Hits and misses of this year’s show
Sherman tank and Lego Bugatti draw the big crowds, but tuner car display sadly gets lost in the mix
In recent years, the Canadian International AutoShow has grown at a record pace, with new attendance records being set almost daily. While at its core the annual show is intended to be a consumer shopping tool, there is so much eye candy that the special displays alone are worth the price of admission.
Being the child of a racing family in the ’60s myself, I have to be honest that my own list of hits is heavily laden with racing cars of that era. HITS Billy the Sherman tank With the sort-of-recent release of the Second World War movie
Fury, even young people understand what a Sherman tank is. Seeing a Canadian spec version in the flesh, especially inside a show hall, is a wondrous experience. This giant war machine constantly draws a crowd.
Ferrari 250LM With just 32 examples built between 1963 and 1965, the 250 LM is as racy as it is beautiful. It is also one of the more expensive collectibles around, as the last time one came to auction it fetched $17.6 million. The car on display is the ninth car built and calls Toronto home. If the current owner were to sell, it is estimated it would sell for $20 million or more.
Devel Sixteen So swoopy that it is just a couple of fins and a paint job away from being a Batmobile candidate, the Devel Sixteen embodies all of the excesses we have come to expect from the uber rich in Dubai, where it hails from. The model on display features a 16-cylinder engine that produces a somehow unreal 5,007 horsepower. It is so excessive that Toronto-born star Drake is said to have ordered one.
McLaren M6B They called the ground pounders. The cars of the legendary Can Am series were brash, loud and insanely fast, driven by the biggest names in racing. The blue McLaren M6B, on display in the Art and the Automobile exhibit, was campaigned by Holman-Moody in the1969 season, when it was driven by non other than Mario Andretti. 1937 Cadillac Hartmann Cabriolet A one of one, this 22-foot long custom beauty was built on a Cadillac chassis for a Swiss playboy and is powered by a massive V16 engine. The graceful shape is accented by a futuristic fin atop the rear of the car. Mustang Kyle Based in southern Ontario, Mustang Kyle has become somewhat of an Instagram star. This Corvette-powered monster, which began life as a ’67 Mustang, has been stretched, widened and turned into a station wagon. This fantastic example of backyard creativity screams Mad Max! Lego Bugatti This one appeals to everyone, young and young at heart, who has ever played with Lego. It’s a lifesized model of a Bugatti Chiron, made completely from Lego Technic elements. It is even driveable! Dragonsnake Cobra The Shelby Cobra has become one of the most recognizable and most copied automotive shapes of all time. The British Racing Green example in the Legendary Motorcar display in Auto Exotica is 1 of 4 Dragonsnake versions built in 1965. The difference between this and the others is that it was specced out for road racing instead of the quarter mile. This is a very special Cobra! Javelin Trans Am Oh so close to the car that my dad raced when I was just two years old, Barrett-Jackson CEO Craig Jackson’s AMC Javelin race car is quite simply the coolest car at the show in my eyes. Each time I have visited the show I find myself on the 100 level looking at it longingly. MISSES Hard-to-find tuner car dis
play In recent years the AutoShow has offered up a tremendous level of support for the tuner car community, much to the delight of the younger enthusiasts. While I noticed the absence of tuner cars at the show’s media preview, I enjoyed some of the more retro style of cars on display, so I didn’t really think much about it. Until, that is, I brought my driving-age boys and a couple of their buddies down to the show.
My 20-year-old is into many of the same cars I am, but the other three were constantly on the lookout for tuner machines. They are in a room on Level 700 but your attention is diverted by the Lego Bugatti and the low-rider cars and your attention then carries forward to the Art and the Automobile exhibit. The AutoShow has to find a way to draw attention to the display. For a certain demographic, tuner cars were the main draw at the show in previous years and could be again in future.