Gray-Dort: The class of the light car field

Indigenous Canadian automobiles have been rare due to the strong U.S. influence over the auto industry. One of the most successful Canadian cars was the Gray-Dort of Chatham, organized in 1915 after the Gray family allied itself with an established U.S. automaker, the Dort Motor Car Co. of Flint, Michigan. The Grays of Chatham were carriage makers originally. William Gray emigrated to Chatham from Scotland in 1853 and soon after established the William Gray and Sons carriage company. Interestingly, Gray-Dort became more popular in Canada than the Dort was in the U.S. Gray-Dort survived until 1925, selling well in most provinces and becoming a particular favourite in Western Canada. Here local historian John Rhodes outlines the history of the family and firm.