The Derby Motor Cars Ltd. was a Canadian

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...

built in

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan ( ; ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada, western Canada, bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and on t ...

between 1924 and 1927. Company principal Louis Arsenault believed that with a booming wheat trade in the

Prairies Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

, customers and investors would support a car company. Arsenault opened an office for Derby Motors in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

, in early 1924, following the dissolution of Winnipeg Motor Cars Ltd. in fall 1923. The car was in fact an early example of

badge engineering In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a manu ...

. Rather than build cars, Arsenault imported American built Davis cars, changed the nameplates to "Derby" and added "Derby" tire covers. Conversion of the cars took place in the former Marshall tractor factory in

Saskatoon Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

. The Derby used a Continental

six-cylinder engine The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...

, and came in four different models: * Series 92 tourer, selling for CDN$1995; * Series 92 Man-o-War roadster, selling for CDN$1750; * Series 92 Legionaire sedan, selling for CDN$1750; * Series 93 sedan, selling for CDN$1750 * Series 93 coupe, selling for CDN$1750 * Series 93 tourer, selling for CDN$1750 According to surviving company records, 31 cars were sold before the venture folded in 1927, with original plan of building 50.

References

{{reflist, 2 Vintage vehicles Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of Canada