18 - Friday, July 20, 1990 - North Shore News IN 1903, there were no more than 200 cars in the whole of Canada. With its small population and huge territory, Canada was not a particularly enticing market for Auto Motion Greg Wilson prospective Canadian car manu- facturers. Many Canadian-built cars were lost in the pages of his- tory, among them the Queen, LeRoy, Moss and Still, all built in Ontario. Probably the best-remembered Canadian car company was McLaughlin. It was Robert McLaughlin’s goal to build a car with 100 per cent Canadian con- tent. He had founded the McLaughlin Carriage Company in 1867, and his company was noted for its excellent coachwork and finishing. It was a natural progression to move in the the business of horseless carriages. He pursued this goal until his chief engineer became seriously ili in 1907. By this time, Ford had Watch cut DURING THE first two weeks of July, my kids and I enjoyed three mini-holi- days in B.C. Taking my own advice of a few weeks ago, we planned [ots of stops along the way to give everyone a chance to stretch his or her legs, grab a snack and blow off a little steam. Driving to the scenery and at- tractions of Kelowna, Powell River and the Anderson Lake area near D'Arcy, and then getting back home again in one piece proved interesting. Four motorists out of the hundreds we en- countered along the way typified the kind of risks everyone must be prepared to face. The first was a classic — a couple lumbering along in an older pickup with a huge camper, trailed by half a mile of motorists champing at the bit to pass. Despite signs urging slower traffic to use pullouts, our happy campers forged on, and more than a few people took some potential- ly serious chances in order to get by. A bit farther down the road we got a good, close look at two dif- ferent kinds of motorcyclists. We drew up behind a big touring motorcycle and a chap who ob- viously enjoyed his machine and sharing the road with other vehi- cles in a reasonable fashion. The other guy was another story. He and his road rocket New by me (on a double solid line, I might add), tailgated the touring bike for a few minutes and then disappeared like a bat out of hell on the next passing lane. We drove on, thinking that at any minute we might see him wrapped around a tree or firmly planted in a rock face. Then there was the older pickup with a teetering load of loose AU TO MGTt McLaughlin is best-remembered Canadian car established its own Canadian manufacturing facilities when it bought out the Walkersville Wagon Company. General Flotors was also look- ing around for a partner to build cars in Canada. Perhaps realizing that) an in- dependent effort was not likely to be a commercial success in the face of stiff competition from the big American companies, McLaughlin contracted with Gen- eral Motors to use Buick engines and chassis’ and McLaughlin coachwork for a period of 15 years. The first McLaughlin wes pro- duced in 1908 using a four- cylinder Buick power plant. Ap- proximately 200 cars were pro- duced that year. By 1915, McLaughlins were also built using Chevrolet engines and chassis’. Canadian-built McLaughlin cars were popular with buyers. The McLaughlin's coach-built wooden body was reputed to be much bet- ter finished than contemporary Buicks and Chevrolets of the day. It is said that when Alfred Sioan, president of General Motors, saw a McLaughlin parked outside a Buick showroom in New York, he asked that it be removed because he didn’t want customers to see how much better finished and equipped McLaughlins were compared to Buicks. Canadian buyer loyalty was strong. When the McLaughlin company tried to change its name to Buick they met with such a sudden drop in sales that the name was changed back to McLaughlin. Pre ea EE V E—- S THE MCLAUGHLIN was once Canada’s favorite car. However, the take-over of McLaughlin by General Motors was inevitable. [n 1918, McLaughlin became a_ wholly- owned subsidiary of General Motors and the company was renamed General Motors of Canada. Eventually, in 1923, the cars themselves were renamed McLaughlin-Buicks. Thanks to favorable Com- monwealth duty concessiuns, for dangerous drivers AutoTopic Ken Hardie INSURANCE OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, lumber. The whole thing swayed and shifted on every corner and everyone gave him plenty of room. A bit of roadway rock and roll was performed by a station wagon SPECIAL OFFER TO NORTH SHORE HYUNDAI OWNERS FREE SERVICE CLINIC | Our Hyundai Service Clinic consists of a 63 point safety and mechanical ® inspechon. Our trained service technicians will perform a complete check- a up to accurately determine the condition of your Hyundai. Upon com: pletion you'll receive a written vehicle evaluation. This is a limited time offer, so cail our Service Department and make an appointment today! Exterior Handwash & Interior Clean for $14.95 Say you saw it in the North Shore News Vancouver's Only Authorized 1606 East Hastings St., Vancouver 253-9583 Open Mon.-Fri. 8:30-5:00; Sat. 10:00-2:00 with an almost-flat rear tire. The driver slid out to pass and almost drifted into the weeds on the other side of the road. As far as we know, everyone we encountered made it home safely, although in some cases it was more a matter of luck than good judgment. It all underscores the simple but sad fact that you can’t count on any other motorist to drive safely, sensibly or even legally. Our advice to you is to stay pa- tient, keep an eye on the other guy, don’t crowd or be crowded and allow yourself the time to re- ally enjoy your holiday. Hyundai Dealership General Motors was able to export Canadian McLaughlin-Buicks to Britain and sell them for less than American-built cars. But in Bri- tain, they were called just plain Buicks. McLaughlin cars exported to Britain were given Imperial names .like Monarch, Piccadilly and Em- press and were well-liked by the British motoring public. By the early 1940s, McLaughlin cars had lost most of their origi- nality and were essentially the same as their American cousins. Cars with the McLaughlin nameplate had appeared on Ca- nadian roads for 34 years but by 1942 the McLaughlin part of the name was dropped for good. Concerning McLaughlin cars, the British car magazine Autocar wrote: ‘‘Definitely one of the longest established and best- known American-designed, Cana- dian-built cars in this country, the (McLaughlin) Buick has an ex- cellent reputation. It is noteworthy for commodious bodywork, which is well-finished and taste- fully-appointed in detail.” Financing * * Based on 12 month term with $10,000 down (or gauivalent value on trade-in) and O.A, C. Offer ends Sun. July 22nd at 5 p.m. * Prices are NOT artificially inflated! Manufacturer's retail prices will be clearly marked on each vehicle. “Net ol all factory programs.