[mk39920]

An Amazing Year For Oshawa
New cars for shipment at GM plant 1981 TPL
View attachment 201075

You stumbled upon a unique piece of automotive Canadian history. The famous 1981 Canadian built "Iraqibu". GM had a contract in 1981 to build 25000 Chevy Mailbu's taxi's for Iraq. because of sanctions the production was done in Oshawa, and the cars shipped from the port of Halifax... things didn't go as planned with Iraq canceling the contract and more than 10,000 of these cars ended up stranded in Canada with over-sized air conditioners, tiny heaters and manual transmissions.

Google Iraqibu and you'll find lots of trivia on it.

This Chevy Malibu Tells A Far-Out Story From A Far-Away Land

Welcome to Little Car in the Big City, where I highlight fascinating cars I found walking around a town that is known for being bigger than everything else, but where every car is fighting to stand out: New York, New York.

jalopnik.com

 

[Goldie]

Thanks for that wonderful story, mk39920...........I had no idea!
Yes, I found much online "trivia" about the Iraqibu, but how much is believable?
In these day of "false news" one must be skeptical.
I found no info on this event from mainstream news outlets.
Do you have access to an authenticated source?
It certainly appears to be a reasonable story, but who knows?

 

[mk39920]

Thanks for that wonderful story, mk39920...........I had no idea!
Yes, I found much online "trivia" about the Iraqibu, but how much is believable?
In these day of "false news" one must be skeptical.
I found no info on this event from mainstream news outlets.
Do you have access to an authenticated source?
It certainly appears to be a reasonable story, but who knows?

Very little online, except for this one NY Times article that talks about the financial fall out when the deal got canceled.

G.M. Canada Files Insurance Claim (Published 1982)

www.nytimes.com

But without firing up the old microfiche machine - I’m leaving the rest to bar room trivia.

 

[lenaitch]

A colleague bought one through a relative who worked for GM; dark blue 4-door sedan with floor-mounted manual transmission and fairly basic model as you would expect for something intended to be a taxi. I'm not sure about the claim of an undersized heater as we were in northern Ontario and she seemed to manage fine. Air conditioning was not really mainstream back then so she was pretty pumped. I don't recall the absence of a rear window defroster but they were just emerging as standard fare as well. She drove it until I transferred a couple of years later.

 

[Goldie]

Thank you, mk39920, for that NYTimes link.
That's the sort of supporting evidence that's believable.
I appreciate your assistance regarding my skepticism.

 

[Goldie]

I don't believe I've seen this image anywhere before.
Scarboro Beach entrance c.1917 TPL
It was in this book at the Toronto Public Library web site:
https://static.torontopubliclibrary.ca/da/pdfs/91713541c58.pdf

 

[junctionman]

Very little online, except for this one NY Times article that talks about the financial fall out when the deal got canceled.

G.M. Canada Files Insurance Claim (Published 1982)

www.nytimes.com

But without firing up the old microfiche machine - I’m leaving the rest to bar room trivia.

Seems pretty legit - Toronto Star ran a story on A1 on March 31, 1982

 

[Goldie]

Am I the only one who remembers this camera store in Maple Leaf Gardens?
Mc Cutcheon's Camera Shop...c.1950

 

[Goldie]

TTC George St. yard - 1953 photo by James V. Salmon, TPL
The photographer's caption...."Workmen Are Cutting The Riding Light Off The Roof For Me To Use As A Darkroom Safe-Light."

 

[Geogblog]

A Peter Witt meets a sad end.

 

[Goldie]

Toronto 1954, TPL

 

[Goldie]

Davidge family funeral at Prospect Cemetery, St. Clair Ave. W., between Harvie Ave. and McRoberts Ave. 1915 TPL

 

[Goldie]

Boilermakers & fitters, CPR Roundhouse, West Toronto 1904 TPL

Night shift of machinists and fitters, boiler makers and helpers at the CPR Roundhouse West Toronto 1904 TPL

 

[Goldie]

 

[Goldie]

U. of T. campus aerial 1933 - UT Archives