The Canadian Car and Foundry Company Ltd, called CCF and later Can-Car, was established in 1909 as a manufacturer of railway rolling stock, with its head office in Montreal and production facilities in several other locations.
In 1937 acquired license to build Grumman GE-23 (FF-1) two-seat biplane fighters, in factory at Fort William, Ontario. Built prototype of FDB-1 fighter biplane in 1938. Orders for large numbers of Avro Ansons, Hawker Hurricanes, Avro Lancasters, and Curtiss Helldivers were received. Seven new factories opened by mid-Second World War.
Early post-war obtained Canadian license for Burnelli “lifting fuselage” designs; flew prototype CBY-3 (twin Wasp engines) August 1945. Accommodation was three crew plus 38 passengers or 22 passengers and freight. Development of CBY-3 by subsidiary Cancargo. In 1947 acquired assets of Noorduyn Aviation Ltd.; continued manufacture of Mk V Norseman and variants until early 1950s; resold it to its designer in 1953. In early 1950s designated products “Can-Car,” beginning with North American Harvard Mk 4s built under license at Fort William for RCAF and NATO air forces. Gained contract to build 100 BeechcraftT-34A Mentor piston-engined trainers in 1952-1953 for USAF and also for RCAF. Retitled Canadian Car Company Ltd in mid/late 1950s.

Canadian Vickers Ltd was established 1911 at St Hubert, Montreal, as subsidiary of Vickers Ltd. Aircraft division formed 1922; first Canadian company to build aircraft commercially. First contract was for six U.K.-designed Viking IV amphibians for Canadian Air Force. These followed from 1924 by 61 Vedette single-engined flying-boats and amphibians, its most successful product, designed in Canada by W.T Reid. During the 1920s six other designs appeared: the Varuna, Vista, Vanessa, Velos, Vigil, and Vancouver. Of these, only the Varuna (eight) and Vancouver (six) flying-boats went into production. In the 1930s the company license-built Fairchild and Fokker designs and Northrop Deltas. During the Second World War built 40 Supermarine Stranraer flying-boats for the RCAF, 230 Consolidated OA-10 Catalinas for the USAAF, and 149 Canso amphibians for the RCAF, plus hulls for 600 more Catalinas and fuselages for 40 Handley Page Hampden bombers. Took over Canadian Associated Aircraft in 1941, and in following year moved to government factory at Cartierville, near Montreal. In December 1944 became a separate autonomous company under new name of Canadair Ltd.
Formed December 1944 at Cartierville, Montreal, from Aircraft Division of Canadian Vickers Ltd., as a “Crown Company.” Purchased 1946 by Electric Boat Company of New York; later that year became a subsidiary of General Dynamics Corporation. First contract (1944) to build the DC-4m (Merlin-engined version of the Douglas DC-4) for the RCAF. Eventually built 71, including commercial versions, and converted many wartime C-47s into postwar commercial DC-3s. Since 1949 has license-built more than 1,900 North American F-86 Sabre jetfightersforthe RCAF and the U.S. Military Assistance Program; more than 700 Lockheed T-33 SilverStar jettrainers; 200 Lockheed F-104 Starfighters for the RCAF; and 240 Northrop F-5s for the Canadian Armed Forces and Royal Netherlands Air Force.
Products of its own design have included the CL-28 Argus Maritime patrol aircraft (32 built); CL-41 jet trainer/ground-attack aircraft (210 for Royal Canadian and Malaysian Air Forces); 39 CL-44 Yukon and 44 military/civil transports; three prototypes of the CL-84 tilt-wing VTOL research aircraft; CL-215 twin piston-engined firefighting and utility amphibian (first flown October 1967) and its CL-215T twin-turboprop reengined derivative (first flown June 1989); and Challenger 600 wide-body business jet (first flown November 1978) and 601 follow up. Company was repurchased by the Canadian government in December 1975. Other programs included the CL-89 battlefield reconnaissance RPV, major subcontract work for the U.S. Navy’s P-3C Orion and its Canadian derivative, the CP140 Aurora, and manufacture of components for other companies.
Canadair became part of Bombardier Aerospace Group in December of 1986, renamed Bombardier Inc. Canadair.