FOSS V FORD – Re-Aligning Canadian Automotive History
Inventors can influence generations to come, often switching the way we do issues and defining historical eras. Recounts of the inventors’ accomplishments, and stories about their lives are upheld with desire and for posterity. Historians glimpse for proof and specifics, so that the accomplishments of these inventors are accurately mirrored in files, held in libraries, archives and museums.
Though just lately operating at two occasions, we had been capable to casually inquire users of the common general public if they realized who invented the to start with gasoline car in Canada. It may well not shock you to hear that most of these we polled considered that Ford was the initially automobile builder in Canada. Of course, Ford has the advantage of brand name recognition and longevity. On the other hand, Ford was not Canadian and nor did he develop the initially gasoline vehicle in Canada.
The most up-to-date release of the academy award-winning film, Ford v Ferrari, renewed recognition that during the mid 1960s, the Ford manufacturer was a drive to be reckoned with. The momentum of this movie has produced an prospect for the Foss family, to deliver to light an normally-overlooked piece of Canadian historical past. You see, the inventor of the initial gasoline vehicle in Canada was not Ford, but was in reality the lesser recognized Foss. Foss constructed the Fossmobile in 1897, around the similar time as Ford invented the Quadracycle in the United States. Ford’s initially vehicles were being not distributed in Canada until finally the early 1900s. So, in the late 1800’s it was Ford v Foss.
The acknowledgement for this ground-breaking piece of Canadian heritage, has for far too extensive been in some way buried and shed below the shadow of Ford. The Foss household has not long ago rekindled inside of Canadian historians and vintage car fans, an fascination in celebrating the achievements of George Foote Foss, the authentic inventor of the first prosperous gasoline vehicle in Canada.
The Ford v Ferrari rivalry demonstrates how competition, together with vision, private conviction, and collaboration, can guide to excellent strides in automotive innovation. As we see in the movie, in the mid 1960s, American automotive designer Carroll Shelby collaborated with his precision targeted pal, British race car or truck driver Ken Miles. Collectively, they embraced the objective set out by Henry Ford II, to conquer Ferrari by creating a faster race auto. They embraced a collective vision to obstacle the racing world’s laws of physics and gingerly stepped all over company interference in get to make a innovative car or truck for the Ford Motor Co. The strategy was to compete head-to-head against the race cars and trucks of Enzo Ferrari at the 24-Hour of Le Mans, in France. After a long time of Ferrari dominance, their eyesight was realized. In 1966 the Ford GT 40 won, using all 3 podium positions: very first, next and 3rd.
The story of the Fossmobile may not have the pizzazz needed for a blockbuster movie plot, but it does are entitled to attention, for its historic relevance. Very long right before Ford was providing automobiles in Canada, the unique Fossmobile was created by George Foote Foss, in a small, dusty outdated bicycle repair service and device shop, in Sherbrooke, Quebec in 1897. Like the key characters in the Ford v Ferrari film, Foss had eyesight and particular conviction. He enlisted the support of a few workmen and sought out the Iron Functions Corporation of Sherbrooke who served make the preliminary castings for the engine he designed. He engineered components from scratch, combining his intuition to believe outside the box with his competencies from his machining and bicycle repairs. Foss persevered right up until he had set together a thing that could be pushed on the hilly streets of Sherbrooke.
It is nicely documented that he drove this creation all-around for 4 yrs, perfectly ahead of any other cars showed up in the spot. George Foss achieved Henry Ford on additional than just one situation, to go over the idea of creating cars jointly. Finally Foss turned Ford down, sensing that the two experienced unique character variations and visions.
The Foss family members continues to make consciousness all around Foss, the initially Canadian gasoline auto inventor, by speaking at functions and web hosting info booths. Their biggest and most major project to date is the rebuilding of a tribute/reproduction of the primary Fossmobile. This project entails a considerable amount of money of fundraising in buy to deliver this vision to fruition.
It was disappointing to hear that most of the persons we spoke to at the latest functions assumed that Ford was someway dependable for Canada’s initial vehicle. This illuminated the require to appear outside of the now very well-recognised Ford v Ferrari legacy, to the more distant past of the unique Ford v Foss legacy, at least right here in Canada. Created in the past paragraph of the preface in the “Automobiles of Canada” e book, Durnford / Baechler (1973, McClelland and Stewart Confined), is the adhering to
“A universal error is the assert that Ford was the initially Canadian vehicle producer. For several years John Moodie mistakenly claimed to have imported the to start with auto into Canada. U.H Dandurand claimed to have experienced the first automobile in Montreal, but he didn’t. And so it goes. Quite a few hallowed legends demonstrate unfounded.”
Some 47 years afterwards, these myths feel to continue on on, specifically the Ford a person. There is no query that Henry Ford and Ford v Ferrari belongs proudly in American heritage guides. However, here in Canada the person we must be acknowledging as the primary builder, is George Foote Foss. The retelling of this significant historical Canadian legacy might finally dispel the myth that Ford was the very first to have a gasoline car in Canada. It is our responsibility as Canadians to embrace this silent builder’s vital section of Canadian automotive historical past and not permit the Ford huge outshine his legacy.
The tribute/replica of the authentic Fossmobile is cautiously and painstakingly becoming constructed to assistance glow a light-weight on this historic feat. The Foss loved ones has carried out the massive job of overseeing this job. A crew has been assembled to execute every detail and the undertaking is very well on its way to completion. The objective is for this tribute/duplicate car to be placed into a Canadian museum, so that visitors can have a far better prospect to recognize this significant Canadian accomplishment. The Fossmobile Tribute vehicle and its supporting memorabilia will support to much more plainly rectify Canadian automotive record, and re-build that it was and is Foss v Ford, as the 1st gasoline car builder in Canada.
