The VR1, a Forgotten Canadian Classic

In 1970, a team of students from the University of Toronto entered a propane/electric hybrid car they dubbed Miss Purity in the MIT/CalTech “Great Clean Air Race”. The goal was to develop new low-emission car technology, and Miss Purity succeeded and then some. Members of the U of T team went on to found Vehicle Research Limited, a Toronto-based electric car company, and build a truly innovative vehicle they dubbed the VR1. Join VR1 designer Douglas Venn for a first-hand account of the long-forgotten Canadian electric car he helped design and build.

This online talk will take place over Zoom and is part of the Canadian Automotive Museum's Third Thursday lecture series. These online talks are free and open to the public, but registration is required. The Canadian Automotive Museum is a registered Canadian charity and a suggested donation of $10 goes toward covering the cost of hosting these virtual events. Donors who make an annual contribution of over $25 will receive a charitable tax receipt. 

About Our Speaker

Douglas Venn graduated from the University of Toronto with a B.A.Sc and an M. Eng. in Mechanical Engineering; he captained the U of T team in the MIT and Cal Tech-sponsored Great Clean Air Car Race in 1970. His team was responsible for the successful Miss Purity low-emissions car, and he later went on to co-found Vehicle Research Limited, designing and building the first three-phase induction AC electric passenger vehicle. In the late 1970s and 80s, he worked as an engineer for GSW and Sunbeam (Canada). He was Chairman of the Ontario Section of the Society of Automotive Engineers in 1982 and 1983, and Canadian delegate to the IEC in 1981 and 1983. Today, he works for Brelotron Engineering Ltd., and lives in Ireland with his wife Olwen.