2024 W. Stewart MacNutt Memorial Lecture at UNB explores history of the N.B. manufactured Bricklin automobile
Author: UNB Newsroom
Posted on Oct 24, 2024
Category: Press Releases
On Oct. 30, the Faculty of Arts at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) Fredericton campus, will host the annual W. Stewart MacNutt Memorial Lecture, where innovation will meet history, featuring Dr. Dimitry Anastakis from the University of Toronto.
Dr. Anastakis holds the L.R. Wilson and R.J. Currie Chair in Canadian Business History and will present “A ‘Dream Car’ Built in New Brunswick: Malcolm Bricklin’s Fantastic SV1 and the End of Industrial Modernity” on Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. in the Alfred G. Bailey Auditorium in Tilley Hall.
Dr. Anastakis will share the captivating story of Malcolm Bricklin and his ambitious project to build the Safety Vehicle 1 (SV1). With the support of New Brunswick Premier, Richard Hatfield, this unique and iconic car, assembled in Saint John, N.B., emerged in the early 1970s and became a significant part of New Brunswick’s history.
This lecture will connect the history of the car, which touches Saint John, Fredericton and Minto, to broader changes in North America, including economic, political, social and cultural shifts.
"Fifty years after the first of 3,000 SV1s rolled out of the Saint John factory in 1974, Bricklin Canada Limited, Malcolm Bricklin, and the SV1 story remain of deep interest for New Brunswickers,” said Dr. Anastakis. “By taking a chance on this risky, sexy, but flawed sports car, Premier Richard Hatfield was looking to change the trajectory of the province.”
The lecture will also explore three lesser-known aspects of this story: the changing media landscape, New Brunswick’s role in the global petroleum economy and the experiences of the workers who built the SV1.
“Though the venture failed, the Bricklin incident has a profound meaning that goes well beyond the province and its people: in fact, from the driver's seat of an SV1, one gets a clear view of some of the most momentous changes in postwar North American history,” added Dr. Anastakis.
The W. Stewart MacNutt Memorial Lecture honors the late historian and professor for his contributions to UNB and the study of Atlantic Provinces history.
This event is free and open to the public.
Media contact
Kathleen McLaughlin
Media Relations Strategist
University of New Brunswick
talktous@unb.ca