One of the fun things about publishing The Garage is being invited to all sorts of cool automotive events. Never mind that most of them are hundreds, if not thousands of miles away, it’s just neat to know that all this fun automotive stuff is going on and that people want us to cover their events.

It was a really nice surprise a couple of weeks ago to receive an e-mail from Paige Sprecker at the town of Whitby to invite me to the opening of a new show at the Station Gallery by a local artist who creates automotive inspired art. Steven Laurie grew up in Whitby and has long been involved with the Station Gallery. His art is an eclectic mix of backyard mechanic, engineer and performance art.

It is a bit tough to describe Laurie’s work, other than to say he is a gearhead who combines all sorts of mechanical elements to create a machine that does nothing except create mechanical noise or tire smoke. Or shred lawns. In other words, Laurie is sort of a modern day Tim Taylor. Everything has that more power feel to it and the true gearhead will understand each piece, without explanation. At the opening, Laurie fired up the Posi-Track Burnout Machine for guests. A slipping clutch caused a bit of wheel hop early on, but once things heated up, it was all tire smoke and trails of burnt rubber. Very cool!

Gallery after the break
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Like anything automotive, car auctions mean different things to different people. Some go to dream, others go to fulfill their dreams, some are looking for project ideas, while others are just looking to pass an afternoon. The RM Auctions Fawcett Movie Cars event had something for all of these enthusiasts. This event was quite literally a field of dreams.

Huge photo gallery after the break
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Few car enthusiasts manage to make the trip through the town of Whitby without noticing Fawcett Motor Carriage. Set in an ages old drive shed and attached to an almost as old hanger type garage, there is always a rich assortment of classic cars on display. They typically range from rusty old shells to the odd concours winner hidden away inside. On any given day, you can drive by and see car buffs pondering the possibilities awaiting their wallet.
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Canadian fans of the classic Mini Clubman rejoice, for MINI has released most of the details you want about the new MINI Clubman that is coming to our shores. Taking the friendly face, style and performance that MINI owners love and mix in a bit of utility and you’ve got what looks like it will be a winning package.
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Ok, so it’s not really Herbie’s wedding, but he was there for a visit. This fun 65 Beetle was at the site of the old Cullen Gardens for a wedding & the owner wasn’t around, so I can’t provide any details, but it looks cool.

The kids school had it’s official grand opening tonight. The school is named after Sir William Stephenson, the legendary spy master who trained some of the top British, American and Canadian spys during WW2. His training facility, codenamed Camp X was in our hometown of Whitby & the school is nicknamed Camp X. While it is in no way a military school, the teaching team is very aware of the heritage and is careful to make sure the kids learn the importance to our community. As part of the display, the Canadian Military has not only supplied a bunch of vehicles on display, but the guys are actually living in tents on the front lawn of the school for the week.

By far the coolest truck on display was a vintage Dodge Power Wagon troop carrier, supplied by a local collector. Originally built in 1943, this truck actually spent most of it’s life in cottage country working in an orchard. To see moe pics visit here.