Rare car on display at Canadian Transportation Museum

    By Paul Forman

 The Detroit Auto Show is not the only local spot displaying unique automobiles as the Canadian Transportation Museum opened up their Exit the Horse exhibit that features a one-of-a-kind 1897 Fossmobile. 

Housed beside the museum’s 1893 Shamrock, Curator Karolina Brozy said, “These are legendary vehicles. It’s truly an honour to have the Fossmobile here at our museum.”

A friendly debate has arisen as to which of the automobiles – the Shamrock versus the Fossmobile – should hold the title as Canada’s first registered car powered by an internal combustion engine.

The Fossmobile on display is part of a rotating exhibit from Oshawa’s Canadian Automotive Museum and is an exact replica of the original that vanished long ago. Built by George Foote Foss of Sherbrooke, Quebec, the Fossmobile had a first of its kind one-cylinder, front-mounted engine that was even able to negotiate the hills in the local area. Its two-speed transmission came into play for not only kicking out a formidable four horsepower, but also served as a form of slowing the vehicle as it lacked brakes.

George Foss can stake a claim for being the first Canadian to receive a traffic ticket when he drove his Fossmobile on a sidewalk to avoid the snowbound streets in a Sherbrooke blizzard and could have had a very different life had he taken up an offer that was made to him by Henry Ford.

The Shamrock has been with the Transportation Museum for decades thanks to the help of Kingsville’s Herb Giles who saved the car from the scrapyard. Built by the Mimna Brothers of Wardsville, the Shamrock allegedly made its way around town at 10 miles per hour by means of a system of belts and clutches. 

A second version of the Shamrock was built in 1914. Though faster than the original, the updated vehicle lacked a proper braking system and was totalled when it hit another car.

So, will it be the Fossmobile or the Shamrock as Canada’s first registered internal combustion automobile? The Canadian Transportation Museum will let you decide with the assistance of an informative video that can be found on their website ctmhv.com. 

Those who are interested in seeing these two gems on display together have until November of this year, after which the Fossmobile motors its way to yet another museum destination.