Car Culture
Quebec’s love affair with cars is fueled by passion, heritage, and a serious dose of speed. Across the province, car culture thrives in forms ranging from vintage exhibitions to professional racing circuits and grassroots custom builds. Auto shows, classic car meetups, and street racing events bring communities together throughout the warmer months. One of the crown jewels is the Salon International de l’Auto de Montréal (Montreal Auto Show), held annually in January at the Palais des congrès. This is where global manufacturers debut their latest models alongside local customizers and electric vehicle innovators. Drawing tens of thousands of attendees, the show is a highlight for gearheads and industry insiders alike. For those who prefer the roar of an engine over showroom polish, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, located on Île Notre-Dame in Montreal, is hallowed ground. Home to the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, this iconic track has hosted racing legends like Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel. Outside of F1, it also accommodates events like NASCAR Pinty’s Series and amateur racing leagues. Not far from Montreal, Autodrome Saint-Eustache (before its closure in 2019) served as a grassroots racing hub and is still fondly remembered. Today, venues like Circuit Mont-Tremblant and ICAR Mirabel keep the racing spirit alive, hosting time trials, drag races, and driver training programs. On the grassroots level, communities all over Quebec host “Show & Shine” events. Granby International, held every July in the Eastern Townships, is among the largest classic car shows in Canada, often featuring over 3,000 cars from the 1930s to the 1980s. Meanwhile, Drummondville, Lévis, and Sherbrooke regularly host events for muscle cars, hot rods, imports, and motorcycles. Custom car shops throughout the province — many of them family-run — add to a deeply ingrained automotive tradition. Whether it’s cruising the Laurentians in a vintage Mustang or racing along a sanctioned track, Quebec’s car culture is fueled by history, pride, and horsepower.
