You won’t believe what the first car was, that AEC’s founder Andrew Pilsworth sold in his newly founded company 25 years ago!
The vehicle that first went over Andrew Pilsworth’s desk after starting AEC was a 1996 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon. The large family hauler was still a familiar sight in Mid-90’s Canada and North America. Powered by GM’s famous 5,7 LT1 Small Block V8, the full-size wagon packed the necessary punch to move its own girth as well as up to eight occupants in comfort and style.
With 1996 being the first year in AEC’s successful history, it was also the last model year for GM’s C-Body full-size lineup consisting of the Roadmaster’s siblings Chevrolet Caprice and Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser. Furthermore, the end of GM’s large passenger car program was also the demise of the full-size wagon in General. The upcoming boom for Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) brought classic sedan and wagon production to a halt until almost ten years later when Dodge introduced the Magnum wagon, which again got discontinued in favor of today’s Durango SUV. With this car being an important part of today’s AEC lineup, the circle is closed.
