The Canadian Supercar That Almost Happened But Then Didn't (Finally)

"NickMaronese" (NickMaronese) 01/09/2017 at 10:45 • Filed to: None

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The !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is straight-up one of my favourite sorts to write—an in-depth exploration of an obscure piece of Canadian car culture that deserves more attention? That’s pure Autofocus .

Not my favourite? The fact I interviewed its builder-owner, Bob, back in February and am only just able to publish this now.

The workload of editing a website means the articles I’d lined up to get done often get moved to the back burner (one’s still sitting on there from 2014, I think). Still ahead are pieces I started in April, July, and September.

The story of the MCV CH4 starts, for me, back in September 2015, actually, when I met Bob on the lawn at the Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The car was being shown in a category all its own there, and I knew we had to have an article on it.

I did a brief preliminary interview then, but scheduled to meet Bob at his home for an extended talk. Super-helpful was the fact he’d already compiled his own book on the car’s history, and leant me a copy.

It was also really strange to see this invaluable, one-of-a-kind piece of Canadian history tucked away in an anonymous teeny-tiny garage, but where else is the guy going to keep it?

Bob’s a little guarded about his pride-and-joy – who wouldn’t be? – which makes this article semi-exclusive. The video we shot of it – another one-delay-after-another situation – is definitely the only one you’ll find online.

Oil company politics. 1950s TV jingles. Embarrassed Canadian provincial premiers. It’s quite an interesting story. Check it out.

There’s more where that came from, too. If I can ever get around to writing the things. Yeesh.

Clemsie McKenzie > NickMaronese 01/09/2017 at 11:14

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What a weird looking thing. But great story!

gogmorgo - rowing gears in a Grand Cherokee > NickMaronese 01/09/2017 at 11:22

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I saw this at the TO auto show five years or so ago. It was cool but you could kinda tell it wasn’t going anywhere. I’ve seen FSAE teams with better displays set up about their car.

phenotyp > NickMaronese 01/09/2017 at 14:09

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Great story! I’m always amazed that there are still cars out there I didn’t know existed. Jay Bernard went on to be a longtime GM designer, interesting to read that he’s at FCA now.

The AE86 of Mt. Akina (Hachi) > NickMaronese 01/10/2017 at 00:20

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I feel like the Canadian Auto industry is cursed.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > NickMaronese 01/10/2017 at 02:41

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It looks like Tupperware

gmctavish needs more space > The AE86 of Mt. Akina (Hachi) 01/10/2017 at 03:15

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So is the Canadian aero industry

chaozbandit > NickMaronese 01/10/2017 at 10:35

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I was at that Concours! I’d go more often if it wasnt so far away.