Sports Cars Unlimited in Clarkson, Ontario, Canada

[holywood3645]

Can anyone provide information on Sports Cars Unlimited in Clarkson, Ontario, Canada. I just receive information from Lotus that my elan 45/8602 was delivered by them in 1969. Im trying to find the history of the car.

Thanks

James

[stugilmour]

James, scroll way down or search on "Unlimited" at this link for some basic info.

http://www.bsccoc.ca/history-dealerships.php

Here is a nice photo and article

http://varac.ca/varac/documents/publica ... y-2010.pdf

Looks like they were the 'real deal'. Bill Brack was quite a noted racer back in the day.

http://www.canadianracer.com/brack-interview.asp

Check out some of the names in Formula Atlantic when Bill was competing and doing well..

http://www.oldracingcars.com/results/re ... aceID=K75B

Seem to remember Bill doing colour commentary on TV coverage as well. Sure Ed or some of the guys on the right side of the country can add more info and anecdotes.

[tvacc]

I used to go up there back in the day. Very large place with all sorts of british sports cars for sale. They have been out of business for quite a while. I believe that one of the owners gave a talk at our Lotus Owners Gathering in Ottawa back in 2000 or so. He was a real Lotus racer that had great connections with Colin Chapman as I recall.

[jk952]

It's location was only a couple of miles down the road from a few of us that frequent this site. Think of it every time i go by, still a car dealer there. True, closed many years ago ie. 25plus. Seems almost every lotus owner locally still has parts from their closing sale! A local british car shop person that worked there back in lotus days says at one time they brought in the cars unpainted then painted themselves so they could meet colour requests of the purchasers. Somehow this fits with lotus ways.
I remember a tired but intact red early Elite for sale wanting a buyer sitting in the front row of the used section, but I was just a poor student... had I known...(shoulda coulda woulda!)

Others older than I can probably tell more stories.
Jack

[holywood3645]

Jack Interesting Post. I say that because the Lotus registar was able to give me lots of info on the car but said the color was unknown! I thought this was very strange, but it sounds like it may have been sprayed to the owners scheme when it was bought. Any other info about who painted them or guy that told you the story you can remember?

James

[jk952]

James, thanks for the reply, it was fun remembering. I will look up the chap and you can give him a call, he is still running a British car repair shop less than a mile away from SCU as it was locally known. I will pm the contact out of respect for his time since he makes a living out of these cars, once I find it.

SCU's main stay was probably the Triumphs etc. The only thing I bought from them was an almost basket case... hold on now..... Honda S600 convertible! Hey what other car has 4 cyl, 4 carbs, OHC, three chain drives, a live axle(sort of) and rear trailing arms, 11500 redline, torsion bar frt susp. ...etc. and an instrument panel looking like an elite!
Jack

[holywood3645]

A Honda S600 in that trim would be colectable today.
James

[twincamman]

SCU was in clarkson on Hwy 2 . Was run and owned by BIll Brack The last time I spoke to him was at .Mosport 2 years ago about my car and he said. There is no information kept about the cars . Bill had 5 or 6 dealerships and had British United for Triumph and another for MG etc he built quite an empire and spent it all racing F.A. ,quite an anachronism but it is for Formula Atlantic . He now does some vintage races in a replica mini of his 850Hotwheel programme Bill now owns a car radio shop in the east End of Toronto ...there were partners involved but I don't know who they were as they didn't race . Bills number 850 did not refer to the engine size it was for his purchase program ...$85.00 down and $8.50 a week to buy a Mini ...ed

[twincamman]

I was by the scu. Site the other day and it is becoming a condo site ......apologies to any one offended or who thinks there is anything racial or politically incorrect. Intended in this posting ..ed

[holywood3645]

Progress ???
or

They took Riverside raceway away and built a shopping mall. Brook lands and built homes!

Compared to those, it ain't so bad.

James

[holywood3645]

Delete

[jk952]

I found in the back of an old mirror, yesterday, a copy of a June 4, 1971 Toronto paper; a scan attached of a Sports Cars Unlimited ad.
...$3,175 for a 2 year old Elan....
Just for the fun of relative values - in the paper: an ad for a new Renault 12 is $2298 and an ad for an electrical draftsman for Ontario Hydro (the electrical power supplier for the province) is for $8,700 to $11,300/yr. A security guard co. is offering 1.70 /hr. All cdn dollars of course.

SCU June 1971

Jack

PS. a couple of years ago I found four copies, perfectly complete and legible of a Nov 11, 1932 paper in a family owned mirror passed down from my grandparents home. It had a different version of "In Flanders Fields" written by W. B. France, than the normal one we see but amazingly similar to the McCrae version???
(edit was for 1932 year correction)