For a single year in 1960, Canadian motorists had their very own version of the new Ford Falcon, and it was  named after one of their nation’s early leaders.

Ford of Canada marketed its unique version of the compact Falcon with the striking phrase “The Eventful Frontenac” (above). Here in the United States, when we use the word eventful, we generally mean “rich in events.” But it can also mean remarkable or momentous, and in that sense the 1960 Frontenac was certainly eventful, at least for Canadian motorists. Historically, small cars have been strong sellers in Canada, and Ford was keen to get its new Falcon in front of as many Canadian buyers as possible.

Like the Meteor, the Frontenac was devised by Ford of Canada to give its Mercury dealers Ford-sized and Ford-priced cars for their product lines. The car was every bit a Falcon but with some minor trim changes: an elegant Frontenac script on the hood, three chrome spears on the rear quarters, fender emblems, and an elaborate front grille insert with far more pieces than the plain Falcon stamping. The chassis, body shell, interior, and 144 CID straight six with 90 hp were identical to the U.S. compact.

“The Frontenac is being built in response to a growing interest among the Canadian motoring public for cars which have a distinctly Canadian identity,” said Ford of Canada vice president John D. King for the product launch. To that end, Louis de Buade de Frontenac, the governor general of New France from 1672 to 1682 and from 1689 to 1698, lent his name to the program. Frontenac is a familiar name in autodom. There was another, unrelated Frontenac automobile built in Toronto from 1931 to 1933, and Louis and Arthur Chevrolet produced race cars, engines, and components under the Frontenac name.  

Initially, only a coupe and sedan were offered, but two-door and four-door wagons later  joined the lineup. All were assembled at Ford’s Oakville, Ontario plant, where the bulk of  Ford of Canada auto production took place between 1953 and 1966. (As of this writing, the facility is being prepped for EV manufacturing.) Some 9,536 units were produced and sold, topping both Corvair and Valiant in the Canadian sales charts. But the Frontenac proved to be a one-year make, as the Ford of Canada compact offerings for 1961 were U.S.-style Falcons and Comets.