1969 Peugeot 504

Introduced to Canadians as “a new grand tourer in the European manner,” the 1969 Peugeot 504 sold for $3,695.

Folks at Paris Auto Show caught their first glimpse of the Peugeot 504 on September 12, 1968. The prestige sedan--with the elegant monocoque coachwork by Pininfarina--wowed the press who promptly named the steel beauty to be European Car of the Year.

 

When the first 504 arrived in North America, the boys at Canada Track & Traffic flew from Toronto to New York City for the chance to test drive one. They found the 504 to be refined throughout and of the highest quality The editors had only good things to say about the Peugeot, including, “If we’d been blindfolded we would have sworn we were in a Mercedes 230.”

The 1969 Mercedes 230 four-door sedan was Peugeot's competition.

The ride was indeed like that of a Mercedes--and on purpose, too. Advertising was quick to play it up, too. “Peugeot, pioneers in independent suspension since 1929 have exceeded themselves in the 504, providing a grand prix-type independent suspension at all four wheels with four large coil springs and front and rear anti-roll bars. Rear drive is by modern flexible shafts. Result: the wheels stick to the road like glue on the snakiest superhighway curves, or the roughest side roads. No doubt that ride was helped along significantly since the car was shod with Michelin radial four-season tires.

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The stylish four-door sedan used Peugeot’s 1796-cc over-square, four-cylinder engine, canted at a 45-degree angle. It could be had with carburetor or fuel injection setup. They former generated 82 horsepower, the latter 97. The mill was married to a four-speed, column-mounted manual transmission but for $200 more owners could upgrade to the automatic transmission built for Peugeot by ZF of West Germany.

The Puegeot 504 on display at the 1968 Paris Auto Show.

The unitized body was constructed of ribbed steel and deep-dipped into rustproofing that was electro-magnetized. This allowed the paint to stick to every crevice. Advertising pointed out that Lincoln Continental used this method of resisting rust.

Trim in size, the Peugeot was only 4 490 mm (177 inches) in overall length boasted a 10.6-metre (35-foot) turning circle. The 504 weighed in at a tidy 1 200 kilos (2,640 pounds). 

 

The instrument panel of the 1969 Peugeot 504 was tastefully arranged for the driver’s needs.

Seating five in special luxurious “living room comfort,” interiors for the Canadian market were finished in a ruggedly tasteful leatherette upholstery. Deeply padded posturpaedic seats had ingeniously designed telescoping headrests built into the seat backs. The front seats laid perfectly flat, a la Rambler, for naps. These seats also did a nifty thing. As they slide back and forth to adjust to the driver’s height and weight, they--at the same time--moved up or down in an elliptical plane to automatically compensate the driver for distance from the windshield. Clever indeed. Among the standard items built into every Peugeot 504 was a sunroof.

The windshield offered excellent visibility—the entire glass area was 331 degrees or 92 percent of the greenhouse was glass. The instrument panel consisted of a trio of round dials housed under a padded hood, placed directly in front of the driver. The heater controls and ashtray were placed in the centre of the layout. The steering wheel boasted a padded hub.

 

The trunk boasted an “oversized” capacity of .56 cubic metres (20 cubic feet). The extra space came from engineers' clever idea of moving the spare tire outside of the trunk. It was stowed under the floor of the trunk and accessible from the outside of the vehicle.

The boys at Canada Track & Traffic waxed more than enthusiastic. “The 504 comes with a range of improvements as long as your arm. To mention a few; four wheel power assisted disc brakes, full shoulder harness, collapsible steering column, fully padded dash and a sunroof as standard equipment.”

The 1969 Peugeot 504 found homes with 2,022 Canadians during the calendar year.

The only complaint that the editors had about the new 504 was that the European halogen headlamp setup would have to be replaced with the traditional “four-eyed” North American sealed beam system of lighting. They felt it wasn’t fair to substitute an inferior system and mar the good looks of such a fine automobile.

Peugeot advertised aggressively in national magazines like Maclean’s and Canada Track & Traffic. It was billed as “the special car for special people.” “Peugeot owners are as special as anyone can get. For years they put up with our ultra-conservative styling because they appreciated first class automotive engineering, great performance and fantastic reliability. ‘The toughest car in the world’ they called it. And to prove their point they rallied Peugeots all over the world—and won.”

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“Probably no other car has such a distinguished and loyal following. In Canada they are mostly the well educated (over 60 percent have been to university) and very loyal (over 75 percent of sales are to previous owners or their friends). These are connoisseurs who recognize quality and don’t look for a high price tag as insurance of their choice.”

This schematic drawing showcases the drivetrain of the 1969 Peugeot 504.

The French automaker had Canadian offices in Scarborough, Ontario and in Pointe Claire, Quebec. It also shared an assembly plant with Renault in St. Bruno, Quebec that had opened in 1965. The joint operation was known as SOMA. The St. Bruno facility turned out Peugeot 404s for the domestic market.

For the 1969 calendar year, Peugeot sold 2,022 units across Canada. That was up slightly from 1,947 units delivered in 1968. No doubt the 504 helped to increase sales; the tally would rise to 2,270 in 1970. 

 

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Copyright James C. Mays 2005
All rights reserved.

1962 Vauxhall

            For more than a decade Vauxhall had been General Motors' captive import, sourced from the United Kingdom. Since it first arrived in our fair domain in 1948, Vauxhall had done very well for itself. Consumers had plenty of confidence in the sturdy and very economical little cars because they were backed by the vast resources of General Motors of Canada, Limited.

            For the 1962 selling season, Vauxhall fielded three models in the Dominion through Pontiac-Buick dealers. The upscale Cresta and its lower-priced stable mate, the Velox, covered the luxury and economy six-cylinder segments of the compact market. The smaller, four-cylinder Victor, offered in three trim series, did battle with other imports on behalf of GM Canada. All were of unitized construction, like Rambler.

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            Cresta was Vauxhall’s flagship. This particular body shell had been first introduced in1958, making it five years old. Consumers were familiar with its look. Nonetheless, the original styling, inspired by Vauxhall designer David Jones, was classic and each year’s updates were attractive.

            The Cresta was “distinguished by an outstandingly generous array of extra refinements, extra luxury and extra equipment at an unusually modest price.” Its wheels were given polished aluminum trim rings to make the hubcaps look like full wheel covers. Whitewall tires were standard equipment on Canadian Crestas. Interestingly enough they were not available even as an option in Britain. Receiving brightwork in all the places a flagship should, the inclusion of arm rests, deep pile carpets with thick underlays, a wide, centre armrest for the rear seat, windshield washer, electric clock, a trunk light and a cigarette lighter in the base price all added up to one posh vehicle.

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It was offered in no less than fifteen different solid body colours and another fifteen very striking two-tone colour paint jobs with high-lustre finishes. One could choose between nylon patterned cloth or genuine two-tone leather for the interiors. If one wished to shell out a few extra dollars, Cresta could be had with split-bench seats up front or a fold-down centre arm rest.

A Vauxhall Cresta four-door sedan started at $2,791. It fit very neatly into GM Canada’s overall compact lineup.  An Oldsmobile F-85 four-door sedan sold for $3,200; Chev’s new Chevy II sold for $2,470; the Corvair Monza four-door Coupe started at $2,701 and the compact Buick Special listed for $3,218. It was in the ballpark with non-GM competition, too: A Simca Vedette sold for $2,805; A Valiant 200 four-door sedan listed for $2,571 and a Studebaker Lark V-8 Regal for $2,685.

The 1962 Vauxhall Velox rode a 105-inch wheelbase and weighed in at 2,630 pounds.

Velox was positioned downwind of Cresta by more than $300. Blackwall tires, less trim and fewer standard features made it attractive as a six-cylinder value purchase for many. Velox was available in fourteen solid colours and interior fabric choices were either Vynide or the Tygan-Rayon cloth. Velox owners still got carpeting and a padded instrument panel finished in “a quality walnut-grain finish.” Split-bench seats or the centre armrest for front passengers were optional on Velox. Delivery price for a Velox was $2,468.

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Both Cresta and Velox shared the 162 cubic-inch, 113-horsepower, six-cylinder engine. The engine had proven itself well since its 1952 introduction. It was capable of pushing the big Vauxhalls to 90 miles per hour, well above the posted speed limit anywhere in the Dominion.  A three-speed, manual synchromesh transmission was standard but GM’s Hydra-Matic was available for a price.

The Victor Estate Wagon bowed for 1962.
It was the heaviest Victor with a weight of 2,200 pounds.

Victor was considerably smaller, used a four-cylinder power plant and took the lion’s share of sales in Canada. It was all new for 1962. Victor was not alone, either. Chevrolet-Pontiac dealers sold a badged version called Envoy. Advertising claimed that the little car had “fresh, new aerodynamic styling.” The editor of Track & Traffic was more guarded with his words, calling the new look “sober and unadorned.” Victor was offered in De Luxe, Super and Standard trim.

The De Luxe Victor offered optional, extra cost, two-tone colour treatments outside and sported two-tone, leather upholstery on bucket seats as standard equipment inside the cabin. The De Luxe started at $2,156. Competition included the Hillman Super Minx, which sold for $2,195.

For the 1962 selling season, the 100-inch wheelbase Vauxhall Victor was all new.
The De Luxe sedan weighed in at 2,125 pounds.

There was less trim and fewer goodies found on the Super. Rear passengers sank their feet on thick pile carpeting while front passengers had   to make do with durable rubber floor mats. Super owners still got a two-spoke steering wheel, two sun visors, a padded instrument panel and a full circle horn ring. There were thirteen two-tone colour combinations available on Super models. Bucket seats were optional equipment but were upholstered only in Vynide or Tygan-Rayon cloth. The opening price on the Vauxhall Victor in Super trim was $2,053.

At the bottom of the Victor barrel was the Standard. It came without chrome on the body and was devoid of extras. The solid colour choices were limited to Black, Alaska White, Smoke Grey, Mist Blue, Bermuda Blue, Midnight Blue, Alpine Green, Glade Green, Honey Gold and Primrose. A heater, specially designed for Canadian winters, was still among the items listed as standard equipment. It carried a three-spoke steering wheel with a modest horn button at its centre. There was no deep pile carpeting; rubber flooring was used throughout.

1962 Volkswagen

It appeared to be difficult to write much about the stripper though wordsmiths did manage this: “When you buy it-when you drive it-the new Victor Standard gives you the most for your car dollar.” The owner paid $1,947 for his purchase. As basic as it was, Victor still cost a good $600 more than a Volkswagen Beetle.

All of the new Victors used Vauxhall’s 92-cubic inch, four-cylinder engine. It was rated at 56.3 horsepower. While a three-speed, column mounted manual transmission was standard equipment, a new floor mounted, four-speed manual was offered this year at extra cost.

Options for Victors included a radio and aerial, windshield washers, fog lights, a cigarette lighter, seat covers, a spare wheel cover, exterior mirrors and plastic floor mats.

Vauxhall sold well enough in 1962. The new Victor racked up 7,386 sales for the calendar year and big brothers Cresta and Velox added 817 more sales to that figure. It was still the Number Two best-selling import in the country. Only Volkswagen sold more cars in the import category.  The 8,203-unit finish was surprisingly strong in light of the devaluation of the dollar by the Conservative government and new federal government surcharges on imported automobiles.

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Copyright James C. Mays 2005 All rights reserved.

1966 Rover TC

The 1966 Rover 2000 TC sold for $4,555 in Canada. 

The compact pocket rocket rode a 103.4-inch wheelbase. 

1904 Rover.

The first Rover hit the streets in 1904. Its use of cast aluminum made it highly advanced for its day. The British automaker's reliable product won the Tourist Trophy Race in 1907 and the company continued to blaze its own path to glory for decades to come. 


By the late 1920s Rover had established itself in the upper echelons of the British automotive industry’s pecking order. Canadians first met Rover during World War Two and it began to be sold here in appreciable numbers once the globe had returned to peace.  

The 1950 Rover P4 Model 75 was exported
from the United Kingdom to Canada.

Rover unleashed the revolutionary 2000 in 1963. The TC (twin carburetor) model was a natural progression and it bowed in 1966. Like the rest of the Rover line, the 2000 TC was a superb piece of high quality craftsmanship. The British carmaker had long enjoyed a sterling reputation; its products were generally flawless. The 2000 TC was lived up that reputation and then some. The press promptly began to refer to it as “the poor man’s Rolls-Royce.” 

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Canada Track & Traffic kept consumers
apprised as to what was available in the
domestic marketplace.

The boys at Canada Track & Traffic got their hands on one of the luxurious grand tourers and waxed enthusiastic as they gave it an exhaustive workout. “It brings out a certain excitement and if it weren’t for the laws against stealing you would be inclined to drive the car and never bring it back, or for that matter never stop driving it, period.” 

The Rover’s sinewy envelope was slippery and aerodynamic. Its extremely low drag coefficient granted it significantly faster speeds and higher gas mileage than ordinary automobiles. The hood and trunk lid were made of a lightweight aluminum alloy. Safety was on the designers’ minds as the 2000 gestated. The final form was one created to “avoid accidents whenever they can be avoided, and to provide the greatest possible protection for its occupants when they cannot.” 

Under the hood lurked an innocent looking in-line, four-cylinder, overhead cam 2000-cc engine. The twin carb setup boosted horsepower appreciably from 100 to 124. The over square engine design yielded a bore and stroke of 3.375 inches. The crankshaft boasted five copper-lead bearings that gave longer life.  All this might was mated to a four-speed, all-synchromesh manual gearbox. 

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Now, this machine was no slouch on the asphalt. Acceleration from zero to 60 miles per hour (ancient Canadian units of measure) was accomplished in 11.45 seconds. Tests conducted by the crew at Canada Track & Traffic got it there in an even quicker 11.01 seconds. Official literature stated that the Rover could do a standing quarter mile in 18.5 seconds and hit 112 miles per hour as the maximum speed. Cruising at 90 mph was comfortable but it was noted that the tires whined--as did drivers when the police wrote out their speeding tickets.

First introduced in 1963, the 1966 Rover TC was a true
Gran Touring sedan in the traditional European tradition.

As befitting a British luxury sedan, interiors were upholstered in prime quality English leather hides. Heavy pile carpets were fitted over thick felt underlays. Cabin colours were Biscuit, Grey, Black or Red. The washable headliner was available only in Light Grey or Biscuit but blended in with the trim colours. An oversize centre armrest in the rear, two glove boxes and a “trinket tray” for front passengers were among a myriad of thoughtful touches. Padded sun visors carried vanity mirrors. The instrument panel was straightforward in true racing style with controls located in the centre and a large, easy-to-read strip speedometer was positioned directly in front of the driver, with the tachometer to the right.

For the Canadian market, body colours were offered in White and Blue Racing, Wedgwood Blue, Willow Green, City Grey, Zircon Blue, Arden Green and Venetian Red.

The Rover name was a long trusted one,
having been on the market for 62 years in
1966.

Standard equipment was comprised of an Icelert—an electronic probe that alerted the driver to possible ice and slippery road conditions when the temperature hit +2C. There were bumper guards with rubber inserts, Pirelli Cinturato radial-ply tires, an outside rearview racing mirror, a tachometer, an aluminum spoked butyrate adjustable steering wheel, a wood gearshift knob, fully adjustable bucket seats, seat belt anchors fore and aft, windshield washers, an electric clock and a high efficiency heating system.  The tool kit provided further evidence of Rover’s thoughtfulness to detail, the kit even included a tire pressure gauge. 

The optional equipment list for the Rover 2000 TC was short and sweet, but with a stiff upper lip it covered the essentials. Included were concessions for Canadian tastes and preferences: air conditioning, tinted glass, a sunshine roof, radio, Magnum 500 or Mag Star wheels, a heated rear window, a roof rack and shoulder harnesses for rear passengers.

Rover Canada fielded three models for 1966: the 2000, the 2000 TC and the prestigious 3-litre Sedan that carried a list price of $6,295.  A customer could order a Rover here or arrange for delivery in the UK and bring it back as a used car at the end of a European holiday, thus saving duty and taxes. A tidy total of 555 Rovers were delivered domestically in the 1966 calendar year.

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Copyright James C. Mays 2006 

All rights reserved.

1965 Isuzu Bellett

Isuzu got its start in 1916 when the Tokyo Ishikawajiama Ship Building and Engineering Company merged with Tokyo Gas & Electric Industrial Company. Its goal was to build automobiles and two years later it procured the right to exclusively produce and market Wolseley passenger cars in Asia. The first Japanese-built Wolseley appeared in 1922. The company also built automobiles from original designs under the names Sumida and Chiyoda but both were dropped in favour of Isuzu—the name of a nearby river.

Cars were but a sideline for the company whose mainstay was diesel engines. Still, it introduced the large PA sedan in 1943. Throughout the war years workers built industrial vehicles. After the war, Isuzu was granted permission to sign an agreement with the Rootes group to build cars under license. The first Hillmans were assembled in 1953 and by 1957; the Hillman Minx was produced completely in Japan.

The all-Japanese designed Bellett appeared in 1963. It got very little attention in Canada and might never have been heard of but for Peter Munk and David Gilmour. These whiz kids owned Clairtone, one of the biggest and most technologically advanced stereo and television manufacturers in the world. They dreamt of owning an automobile empire and had gotten a taste of it while helping to bring Volvo to Canada.

With Ottawa’s blessing, Munk and Gilmour established Canadian Motor Industries on May 6, 1964. They promptly sent people to Japan who came back with signed deals to bring Toyota and Isuzu to Canada. At first, fully assembled cars would be shipped but with time a $4 million assembly plant would be established at an old naval base at Point Edward, Cape Breton Island, one of the most impoverished parts of Nova Scotia.

The first shipment of low-cost luxury Isuzus left Japan the last week of January 1965 and the Financial Times of Canada reported the story on February 1. The cars would be unloaded in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver and would be unveiled to the public in March. The cost of shipping a fully completed Bellett to Canada was USD$926 for the fully equipped deluxe model, USD$891 for the same vehicle minus radio and clock and USD$840 for the stripper with a heater. 

In a bold move, CMI management on May 3, 1965, resolved to purchase Studebaker Canada Limited. The old-line company was breathing its death rattle and could be had for $2 million. CMI wanted the factory, the tooling, the 300 domestic dealers (1,100 more in the USA) and the factory. It would be able to re-launch Studebaker and introduce Isuzu products into the American market. 

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A 14-page report was drafted that read in part, “The Japanese cars would be assembled in Nova Scotia and the Studebaker line would continue to be produced in the Hamilton plant, providing a broader range of models and styles than either CMI or Studebaker alone would have. All models would be sold under the Studebaker name.” In another part of the report it showed that Studebaker models ranged from $2,550 to $3,800 in Canada, serving a very narrow segment of the market. By adding Isuzu-sourced vehicles to the Studebaker mix, the market would be broadened considerably as the lower-priced cars would retail at $1,895. Surprisingly, Isuzu officials agreed to the deal. Fearing that Studebaker would become a millstone around their corporate neck, CMI suddenly withdrew the offer to purchase Studebaker on Saturday, August 14, 1965.

In the meantime, Canada Track & Traffic had gotten its hands on a Bellett and put it through its paces. In the June issue, the boys wrote, “In our opinion the Bellett is one of the best cars in its price and class that we’ve tested.” High praise indeed but then standard equipment included a four-speed manual transmission, contoured bucket seats, whitewall tires, undercoating windshield washers, gasoline and oil filter, padded dash, four-wheel independent suspension and a complete tool kit—all for the unheard of price of $1,898. 


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CMI ran a full-page advertisement in Canada Track & Traffic. “Before you buy a Bug or a Beetle drive the Beautiful Bellett.”  CMI’s new Bellett will change your view about imported cars. Bellett costs about the same as the funny-looking imported cars. It’s just as economical to run. And it has the support of a full Canadian service network. End of Comparison.”

“CMI’s new Bellett has handsome, contemporary styling. (Your neighbours won’t make jokes about its looks—they may even envy you a little.) Bellett is all power. It has 71 horsepower and a butter-smooth four-speed transmission that lets you run circles around the other imports. Bellett is luxurious. Full carpeting, bucket seats, whitewalls, chrome wheel discs, padded dash, armrests, cigarette lighter are all standard equipment. Bellett makes many cars costing twice the price look undernourished. So, before you consider an imported car, treat yourself to a drive in the hot, luxurious new Bellett. See your CMI dealer today and drive home a bargain. 24-hour service protection.” The company listed head office addresses on Eglinton Avenue East in Toronto, Cote-des-Neiges Road in Montreal and West Georgia Street in Vancouver.

One of the early dealers was Onward Motors in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. Lorimer-Moore in Toronto was another. The latter ran a large advert in Canada Track & Traffic in 1965. “Test drive this one! The Bellett has a 1500-cc engine that gives you superb sporting performance as well as 37 miles to the gallon.”

 A one-page double-sided colour flyer sold the Isuzu. Billed as a sporty family sedan, advertising introduced the Isuzu Bellett as “a compact family sporty sedan with such unexcelled features. Its independent four-wheel suspension system gives you reassuring stability at high speeds and reduces sway and roll when turning. Bellett’s rack-and-pinion steering and four-seed close-ratio transmission torque at low RPM for quick starts and quick acceleration for passing. All these features are combined into one compact form. This is Isuzu Bellett!”

 The back side of the sheet listed the Bellett’s stats, showed a picture of the factory in Japan and mentioned Isuzu’s activities in Japan, including the manufacture of diesel engines, buses and heavy-duty trucks up to ten tons.

  CMI imported and sold 991 Isuzu passenger cars in 1965 and that figure dropped to 564 in 1966, though it rebounded to 788 units delivered in 1967. Assembly began in Nova Scotia in 1968 and 585 Isuzu Belletts were produced.

-30-

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Copyright James C. Mays 2007 All rights reserved.