Henry Seth Taylor Steam Buggy, 1867, Steam Motor Carriage

Topical stamp collectors will be able to add to their "car" collections when a six-stamp souvenir sheet is issued featuring Canadian automobiles on August 23, 1993. It is the first of a four-year series on historic vehicles, highlighting transportation's major role in Canada's development. The most significant transportation revolution on this century has been the mass-production automobile. The supply and demand for newer and faster vehicles never ceases as Canadian continue to make innovative contributions to the fascinating story of the automobile. Vehicles powered by internal combustion engines began to appear in Europe in the 1880s as dozen of inventors strove to develop the automobile. The enthusiasm for self-powered vehicles in Canada was initially hampered by streets better suited to carriages and sleighs, and trains were available to avoid bumpy and slow treks over poor roads. As the advantage became clearer - no fixed itineraries, no time schedules, and the more autos were used - the better the road became, car sales boomed. Canada's oldest car, a steam-powered buggy, was conceived by Henry Seth Taylor, a skilled jeweller, watchmaker and inventor. He unveiled his new vehicles at a fair in Stanstead, Quebec in 1867. Curious onlookers became sceptics when a steam hose burst and both the inventor and invention were engulfed in steam. Although the carriage had to be pushed home, history had been made. This 15-mph vehicle became Canada's first propelled car and one of the earliest steam cars in North America. Taylor continued to demonstrate his steam buggy but the idea of steam-powered carriages was not a popular one. It continued to be used as the only option available until electric and internal combustion engines appeared in the 1890s. Taylor's buggy soon crashed due to a slight oversight - no brakes! This souvenir sheet was created by using images of the six cars, drawn and illustrated on computer. All of the line, tonal and full-colour drawings were produced in Aldus Freehand. The typography and image assembly was done in Quarkxpress.