In 1897 he built a car in Canada, the grandson makes the replica

It was 1897 when George Foss revolutionized the history of Canada with a surprising invention: the first machine with an internal combustion engine in the American country. An engineering masterpiece reproduced 125 years later by the inventor’s grandson, Ron Foss. The model was exhibited in Toronto and will soon be donated to the Canadian Automotive Museum in Oshawa. A way to “properly inform Canadians of this achievement and of a largely little known story” as explained by Foss.

THE INVENTION

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George Foss was a mechanic, blacksmith and bicycle repairer in Sherbrooke, a town in Quebec, 155 km from Montreal. Here he conceived his own car, equipped with a single-cylinder petrol engine, with a power of four horses, connected to a four-wheeled carriage. It is thought that the Fossmobile, as it was renamed, was capable of reaching 24 km / h. A speed not easy to manage at the time. In 2021, Ron said his paternal grandfather only drove the car close to home, while on two occasions he drove as far as Montreal. However, it was never mass produced for the Canadian market.

the reconstruction

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Creating the replica car was a passion project that took Foss several years. To carry out his project, collaborations with various experts throughout Canada were fundamental. Now that his grandfather’s car has been reproduced, Ron can say, “As the car has become so important to world society, I think it’s fitting to celebrate the significant role Canada and my grandfather played in this process.”