What do we have here? None other than a bunch of ’65 Fords for sale in the middle of the Space Age. All nicely aligned and ready to launch in front of the large “Gemini V Sale!” window display signs, alluding to the Gemini V space mission of August 1965.
So, what car of these would you purchase for “Going for the Moon or bust”, as the dealer’s promo suggests?
The dealer belongs to Val Estrie Ford in Quebec, founded by Marciel Dionne in 1962 at Rue King Oest in Sherbrooke. There are a few photos of the location from the sixties, though most dated to the ’65-’69 years.
Unlike the first photo, here is a display bound to Earth featuring their used cars for a Christmas sale.
Let’s move a bit forward in time to ’66-’67 with this other image. Now offering the chance to win a ’67 Mustang.
The inventory is only partially visible in this shot but it looks like there’s a ’69 LTD in the middle of the front row, giving us an approximate date. Hard to tell if there’s a sales pitch in this photo, but being in the winter, it clearly wasn’t related to the Apollo 11 Mission of July ’69.
Interesting to see the easy mixing of French and English. “The boss is in orbit” is a familiar car-dealer theme in any language!
What does “LTEE” mean?
Limitée as Limited Corporation
Limited or Ltd in the usual English abbreviation. American would typically be Co instead of Ltd.
Thanks!
What’s the car with the ski rack (?) at the far left of the last snowy picture? A Vauxhall? I thought maybe Cortina Mk3 but that would be later than 1969, if that is indeed the photo date.
Think it’s an Opel.
An Opel Ascona A 4-door sedan in 1971 was imported to USA and called ‘Opel 1900’.
There were two door, four door and a three door wagon – the sports coupe was named Manta as a Capri competitor in Europe.
Thanks for the ideas. It has the GM look which is why I thought it might be a Vauxhall. Plus Canada 🙂 But the roof looks too rounded for a 1900 (Ascona), at least to me. And it looks pretty old for a 1900 given the assumed date of the photo: dented bumper, etc. And I don’t think it’s a Kadett either. Hmm ..
Vauxhall, not an Opel.
Thanks. By the way, from the first picture I’d take one of the Galaxie/LTD’s. From all the photo’s, I’d take the Bronco in the last photo.
I’d take the Thunderbird in the first photo for a spin. Maybe one of the 2 door Galaxies if they had a 352 or 390 V8. My oldest brother had a well used ‘66 Galaxie with the 289 and automatic and he always said it was a little weak.
There’s a Pontiac in the next photo that looked interesting until I remembered that it’s probably a “Cheviac.” Nothing wrong with the Chevy drivetrain, but if that car is ‘65 or ‘66, it’s hard not to like a Pontiac 389 backed by a THM400.
I was thinking the same thing… that T-Bird does look tempting.
And I’d bet they’d be willing to deal! At Christmastime, the car was in the same spot it was in during their Gemini V sale in August.
Money on the hood if it makes it to January of ’66! 😉
Now where did I park my TARDIS?
Canadian versions of these cars differed somewhat form the US. I doubt you’d want the 352, as ours was a 220 HP 2-barrel boat anchor. The 289 was not available until 1966, making the 352 the first step above the 240 Six. Strangely, the Canadian brochure lists the 330HP solid-lifter Interceptor 390 as a retail option. Police only in the US.
Val-Estrie Ford still exist, but it moved more west in the mid-1970s at proximity to the interchange with A-410 freeway or autoroute as we call them here known as Darche interchange. Here an old aerial photo showing the construction of that interchange circa 1972.
https://www.histoiresherbrooke.ca/sheet.php?uid=37073
I knew an old lifetime Ford salesman in the 60 – 70’s. He often commented how hard it was to sell an used Thunderbird! He really dreaded seeing one come onto the lot.
I wonder if the Thunderbird in the second photo is the same one as in the first photo, still sitting there several months later?
THX AS USUAL, RICH BARON.
Neat pictures! I know America had Space Fever back in the 60’s, I’m a little surprised that extended north of the border to French-speaking Quebec! The front window artwork is quite elaborate, down to the accurate shape of the Gemini capsule. Of course, the Gemini never went to the moon, so I guess it’s bust. I don’t think window painting like that is ever done anymore, at least at car dealers.
The Galaxies (space theme, again) look appealing. Why the ones on display don’t have hubcaps installed yet, I don’t know. I’d probably go with the Mustang convertible barely visible on the end.
From Wikipedia: “Alouette 1 is a deactivated Canadian satellite that studied the ionosphere. Launched in 1962, it was Canada’s first satellite, and the first satellite constructed by a country other than the Soviet Union or the United States. Canada was the fourth country to operate a satellite, as the British Ariel 1, constructed in the United States by NASA, preceded Alouette 1 by five months.[3] The name “Alouette” came from the French for “skylark”[4] and the French-Canadian folk song of the same name.”
…je te plumerai .
In the pic with the “63 Chevy”; anyone able to tell what kind a car is showing over the “Chevy’s” trunk?
Looks about the same color as the big “Chevy” too.
It appears to be a new ’67 Falcon.
t/y
My Dad moved around a lot in his younger days due to his work, he had the same occupation since he got out of college in 1956 but worked for different companies, else working for the same company but different locations. In ’65 we moved to Burlington Vt. from Catonsville MD (our 1st Tour of Vermont, we moved back 10 years later). Montreal was the closest big city so when we weren’t travelling to visit relatives we went up pretty often. Probably been to Sherbrooke via the Autoroute, but we’ve since moved to Texas so don’t get up there anymore (haven’t been up since a passport was needed to go to Canada). My niece lives up there now but haven’t been up to see her…sadly haven’t been up since 1990.
My Dad bought an Oldsmobile in ’65 at Val Preda’s in South Burlington, but after that had a Fords in a row (neither bought up there though).
While we were living in Vermont the 2nd time, I had a job as a transporter for Hertz, one of the most common destinations was Dorval Airport. I wasn’t even 20 then, and looked more than a little suspicious crossing the border with a late model, back then our location mostly rented Fords, so I’d often have a Thunderbird (or maybe LTD II) and they’d always have us open the trunk at the border. Glad no one left anything troublesome back there as we had no interest ourselves for what was in the trunk of whatever we’d been driving.
Wonder what it would take to win that ’67 Mustang shown in the window? My friend from work just got one passed down to him from his departed brother (a 289 4 speed convertible) and is restoring another fastback.
It was the good old days when I didn’t even unclip my pedals while I greeted the customs officer on my way to a bike ride to Jay Peak Vt from Sutton Qc.
You really would have to be desperate for an auto bargain to go out car-shopping in the weather of the last picture.
thinking of trying it this winter..lol
More great photos of the Fords I remember new .
I dimply recall some new car buying advice from Jack & Co. about the best time of month to go shopping….
-Nate
Les hivers en Estrie ne sont plus ce qu’ils étaient …snif.