Type: Automotive Museum
Location: 99 Simcoe Street South
Phone #: 905-576-1222
Website: www.oshawa.ca

Mission Statement

1. To tell the Canadian story of the automotive industry, its origin, its development and its plans for the future.
2. To present, under ideal conditions, valuable automobile exhibits before they are lost to posterity.
3. To illustrate the important part the automotive industry has played in the economic and social development of Canada.
4. To show, with motor car and associated motor parts, the development of engineering skills and design craftsmanship in building automobiles from 1770 to present time.
5. To provide an educational service to schools and colleges throughout Canada by maintaining an accurate source of reference material on the history of the automotive industry.

In 1961, a group of Oshawa businessmen wisely decided to create the Canadian Automotive Museum.

The venture was initiated mainly to preserve the automotive history of Canada and to present this history in an educational and entertaining manner.

The Canadian Automotive Museum has grown in the size of the collection and in the scope of the artifacts displayed. Motorcycles, bicycles, trucks, pianos, washing machines, etc., make up the collection today.

Of course, the automobile is the backbone of the collection. Currently, approximately 65 vehicles dating from 1898 to 1981 are on display.

Through marquees such as Brooks Steam, Redpath, Tudhope, McKay, Galt Gas-Electric, Gray-Dort, Brockville Atlas, C.C.M., as well as many more Canadian-made vehicles, we show the impact the Canadian auto industry has had throughout the years.

We, of course, have vehicles from many other countries such as Rolls Royce, Morris, Amphicar, Ahrens-Fox, Reo, etc. Many, if not all of these, while not made in Canada, have certainly contributed to the development of the auto in Canada.

A recent addition to our collection consists of ten vehicles and the entire library from the now extinct Craven Foundation in Toronto.

In showing a continuing interest in antique autos, Rothmans of Pall Mall donated four of these vehicles and the library to the Canadian Automotive Museum when they found it necessary to close the Craven Foundation.

Our 25,000 sq. ft. building in Oshawa was originally a 1920's car dealership and is maintained to display that period of architecture right down to the original elevator used to move cars to the second floor.

Bicycles, tools, musical instruments, radios, televisions, graphics, photos, etc., relating to the periods of the cars are used throughout the building.

The Museum and Gift Shop are open Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. - 364 day a year, closed only on Christmas Day.

Special rates and hours can be arranged for group tours - call for details!