McLaughlin automobile

1912 Model 41 Touring

1910s McLaughlin Democrat buckboard

The McLaughlin automobile company began life in 1876 as the McLaughlin Carriage Company, a blacksmith's shop in the village of Enniskillen, located 20 kilometres (12 mi) north east of Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The company began making horse-drawn carriages in the mid 19th Century, moving to Oshawa, Ontario in 1876. The most successful of their time, producing more than 25,000 carriages a year, the company incorporated as the McLaughlin Carriage Company, Ltd. in 1901. By 1915, the company bragged it was making one carriage every ten minutes.

Under the guidance of "Colonel" Sam McLaughlin as President in 1907, the company began the manufacture of automobiles, eventually forming an alliance for 15 years with William C. Durant, who had acquired the Buick Motor Company that later would become General Motors Holding Company.

During their first few years of operation, the automobiles were known as "McLaughlins". The name was changed to "McLaughlin-Buick" when sales went bad, and stayed until 1942, after which the McLaughlin name was dropped, leaving the "Buick" marque still in use today. Until 1914, the cars were finished with the same paints and varnishes used on carriages. This meant each vehicle required up to fifteen coats of paint. McLauglin revolutionized the industry^{[citation needed]} with their painting process.

In 1918 Sam was Director and Vice=President of General Motors Corporation. The same year he merged the McLaughlin Car Company of Canada and the Chevrolet Car Company of Canada to call it General Motors Car Company of Canada Limited, Sam McLaughlin would go on to be General Motors Vice President in 1918 when Chevrolet owned 54% of General Motors stock of $90,000,000.00 Chevrolet was incorporated in the USA and General Motors of Canada was incorporated when McLaughlin as a large shareholder of General Motors stock allowed it to happen. McLaughlin continued to run the company as chairman of the board of General Motors of Canada, in addition to being vice-president and director of the parent company.

General Motors Archives information on R.S. McLaughlin who prior to his 100th birthday stated that he, Durant and Durant's son-in-law Dr Campbell from Port Perry and a life long friend of Sam were dickering after the Buick Motor deal for 15 years in 1907 and the exchange of $500,000.00 Buick stock for $500,000.00 McLaughlin stock with a name for their company and called it General Motors .This came to be in 1908.^{[citation needed]}

• In 1910 Director of General Motors Company
• In 1915 Director and Treasurer Chevrolet Motor Company of Canada
• 1917 Sam McLaughlin Director Dominion Bank of Canada until 1959
• 1919 President of General Motors of Canada Limited
• 1919 President Chevrolet Motor Co of Canada Limited (New Co^{[citation needed]})
• 1919 President of Motor Car Company of Canada Limited (New Co.^{[citation needed]})
• 1919 President Olds Motor Works of Canada Limited
• 1920 Durant was forced to sell his $25,000,000.00 in General Motors Stock
• 1922 President Oakland Motor Car Company of Canada Limited
• 1923 President Cadillac Motor Car Company of Canada Limited
• 1923 President of General Motors Truck Company of Canada limited
• 1926 President of General Motors Products of Canada Limited
• 1930 Sam McLaughlin was Director of Canadian Pacific Rail Road

See also

• General Motors Canada
• List of automobile manufacturers
• Reynolds-Alberta Museum
• Canadian Automotive Museum

References

• Heather Robertson, Driving Force, The McLaughlin Family and the Age of the Car, McClelland & Stewart Inc., 1995, ISBN 0-7710-7556-1