Berol Grand Prix

The Grand Prix 228-HB pencil was one of few Berol pencils that were only sold in Canada (as far as I am aware). It was made by Berol at its Drummondville, Quebec factory starting about 1978 when the Canadian Grand Prix Formula One race moved to its current home at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Notre Dame Island in Montreal. There was much excitement surrounding this race as the first winner in Montreal was Quebec native  Gilles Villeneuve. To date, he remains the only Canadian to win the Canadian Grand Prix. 

Gilles Villeneuve with his Ferrari 312T4 in Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, 1979. Photo from Wikimedia Commons

The original packaging of the Grade Prix pencil from the late 1970s to early 1980s featured a Formula One race car on the front. Note that the car on the package from 1979 has the number 12 on the front, the same as Gilles Villeneuve's car number from that season. Villeneuve later drove a Ferrari with the number 27 on it but packages from the early 1980s have the more generic number 10 (perhaps a copyright issue?).

Quebec newspaper advertisement from 1979.

Quebec newspaper advertisement from 1983.

The first Grand Prix pencils were all painted yellow with green printing.

Berol Grand Prix with no logo.

Berol Grand Prix with the rectangle logo.

Berol Grand Prix with striped ferule.

The 1990s saw the disappearance of the Formula One car from the packaging. The car was replaced with more colorful designs typical of the decade. In addition to new packaging, there were also new colors introduced including the "fashion" colors and "neon" colors with a black ferrule and black eraser (these happen to be my son's favorite pencils). I've also seen photos of a "natural" unpainted version of this pencil.

Newspaper advertisement from 1991.

Berol Grand Prix "neon" pencil colors.

After the Berol factory closed in 1992, Grand Prix pencils continued to be manufactured in the US for sale in Canada. This was short lived however and these pencils are no longer made. 

Post-1992 American made Grand Prix pencils with both HB and 2 markings.