10 cars you didn't know were sold in Canada
08-25-10, 09:02 AM
#1
executive matchup
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10 cars you didn't know were sold in Canada
You can walk down the street and see any number of Honda Civics or Ford F-150s. But what about the truly unique vehicles that were sold only on Canadian soil? This guide should help you spot some of the odd ones…
1.
Chevrolet Malibu "Iraqi Taxi"
You'll be looking for a 1981 Chevrolet Malibu just like the one pictured above. Thing is, a batch of them (25,000 or so) were destined to become taxi cabs for Iraq, courtesy of a deal done with Saddam Hussein. Only 13,000 ever went to Iraq, since the deal was cancelled at the last minute. What happened? The rest were sold to Canadians. So if you see a Malibu, look inside and see if there's an on-the-floor stick shift. Chances are you're looking at an Iraqi Taxi.
2.
Toyota Land Cruiser
Yes, the latest Toyota Land Cruiser is sold in Canada. And no, you can't have one. Sold at only two dealers in the country, the Land Cruiser is related to the Lexus LX570 you can buy, but is much more work-oriented. How work-oriented? They're not certified for on-road use and are sold directly to mining companies.
3.
Passport Optima
This is a Pontiac Le Mans, but actually re-badged as a "Passport Optima" in one of General Motors' failed attempts at creating a new brand, Passport. You're not missing much, but actually seeing one is like falling in love all over again…
4.
Mercury Frontenac
The Legendary Ford Falcon was sold as a Mercury here in Canada as the Frontenac. The Falcon in its day was considered a "compact" car, and competed favourably abroad in touring car races. Our version had that snazzy front grille and equally patriotic name.
5.
(Pontiac) Acadian Invader
Here, Acadians were mostly re-badged Pontiacs. We picked the Invader because it has the coolest name, and was the mid-range model. What was the tagline? "The Invaders are here! Meet them today. They're talking your language."
6.
Fargo Trucks
We could get into the history here, but it'll take forever. Suffice to say, Fargo trucks were actually Chryslers built here in Canada, for the Canadian market. They lasted for about 20 years, up until 1972 and were then replaced by Dodge trucks. The coolest part? The logo was a globe, and a miniature globe was actually mounted to the dashboard!
7.
Mazda 323 Neo GS
This is a Mazda 323 hatchback, in a sporty two-door shape. Sold in Canada for a single year, 1995, the "Neo GS" probably didn't sell too many — or else they'd still be making them. You can still see some on Canadian roads, but they're as rare as they are unremarkable.
8.
Lada Niva
From 1979 to 1998, you could buy a Lada in Canada. This, the Niva, was the Russian automaker's most famous model. Rugged like a Jeep and yet incredibly resistant to the rigours of colder climates, it seemed like the perfect way to go off-road in the winter. The problem? Apparently Lada was scared of the impending competition from Daewoo and Kia — and left Canada altogether.
9.
Asüna Sunrunner
Hey, look, a Chevrolet Tracker! You're right, except these Canadian ones were sold under the Asüna brand. Remember the Passport brand we mentioned earlier? Asüna was its counterpart, offering low-cost transportation for "younger" customers.
10.
Hyundai Stellar
Trivia: Which Korean car used a Ford-based chassis, Mitsubishi-sourced engines, was rear-drive, and not sold in the United States? If you guessed the Hyundai Stellar, you'd be right! More trivia: it was the last rear-drive Hyundai ever sold in North America, until the early 2009 introduction of the Genesis luxury sedan.
link: http://autos.sympatico.ca/photos-vid...ld-in-canada/1
1.
Chevrolet Malibu "Iraqi Taxi"
You'll be looking for a 1981 Chevrolet Malibu just like the one pictured above. Thing is, a batch of them (25,000 or so) were destined to become taxi cabs for Iraq, courtesy of a deal done with Saddam Hussein. Only 13,000 ever went to Iraq, since the deal was cancelled at the last minute. What happened? The rest were sold to Canadians. So if you see a Malibu, look inside and see if there's an on-the-floor stick shift. Chances are you're looking at an Iraqi Taxi.
2.
Toyota Land Cruiser
Yes, the latest Toyota Land Cruiser is sold in Canada. And no, you can't have one. Sold at only two dealers in the country, the Land Cruiser is related to the Lexus LX570 you can buy, but is much more work-oriented. How work-oriented? They're not certified for on-road use and are sold directly to mining companies.
3.
Passport Optima
This is a Pontiac Le Mans, but actually re-badged as a "Passport Optima" in one of General Motors' failed attempts at creating a new brand, Passport. You're not missing much, but actually seeing one is like falling in love all over again…
4.
Mercury Frontenac
The Legendary Ford Falcon was sold as a Mercury here in Canada as the Frontenac. The Falcon in its day was considered a "compact" car, and competed favourably abroad in touring car races. Our version had that snazzy front grille and equally patriotic name.
5.
(Pontiac) Acadian Invader
Here, Acadians were mostly re-badged Pontiacs. We picked the Invader because it has the coolest name, and was the mid-range model. What was the tagline? "The Invaders are here! Meet them today. They're talking your language."
6.
Fargo Trucks
We could get into the history here, but it'll take forever. Suffice to say, Fargo trucks were actually Chryslers built here in Canada, for the Canadian market. They lasted for about 20 years, up until 1972 and were then replaced by Dodge trucks. The coolest part? The logo was a globe, and a miniature globe was actually mounted to the dashboard!
7.
Mazda 323 Neo GS
This is a Mazda 323 hatchback, in a sporty two-door shape. Sold in Canada for a single year, 1995, the "Neo GS" probably didn't sell too many — or else they'd still be making them. You can still see some on Canadian roads, but they're as rare as they are unremarkable.
8.
Lada Niva
From 1979 to 1998, you could buy a Lada in Canada. This, the Niva, was the Russian automaker's most famous model. Rugged like a Jeep and yet incredibly resistant to the rigours of colder climates, it seemed like the perfect way to go off-road in the winter. The problem? Apparently Lada was scared of the impending competition from Daewoo and Kia — and left Canada altogether.
9.
Asüna Sunrunner
Hey, look, a Chevrolet Tracker! You're right, except these Canadian ones were sold under the Asüna brand. Remember the Passport brand we mentioned earlier? Asüna was its counterpart, offering low-cost transportation for "younger" customers.
10.
Hyundai Stellar
Trivia: Which Korean car used a Ford-based chassis, Mitsubishi-sourced engines, was rear-drive, and not sold in the United States? If you guessed the Hyundai Stellar, you'd be right! More trivia: it was the last rear-drive Hyundai ever sold in North America, until the early 2009 introduction of the Genesis luxury sedan.
link: http://autos.sympatico.ca/photos-vid...ld-in-canada/1
08-25-10, 10:36 AM
#2
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There are quite a few Lada Niva's in Stuttgart. Cheap, reliable and rugged and also capable is what makes the popular I suppose. On the downside, I hear fuel consumption is a bit high and the comfort and modern safety features are downright nonexistent!
08-25-10, 06:04 PM
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2.
Toyota Land Cruiser
Yes, the latest Toyota Land Cruiser is sold in Canada. And no, you can't have one. Sold at only two dealers in the country, the Land Cruiser is related to the Lexus LX570 you can buy, but is much more work-oriented. How work-oriented? They're not certified for on-road use and are sold directly to mining companies.
Toyota Land Cruiser
Yes, the latest Toyota Land Cruiser is sold in Canada. And no, you can't have one. Sold at only two dealers in the country, the Land Cruiser is related to the Lexus LX570 you can buy, but is much more work-oriented. How work-oriented? They're not certified for on-road use and are sold directly to mining companies.
08-26-10, 02:51 AM
#7
Lexus Test Driver
Last one looks like the Hyundai Excel.
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08-26-10, 08:37 AM
#10
Lexus Fanatic
This car is not a rebadged Pontiac, but a rebadged mid-60's-vintage Chevy Nova. Here in the American market, Chevy and Pontiac didn't share much until the 2Gen Camaro/Firebird in 1970-71 (the 1Gen models in 1967 had different engines). Then, later in the 70's, a number of Chevies and Pontiacs were almost identical.
08-26-10, 08:44 AM
#11
Lexus Fanatic
This car, unfortunately, was a POS. Daewoo-designed and built in Korea, it was also marketed in the U.S. as the Pontiac Le Mans. Consumer Reports, at the time, advised aganist buying this car, due to its mediocre performance, test results, and poor reliability.
08-26-10, 01:07 PM
#12
Lexus Champion
I know Dodge actually sells a de-rated Ram 2500/3500 for mine use - it uses a similar Cummins ISB engine but for some reason it is not rated for on-road use. The funny part is that Cummins sells that particular version for use in delivery vans and school buses.
08-26-10, 07:11 PM
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