By: Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press
The Canadian Automotive Museum’s Exit the Horse exhibit is now on display at the Canadian Transportation Museum & Heritage Village, showcasing the early years of Canadian motoring, from 1851 to 1910.
Karolina Brozy, Curator of the CTMHV, noted this is a once in a lifetime opportunity, as visitors are now able to see the 1893 Shamrock – already housed at the Museum – and the 1897 Fossmobile replica under one roof.
The opportunity to do so is quite rare, she noted.
Both cars were made in Canada, and some of the first using internal combustion. There is some debate as to which was officially first, however.
This local exhibit successfully launched at the CTMHV on Saturday, and automotive enthusiasts will have until November to stop in and take a peek.
The Exit the Horse exhibit was beautifully curated by the Canadia Automotive Museum, Brozy added. “We are happy to partner with them.”
Since the Fossmobile was going to be on display at the CTMHV for the Exit the Horse exhibit, Brozy noted Museum staff put the two cars next to each other, in addition to the information panels the Canadian Automotive Museum provided as part of the display.
“This is the only one,” Brozy said of the Shamrock. She noted there was a Shamrock 2 created, but it was involved with a collision with a cow in 1914. It was badly damaged and never salvaged.
According to information on display at the CTMHV, the Shamrock is possibly Canada’s oldest registered car and first internal combustion engine.
“Early automobiles were often made using parts from other mechanical devices, as was the case with the Shamrock and many other vehicles at the time, therefore making it difficult to accurately determine which came first,” the information continues.
Brothers, William and Charles Minma of Wardsville, Ontario, built the shamrock.
Dan MacIntyre, a long-time volunteer of the CTMHV, noted what he knows about the car has been acquired through word-of-mouth and research over the years.
“The story is the Minma brothers were stonemasons, and they wanted to get into the automobile business,” MacIntyre said. That was in the late 1800s.
He said the story is that people actually saw it being driven in Wardsville, he added.
William completed building the car in 1904.
The information noted that instead of a transmission, the Shamrock had a system of bells and clutches to transmit the power. As it was unable to climb hills, the engine was replaced. In 1910, pneumatic tires were added and a steering wheel. It previously had tiller steering.
The CTMHV received the Shamrock through a donation from Herb and Martina Giles many years ago. Herb was a founding member of the CTMHV.
Information from the CTMHV notes the car changed hands a few times. It was eventually stored in a warehouse. In 1956, it was discovered and sold to Giles, who spent time restoring it.
When MacIntyre started volunteering at the Museum in 1983, the car was driven around the village.
Both the Shamrock and Fossmobile are part of Canadian automotive history, “and we are so happy to have them here,” MacIntyre said.
The Fossmobile was created by George Foss of Quebec. To his research, MacIntyre learned Foss had a machine shop, where he made tools, and completed blacksmithing work.
He decided to build a car after a visit to Boston where he received a ride in a horseless carriage. He began to build the Fossmobile in 1896.
Four-years later, he moved to Montreal. He was the first Canadian to receive a traffic ticket for diving on cleared sidewalks in a snowstorm, MacIntyre added.
The car was sold after 1902.
In celebration of the centennial of the car’s creation, the Foss family had the replica built, based on photos they had.
The CTMHV is home to many historically significant vehicles, so the Exit the Horse exhibit allowed for the opportunity to bring attention to a car housed within its walls, while bringing in something new to see.
To learn more about the museum or about upcoming events, log onto www.ctmhv.com