George Foote

ABOUT

(hometown: Toronto, Ontario) The late George D Lois Foote started Karbelt in 1952, after tiring of the driving instructor business. He began selling a new safety device called seatbelts, which he marketed under the name “Karbelts”. By the late 50’s, the Foote’s established Canada’s first wholesale distribution network of automotive aftermarket accessories. In the 60’s, Karbelt expanded once again, this time changing their name to “Karbelt Speed and Custom Inc”, to reflect the ever-growing performance products line.

George Foote leased the Cayuga 1320 Dragway from 1967 to 1969 to test and promote his products. Karbelt continued to grow, adding 14 retail performance stores in Ontario, 5 in Quebec, 1 in New Brunswick, and 1 in Nova Scotia. By 1971, Karbelt moved their location to 1830 Bayview Ave in Toronto. This location provided 32,000 square feet of warehousing, a retail store, and a head office. Several famous visitors stopped by, including Vic Edelbrock, Dick Moroso, Joe Hrudka, and Linda Vaughn. Karbelt now carries over 900 manufacturers product lines covering the entire custom and performance spectrum. Many racers have carried the Karbelt name, such as Carl Rowlands “Percy Also, and Bert Straus’ pro strock Astre,. Karbelt Speed and Custom Inc has been Canada’s home for performance for over 60 years, holding a part of racing history.