What's believed to be the first car in Canada will be recognized this weekend at an event in South Rustico, P.E.I.

The car was purchased in Philadelphia for $300 by Father Georges-Antoine Belcourt and arrived on the Island in 1866, after being built in Bayonne, N.J.

The P.E.I. Antique Car Club and the National Association of Automobile Clubs of Canada will be recognizing the Belcourt car as the first in Canada this Sunday at the Farmers' Bank of Rustico Museum.

The horseless carriage, as it was known then, was powered by steam.

"He brought it in to help him get around the parish and minister to his flock," said Rudy Croken, president of the P.E.I. Antique Car Club. "But after finding out it didn't work out all that great, he lost interest in it."

The one-seater was shipped to Charlottetown and then brought to Rustico by a team of horses, according to the museum. The steam chamber was 1.2 metres tall and the motor was connected to the wheels by a chain. It was completely open, with no windshield and no roof.

Croken said there is some documentation about the car, but they'd love to have more, including what happened to it. He's also hoping to someday have a permanent display about the original car on P.E.I.