Henry Seth Taylor Steam Buggy, 1867, Steam Motor Carriage

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!