Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day is an opportunity for all Quebecers to celebrate and, for the team at Car Guideit means highlighting the many links that unite the province to the automobile.
We have therefore chosen to collect here a wealth of interesting content and articles on the subject that we have published over the past few years. To discover… or rediscover!
Quebec cars
Over the past 55 years, many Quebec vehicles have been unveiled (Koundalini, Allard J2X MKII, HTT Pléthore, Dubuc Tomahawk, Magnum MK5, Felino CB7). We also have a beautiful photo gallery that presents them. However, the Manic GT remains to this day the only car to have been mass-produced. Although it is impossible to give a precise figure, it can be estimated that around 160 copies were assembled.
Our journalist Julien Amado carried out a complete report on the Manic GT for the 2021 edition of the Car Guide and another on two Manic GTs returning to their Granby factory. If you want to know more, including the origins of the design, the racing cars and the prototypes never unveiled, watch our documentary available here.
The favorite vehicles of Quebecers
Quebec drivers like many of the same vehicles as the rest of Canada, but there are differences, of course. Here are the top 10 best-selling vehicles in Quebec as well as the top 10 most sought-after used vehicles in Quebec. In both cases, the figures are based on the whole of 2022.
And by the way, we remind you that The 2023 Car Guide was the best-selling book in the province between January 1 and December 31, 2022 according to the Gaspard list. Thank you again for your interest and trust!
Quebec Automotive Engineering
Many Quebecers are recognized for their expertise in the automotive industry and have reached important positions with various manufacturers. For example, Danny Garand, who hails from the Sherbrooke region, is a senior designer at Audi in Ingolstadt, Germany, and it was he who designed the new look of the Q5.
Photo: Audi
Impossible to ignore the Montrealer of Lebanese origin Karim Habib, who now acts as executive vice-president and head of global design for Kia. He manages the design teams and oversees the development of the company’s stylistic strategy.
Here he presents his latest creation, the all-new 2024 Kia EV9:
The most beautiful roads in the province
Quebec doesn’t just have brilliant automotive designers and engineers, it also has plenty of great roads to drive on, whether it’s for a simple jaunt or a long road trip.
Think of it as the reverse list of CAA-Quebec’s worst roads!
Car exhibitions and collections in Quebec
Finally, thousands of Quebecers openly display their passion for cars, either by gathering at exhibitions, by modifying their cars or by building formidable collections. We saw it this spring at the Salon Auto Sport de Québec, which broke a record attendance. Don’t miss our extensive photo gallery!
Also, did you know that the Granby International is the largest classic car show in Canada? Our colleague Antoine Joubert was on hand during the 2022 edition (where another record crowd gathered) and offered us this report:
In our “Tell me about your tank” capsules, we also showed you various jewels, including the collection of Stéphane Dumaine. Also, Luc Poirier’s impressive Ferraris, which visitors to the last Montreal Auto Show were able to admire up close, were found several times in the book and on the Car Guide :
Happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste to all Quebecers!