manic GT. And the brand-engineered versions put out by the Big Three. For a small town, our public library, had some valuable books on the Canadian industry.
I can recommend two of Perry Zavitz’s books “Canadian Cars: 1946-1984” and “Monarch Meteor” if anyone wants some further information on Canadian cars. I got to know Perry through an email group in the late 1990’s-early 2000’s. When he visited Sydney circa 2005, he was kind enough to give me copies of both of those books, as well as putting a personal message in the “Canadian Cars” book.
As a Buffalonian who has visited Canada hundreds of times during my lifetime I always noticed cars that were not sold in the US. They were usually cheaper models or equipped with less expensive equipment. A friend of mine had a MK 3 Golf with the 1.8 liter engine. The 2.0 liter was the base engine here. I remember seeing the Hyundai Pony, the Nissan X-trail and a line of Golf and Jetta ciy’s which were carry over Mark 4 models with different front clips and tailights sold along side the Mark 5 models.
As a kid in the 1950’s, I always perceived Meteor as a slightly down-market brand, being a somewhat tasteless (i.e. ‘cheaper’) version of the more tastefully styled Ford.
But since they were sold by Mercury dealers, I’m thinking now they were probably priced slightly higher than the ‘real’ Fords, while still being cheaper than a Mercury. They certainly had more chrome than Fords. Maybe they were seen as a step up by some buyers? Bling sells….
Monarchs were rarer on the ground than Meteors in our part of the country, but they did have an image of being more exclusive than your basic Ford. Maybe it was just the jewel-like crown in the Monarch logo, located enticingly at eye level for a child. Or maybe it had something to do with stronger connections to the monarchy, in what was still a post-war, ‘new Elizabethan age’. 🙂
I can’t help noting in passing that both of those eras ended irrevocably, and almost simultaneously, in 2022.
Meteor was slightly more expensive than Ford, but still in the low priced category. Initially there was a $65 difference in price between a Meteor and comparable Ford. So they were far closer in price to a Ford than a Mercury. This was similar to the pricing on difference of a Canadian Pontiac and Canadian Chevrolet.
Well,
now… a while ago one of my sons bought a pre-owned 2000Volkswagen in Quebec. It is “Made in Mexico”, some paperwork printed in the US, the stereo is Japanese, and most but all mechanical parts are stamped “Made in Germany”. Astonishingly it still runs pretty well.
This as much to the state of “Made in Canada” nowadays!
I live in Southern Brazil and my town had an assembly plant that produced Dodges Kingsway, using CKD kits imported from Canadá, between 1949 and 1953. Those cars were highly regarded and and kept 3rd place in sales for many years, behind Ford and Chevrolet. Naturally total numbers were but a small fraction of the US market. What caught my attention was your table that puts 1952 as the last year of production. But we had ’53s available, so were did they come from?
In 1981 I purchased a ’66 Pontiac Parisienne from a friend’s brother who bought it while stationed at the Navy base in Everett WA and drove it to Champaign IL where we lived. I needed parts but nothing Pontiac ever matched. One mechanic told me someone must have replaced the motor with a 283. I eventually sold it for $50. Had no idea it was an Impala rebadged for the Canadian market!
Your chart indicates that unique Canadian Dodges ended in 1959. However American Dodges were modified to fit into the low price field in Canada.
For 1960 to 1962 Canadian Dodges were the same as American Darts except that they used Plymouth instrument panels and the standard V8 was the 313, not the 318. The Polara was available only in 1960.
In 1963 Canadian Dodges were based on the 119″ wheelbase American models but were called 220/330/440 not 330/440/Polara. In 1964 the American names were used. These cars continued to use Plymouth interiors and 313 V8s.
The 1965 Canadian Dodge was built on the 121″ wheelbase and came as 330/Polara 440/Polara 880/Monaco. All used Plymouth interiors and were priced slightly higher than the Plymouth Savoy/Fury II/Fury III/Sport Fury. For some reason the Fury I was called Savoy in Canada in 1965. Engines included the 225 slant six and 318, 383 & 413 V8s. Similar for 1966 except the 330 became the Polara.
In 1967 & 1968 the Canadian line-up was Polara/Polara 500/Monaco/Monaco 500 which were equivalent to the Plymouth Fury I/Fury II/Fury III/Sport Fury with the same engines as in 1966. However, they now used the Dodge instrument panel. The Canadian Polara 500 came as two door hardtop, four door sedan and station wagon. In 1969 Dodge added the Monaco Brougham as an equivalent to the Plymouth VIP.
1970 was a transition year with Polara/Polara Custom/Monaco/Monaco 500/Monaco 500 Brougham. As I understand it the Polara/Polara Custom were equivalent to the Fury I/Fury II, the Monaco was a US Polara Custom with Monaco grille and tailights, the Monaco 500 a US Monaco and the Monaco 500 Brougham a US Monaco Brougham.
For 1971 to 1973 Canadian Dodges were the same as the US models plus the addition of the low line Polara Special and smaller standard engines including the slant six in 1971 and the 318. From 1974 to 1976 there was a Monaco Special and in 1977 a Royal Monaco Special.