The Tudhope Carriage Company was, for a time, the largest producer of horse drawn vehicles in the British Empire. It had a network of sales outlets right across Canada and a state of the art factory facility. Wanting to get in on the automobile craze sweeping across North America, James Brockett Tudhope (J.B.) negotiated with Bryon Everitt and William Metzger, icons in the Detroit automotive community, to build their highly regarded Everitt car virtually in its entirety in Tudhope’s Orillia plant. It seemed like a step ahead of J.B.’s friend and competitor Sam McLaughlin, who imported the mechanical components for his McLaughlin cars from Buick in Flint, Michigan. Surely, the Tudhope-Everitt car was a recipe for success... or was it? Join auto historian John Smith as he untangles the complicated history of the Tudhope Motor Company.

This online talk will take place over Zoom and is part of the Canadian Automotive Museum's Third Thursday lecture series. These online talks are free and open to the public, but registration is required. The Canadian Automotive Museum is a registered Canadian charity and a suggested donation of $10 goes toward covering the cost of hosting these virtual events. Donors who make an annual contribution of over $25 will receive a charitable tax receipt. 

About our Speaker

John was born into an antique car family, and has always had associations with Tudhope and Fisher automobiles. Inspired by his father and Glenn Baechler, Canada’s foremost automotive historian, he works to preserve the history and stories of the Tudhope Motor Company and its offshoots. (Optional). Currently he is the proud owner of a 1913 McLaughlin and a 1930 Ford roadster, and is part of a team putting the sole surviving Fisher back on the road.