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Frontenac 6-70

Model Year: 1932

Location of Manufacture: Leaside, Ontario

View of the dashboard

Dashboard

Elegant mouldings and panelling surround the simple gauges on the dashboard.

View of the Frontenac brand mark

Branding

The brand mark of the Frontenac as it appeared on the
1932 Frontenac 6-70.

Archival photograph of William C. Durant, 1929

William C. Durant (1861-1947)

1929

Durant was the founder of the Durant Motor Company, but before this his success in the automobile industry nearly rivalled Henry Ford’s. In 1886, at the age of 24, Durant partnered with Josiah Dort (later of Gray-Dort) to form a horse-drawn carriage company which became the largest in the world. Recognizing the potential of motorized travel, he joined Buick where he became General Manager in 1904. In 1908, he created General Motors by amalgamating 13 car companies and 10 parts manufacturers. He founded Chevrolet in 1911 and Durant Motors in 1921.

The market crash of 1929 and the Depression which followed left Durant in financial ruin and he declared personal bankruptcy in 1936. He died in Flint, Michigan in 1947. At the time of his death, he was the manager of a bowling alley.

General Motors LLC
Used with permission, GM Media Archives

Archival photograph of a Durant Motors car on a brake-testing machine, Toronto, Ontario, 1930

Automobile brake testing machine on the assembly line of the Durant Motors of Canada, Ltd. plant, 1930, Toronto (Leaside), Ontario

Like today, cars in the earlier 20th century were put through a series of tests before they were released to the market for sale. Here, auto workers test the braking system of a new Durant.

National Film Board of Canada/Library and Archives Canada/PA-800822

Aerial view of the Durant Motors Plant, Toronto, Ontario, as it existed in 1930

View of the Durant Motors of Canada Plant, 1930

Toronto (Leaside), Ontario

A view of the office building and factory of Durant Motors as it existed in 1930. Within a year, Durant Motors would declare bankruptcy and Dominion Motors Ltd. would take over the operation.

National Film Board of Canada/Library and Archives Canada/PA-176452