Our friend Dennis Fagerstrom has a Dort radiator cover with Dort emblem for sale. Contact us if you are interested.

By GLEN WOODCOCK (reprinted by permission - original post - Saturday November 5, 2011 - The London Free Press) Thanks to William Gray's grandson D'Arcy Fallon for bringing the article to my attention.

The Gray family of Chatham, Ont. switched from making horse-drawn carriages to become among the most successful of Canada’s automotive pioneers. About 23,000 of their popular Gray-Dort cars were manufactured from 1915-25.

One of our enthusiasts, Bill James, has found a Wm. Gray & Sons Sleigh and is looking to give it some TLC. He would appreciate any advice or input on restoring this marvelous antique. Also, for all those enthusiasts and owners, he is also looking for information on any history he can find on the sleigh.

Our friend Max Price is looking to sell his Gray frame.
If you are interested, please contact us at GrayDortMotors.com and we can forward you his information.

This video was produced by the CBC in 2001 by Bob Steele. There are a few inaccuracies in the video. The gentleman pictured in the opening shot is Robert Gray. The son of the original founder William Gray. The Gray-Dort motor car stopped production in 1925 not 1924.

The ironic part of reporting on any Gray-Dort car story is that one always has to refer to the archives to find things. When the web site was first started I received an email regarding a 1923 Dort that an American gentleman sent me information about how he drove it on Sundays and in parades. That was a few years ago when the web site was in a different form. Unfortunately, I no longer have his contact information but if someone does have this info then I can revise this story. I wanted to reassure this gentleman that I hadn't forgotten about the pictures he sent me.

Our friend, Tom Banwell writes,"Do you know on what street in Windsor the Wm. Gray & Sons Co was located? I have an old postcard showing the building. In the same building, apparently, was a business owned by my cousin J.E. Banwell, whose name graces the outside of the same building. I am trying to discover what line of work he was in. Do you know what year the company opened the Windsor plant? The postcard photograph shows horse-drawn carriages only--no automobiles. Thanks for any information you can provide."

A photograph showing detail of a brass desk ornament that belonged to William M. Gray, Vice-President Gray-Dort Motors Ltd. and son of Robert Gray, founder of Gray-Dort Motors. The ornament has the logo of the Lycoming Motors Corporation and is engraved with the name William M. Gray. Lycoming was the manufacturer of the four-cylinder engine used in most Gray-Dort automobiles. Some later models were equipped with a six-cylinder Falls engine. The following information was obtained from a press release on the web site of Lycoming Textron.

According to my father, this vehicles story started out as a trade-in at the local Ford dealership during the 1930's, a period when the Model-A increased in popularity and nobody wanted outdated cars such as this Dort. My grandfather, who was a farmer, often sold on consignment some of these traded vehicles. It was purchased by a local farmer, the back section was eventually removed, and turned into a farm vehicle. In 1958, my father purchased the car back for $25.

Excerpt from speech material prepared by William M. Gray for delivery to the Antique & Classic Car Club of Canada at the Inn On The Park, Toronto on Saturday, September 23, 1967.
President James Allward, Head Table Guests, Guests and Members of the Antique & Classic car Club of Canada:

"It is both pleasing and a rare experience to be permitted to rise in a gathering, dedicated to preserving the Historical in the automotive field and to receive such a gracious introduction, coupled with the dignity you have conferred on me, as making me an Honorary member of your club."