NEWS RELEASE
COUNTY OF SIMCOE
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The county has procured one of only four remaining Tudhope-Everitt cars for its permanent public collection.
This extremely rare vehicle was originally built at the Tudhope factory in Orillia, and it now has pride of place back home on display in Simcoe County.
“This is a great addition to the Simcoe County Museum,” said County of Simcoe Warden Basil Clarke. “Simcoe County has a deep manufacturing history and I encourage residents to visit the museum to learn more about the Tudhope-Everitt car and our many artifacts and collections.”
James Brockett (J.B.) Tudhope was born in Oro Township in 1858 and began working at his father’s carriage business in the 1880s. By 1902, the Tudhope Carriage Company spanned three city blocks. The factory building is now home to Lakehead University’s downtown campus and city hall.
The Tudhope Anderson Company Limited (TACO) was formed in 1906 and produced farm wagons and equipment. By September 1908, J.B. Tudhope extended the carriage business into automobiles. The first model in 1909 was based on a collaboration with Indiana-based W.H. McIntyre Company. Sometimes referred to as a “horseless carriage,” the design was thought to be simple and practical.
The museum’s Tudhope-Everitt car was purchased from a private collector in Smiths Falls, Ont., in late 2022. Today, there are only three other known Tudhope-Everitts still in existence: one other 1911 model, and two from 1912. The other remaining 1911 model is part of the Burnaby Village Museum’s collection in British Columbia. Members of the public can now visit the Simcoe County Museum’s Tudhope-Everitt car, which is on display in the Simcoe Gallery.
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