The Delorean comes back to the future
It’s hard to believe, but the now iconic movie, Back to the Future, was first released 30 years ago. The human stars were Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) and Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd), but a Delorean DMC-12, which had been modified into a time machine, was arguably the real star of the film.
Quite possibly one of the bestknown movie cars of all time, the Delorean carried McFly into the future. More specifically, in Back to the Future II, it transported him to Oct. 21, 2015, and that day has been proclaimed “Back to the Future Day” around the world.
On Oct. 21, Cineplex Entertainment will be screening the first two movies in theatres across the country and on the 25th will show the full trilogy. Some proceeds from these screenings will be donated to Team Fox, benefitting the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
The Canadian Automotive Museum will host a special event on the evening of Oct. 22, where fans will be able to get under the hood of the collection’s own 1983 Delorean. Museum curator Alex Gates will be on hand with Delorean expert Justin Sookraj to guide participants through the iconic vehicle. Learn more at canadianautomotivemuseum.com.
Canadian auto sales continue at record pace
Canadian automakers are continuing, for the most part, to enjoy unprecedented growth as consumers in this country keep buying new cars. More than 174,000 new vehicles left the showroom floor in September, which is an increase of 3.7 per cent over the same month in 2014.
Year to date sales are up 2.5 per cent. The big story is still the shift in the types of vehicles being bought, as the car market dropped by 6.2 per cent while light truck sales increased by 10.4 per cent.
FCA (formerly Chrysler) continued to climb, with an increase of 1.1 per cent to 24,007 vehicles sold. But that wasn’t strong enough to keep Ford at bay as the blue oval powered ahead selling 28,214 vehicles for a 3.9-per-cent increase. General Motors also nipped past FCA, selling 24,960 vehicles.
Toyota and Honda round out the top five with 17,168 and 15,204 respectively.
Throughout the industry there was cause for celebration as several manufacturers experienced their best-ever September.
Not everyone was popping champagne on Oct. 1, however, as Mitsubishi and Volvo saw double digit declines over last September. Not surprisingly, Volkswagen and Audi both saw substantial declines in the wake of diesel gate.
Auto Storage Palace gears up for winter
Nobody wants to think about it, but winter will soon be upon us and for those who have a special summer car, that means it’s time to tuck that pride and joy away somewhere cosy.
Founded by Canadian racer David Empringham and now operated by his brother Zack, Auto Storage Palace offers secure vehicle storage in a central location. In the near future, Empringham says a lounge will be created to give car fanatic members a place to hang out, surrounded by some incredible machinery.
To learn more about storing your ride there, visit autostoragepalace.com.
Last chance to drive those classic cars
While some car enthusiasts are already putting their toys to bed for the winter, many still have the urge to get out and enjoy the fall colours. The Little Britain Motor Company and the Burlwood Motorsport Club are once again hosting their annual Lindsay-to-Brighton Run, an Autumn rally/tour for owners of classic cars and bikes.
Participants will leave Little Britain today at 11:30 a.m. and will wind their way through small towns such as Reaboro, Bridgenorth, Lakefield, Warsaw, Norwood, Hastings, Warkworth, and Castleton before ending up in Brighton around 2 p.m.
Spectators along the route will get to see a wide range of classics from MGs and Minis to hot rods.
If all goes as planned, you’ll see yours truly in my ugly old brown Porsche.
Be sure to say hi!
Hot rod clubs to host blood donor clinic
For the second year in a row, hot rod clubs the SP and the Lead Kings are hosting The Blood Run, a custom car and bike show in support of Canadian Blood Services. This year they are being joined by the Dogpatch Devils, a club with roots dating back to 1942.
This year’s event is being held next Saturday, at Hillcrest Mall in Richmond Hill.
There will be lots of cool cars and bikes around, so be sure to take your camera. Gary Grant is a regular contributor to Toronto Star Wheels. To reach Wheels Editor Norris McDonald email nmcdonald@thestar.ca.