Its top speed is about 24 kilometers per hour, and it does not have seat belts or brakes. It also roamed the streets of Sherbrooke, Quebec, for more than a decade before Henry Ford unveiled his famous Model T.

However, most Canadians have never heard of the Fossmobile – something Ron Foss really hopes to change.

 The grandson of a Canadian automotive pioneer revealed a replica of the Fossmobile, the car his grandfather made in 1897 from old bicycle tires and wheels from horse-drawn wagons.

It was the first gasoline-powered car in Canada to run successfully, powered by a 3 1/2 horsepower single-cylinder engine. Foss said: "Some lawnmowers are stronger than this car."

The replica was built as a tribute and a way to spread the word about a largely forgotten piece of automotive history. Foss says, "He did something a little earlier than Ford and was Canadian. And I think Canadians should celebrate that."

George Foot Foss was a bicycle mechanic and blacksmith running a shop in Sherbrooke, Quebec. On a trip to Boston, he drove an early electric car.

The battery lasted 20 minutes instead of the promised two hours. So he set out to improve the design. He thought he could go further using a gas-powered engine.

The invention was quite remarkable, as it traveled on roads alongside horse-drawn carriages.