Named in honor of the hydroelectric dam of the same name, the Manic GT car is also a good local product. Produced in 168 units between 1969 and 1971, this automobile remains the only one produced in series on Quebec soil. A pride, but above all a dream: that of Jacques About.
Died in 2013, the latter is absent from the documentary directed by Jean Bourbonnais. That said, many interlocutors, including his first wife, Pauline Vincent, as well as his son Pierre About, are happy to tell the story of the achievement of this project. With them, the designer of the Manic GT Serge Soumille, the chief mechanic Maurice Gris and the automotive columnist Jacques Duval. In addition to these guests, four happy owners of the Manic GT also appear.
Using these interviews and hundreds of archives, most of which are unpublished, the documentary fairly diligently traces the history of this unique vehicle. Automobile enthusiasts as well as the most novices in the field benefit from viewing this enriching work.
White hair and crow’s feet around the eyes, the chief mechanic of the Manic GT Maurice Gris confides that “it was downright an adventure… and a great adventure”. And although the wrinkles betray the five decades that have passed since the beginning of this odyssey, his gaze does not seem to have weakened; the sparks still shine brightly there.
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