Bombardier
Ski-Doo (1959)Founded in 1942 by Joseph-Armand Bombardier, who obtained a patent for the ‘B7 snowmobile’ in 1937, Bombardier started a manufacturer of tracked vehicles designed for traveling over snow. Over the years it has become a large manufacturer of regional aircraft, business jets, mass transportation- and recreational equipment. The first snowmobiles, the B12 and C18, were large, multi-passenger vehicles designed to help people get around during the long winter months, i.e. to take children to school, carry freight, deliver mail, and as ambulances. In 1957 Bombardier intensified his research on the small snowmobile he dreamt of since he was a boy, and soon the first sled was launched.
The first Bombardier snowmobile went on sale in 1959. It was originally called the ‘Ski-Dog’ because Bombardier meant it to be a practical vehicle to replace the dogsled for hunters and trappers. By an accident, a painter misinterpreted the name and painted ‘Ski-Doo’ on the first prototype. Bombardier kept the name. The public soon discovered that speedy vehicles that could zoom over snow were a lot of fun, and so a new winter sport was born. Bombardier snowmobiles are of exceptional quality and performance, earning a better reputation than the rival Polaris and Arctic Cat. The picture above shows the iconic yellow Ski-Doo Olympic, but you’ll be well off buying any of their current models.
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