Classics in Canada – Message from Bas

And through our Canadian friend Bas van der Hoek you will hear about John Anthony MacGregor, Citroëns own Prophet in Canada. Somewhere in the story there is also the set of aluminum rims that Bas scored for his CX and for which he had to have special wheel bolts. That worked. The local parts supply of classic Citroëns is apparently well done within the Canadian enthusiast circles.

Banned due to unsafe

Even for the 'little' Citroëns that were banned in Canada from the XNUMXs because they had too large crumple zones. Or were. This is how the Citroën GS recently described in an article as: “The most innovative car you've never heard of”.

An interesting young lady and a polka dot dress

MacGgregor's love for Citroën dates from his childhood. His parents ran a poodle farm and often kept in touch with their customers. One of those customers drove DS and his girlfriend had a haircut like a beehive. She wore dresses with 'polka dots' on them. So dots. His parents' car was an old Pontiac station wagon.

And that Pontiac that smoked…. Well, like a dog kennel. The confrontation with the DS was like that of a medieval man with a spaceship.

There are also classic dealers in Canada

In the meantime, we learn from Bas that the Canadian top classics are not only ridden by elderly widows from the better neighborhoods, but that they are also simply traded. With all this information, fans of the cartoon series 'South Park' have to adjust their opinion about the Canadians.

Church cars and status

Those cars that Dutch immigrants bought in their new homeland were bought as local luxury cars/family transport at the time. They are often not the most exotic cars. But if a Dutchman who had settled in Canada purchased an American, it was usually a V8 sedan. And that pride was cherished. So well cherished that many have survived in a particularly beautiful condition, in the possession of not so young widows. These people usually live in 'all white communities', small white villages. Or is the owner of the outrageous – fully working – Aston Martin Lagonda also in such a conservative environment? We do not know that. But we do know that locally there are much less exuberant British classics driving or standing around.

And of course there are still warm ties with France, because the French were in Canada before the Dutch. And those French took the love for their 'own' cars with them.

The difference in price and quality

Dutch classics are highly sought after abroad because of their high degree of restoration and low price. In Canada, many classics are also in excellent condition. Not because they have been restored, but because there is a milder classic climate in Canada, there is no brining and because the Canadians – in contrast to many 'Americans' – do carry out maintenance on their cars. Bas sent some pictures of such a Canadian dealer in classic cars. The indication is that they are unrestored, very nice and about including shipping and a bit cheaper than they are here. But when you realize that your friendly local classic owner also has to earn some money, then you understand that classic dealers work more out of passion than a pursuit of wealth.

The Oldsmobile Toronado at Blue Star Motors just over the bridge in North Vancouver in the photos has an asking price of $20.000 in Canadian coins. That is about € 14.000. Because Canada is more European-oriented than the US, there are also quite a few European – read French – classics in the Canadian classic trade. And they are more expensive than you will find them here.

Well snow, no brine