On Father’s Day, I Celebrate Dad’s Sports Car!

Mom - Bernice Dupuis, Dad - Celestin “TiBea” Dupuis, Anne Dupuis, and Ron Sherman, Alvin Dupuis in car seat, with the finished sports car in front of house on Robert St. W, July 1953.

My Dad, Celestin Dupuis, had always been around cars. Cel, or “Tea Bea,” as he was known by his French friends and family, showed a natural genius for building things be it a house, boat, garage, anything. And a car.

While enjoying a beer at the Hotel Brulé in January of 1953, Dad met a man named Ron Sherman, a professional musician from western Canada who happened to be quietly spending time in Penetanguishene between gigs with his boyfriend, who managed the Brule at that time.

A discussion came up about cars and Dad confided to Sherman a long-held dream to build “a sports car”, of which there were none around except at auto shows. Sherman asked him if he had the ideas and talent to do such a thing. Dad said, “of course,” except for lack of funds. Ironically, Sherman produced a drawing of a sports car he’s dreamed of buying.

“Could you build me this?” Sherman asked him.

“For sure I could,” Dad answered quickly with confidence and a beer later, the deal was sealed. Furnishing Dad with a more detailed drawing within weeks, Sherman watched a genius transform it into reality.

Dad began with the undercarriage of a 1935 Ford, to which he molded and welded the body’s frame made from 1” steel conduit pipe from the Dominion Stove Foundry. To this frame, Dad then molded and welded sheets of metal to the frame. Attaching the front fenders, he installed wire-rimmed wheels and steering mechanisms from a 1935 Dodge. He then built the grillwork and running boards on each side of the car, complete with rubber steps and lights purchased from Canadian Tire.

The car had two Ford bucket seats but no doors, just cut out side panels low enough to get in and out of. It had no trunk and the spare tire sat on the back. The windshield was truly unique and was custom made at Grew Boats in town. It rose up from the center and curved downward on each side.

The ‘coup-de-grace’ was the installation of the 1948 8-cylinder Mercury engine, which during test runs, propelled the car at speeds in excess of 100 miles an hour and which Sherman later got ‘souped up’ to go even faster. The car was painted a bright white and was trimmed with chrome and chrome bumpers.

On a sunny July evening in 1953, the car was finished and proudly parked in front of the Dupuis house on Robert St to be photographed. Various pictures show Cel’s young sons, Pat, Alvin and Jimmy, sitting in the driver’s seat. Soon, passers-by and onlookers gathered to admire the car in amazement!

Dad had built his car in less than 5 months and was paid $1,400 in wages and material; a lot of money back then. Reminiscing about his proud achievement, Dad would later recall Sherman visiting his shop behind the house on Robert St. every day, to monitor his progress:

“He never missed a day and he never changed anything. He was happy with everything. I didn’t find it too bad to build.” Dad’s sports car hung around Penetanguishene for the rest of that summer of 1953, being driven proudly by its new owner.

“Ron used to take us for rides,” recalls daughter Anne today. “And boy, were we just it! That beautiful white sports car made everyone stop and look!”

By summer’s end the car was driven west to Vancouver and would apparently end up in a museum on the prairies, though its exact whereabouts had never been confirmed. “Cel’s Car” went silently into the western sunset, its construction, departure and whereabouts unreported and unheralded.

Indeed, it was a Penetanguishene first - “Cel’s Sports Car”.