Russell Model L, 1908, Deluxe Touring Car

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. The "Russell" was the first mass-produced in Canada car with an engine and chassis built in Canada. Rather than evolving from a carriage-making company, the "Russell" was created by the Canada Cycle and Motor Company, popularly known as CCM. Named after Thomas Alexander Russell, later president of CCM, the first Model A appeared in 1905. It featured a front-mounted engine, shaft drive, rear hub brakes, a three-speed forward and one-speed reverse transmission. Several other "Russell" models were introduced and by 1908 cars with 50-hp engines were available. After the company acquired the manufacturing rights to the Knight sleeve-valve engine in 1910, it concentrated on luxury automobiles. The Model L was a more affordable car featuring a hand horn, brass side and tail lamps, acetylene headlamps and a 4-cylinder, 24-hp engine. It had an extra wide 56.5 inch wheel tread to avoid slipping into ruts left by horse-drawn carriages. 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.