MOOSE JAW — The annual Sukanen Ship Museum show and shine was met with rain and then monsoon winds.
Half an hour after the show started, organizer Pat O’Connor moaned that few cars would attend.
Minutes later, cars started rolling in as drivers braved the wind to show off their vehicles.
More than 70 cars came to the Spring Fling show, including some from the Prince Albert Car Cruisers.
“It was good considering the weather. We had a lot of cars from the district we’ve never had before,” he said.
A 1927 Durant touring car caught the attention of many visitors.
The Durant car and its inventor played a significant role in the development of the North American auto industry.
Willy Durant started in the transport business as a partner with Dirt Horse Carriages, later partnering with Buick’s Sam McLaughlin of Canada to make carriages.
Durant was a co-founder of Chevrolet in 1908 and merged it to form General Motors (GM) in 1911. He was booted from GM after a disastrous venture into ultra-luxury Locomobiles.
In 1921, he started producing Durant cars along with five other brands of cars and trucks.
Durant developed the still-used GM business plan to sell seemingly different brands under one company.
The Great Depression and competition caused Durant to file for bankruptcy in 1931.
About 90,000 Durant cars were made, with only 1,135 in 1931. A web page listing known Durants has about half a dozen 1927 models.
The Durant car at the show and shine was made in Leaside, Ont., one of five company plants, and sold in Winnipeg to a Saskatchewan farmer.
In 1967, the 50-horsepower six-cylinder three-speed was named best car in the Expo 67 Star Six rally.
Dean Young bought it at an Alida farm auction in 2018.
“I didn’t have to do much to it. It had 13,000 miles.’’
A made in Canada Mercury pickup truck.
Rob Harder brought an only made in Canada Mercury pickup truck to the show.
“This truck I drove at my (high school) grad in 1975. Blew the motor up, parked it in a shed for 40-some years and a couple years ago decided to start it up.
“That’s a lot of nostalgia.”
The truck has a lot of scratches made when a previous owner used it mostly for fencing purposes.
A sign on the driver’s door is a copy of a hand-painted sign made by his grandfather.
Harder was selling old vehicle parts with the proceeds to the museum and was surprised at the interest from younger people.
A Lincoln stretch limo.
A Lincoln stretch limo, once driven by a Nebraska State legislator, was bought at auction when Vic and Diane Loth were visiting in the United States.
People’s Choice winner was Alex Hamm of Central Butte with his 1971 Dodge Charger.
Richard Steele of Moose Jaw won the 50-50 draw for $140.
A vintage Volkswagon.
A 1980 Corvette.
Ron Walter can be reached at [email protected]
