General Information

Serial #

6124.03J

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

METAL/ LEATHERETTE/ GLASS

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

261.0 cm

Width

43.2 cm

Height

83.8 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Motorized Ground Transportation

Category

Recreational vehicles

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Bombardier

Country

Canada

State/Province

Québec

City

Valcourt

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

Laurent Beaudoin, born in Laurier Station, Quebec, joined Bombardier Limited in 1963. "Virtually from the moment he joined Bombardier, Laurent advocated a more aggressive promotion of Ski-Doo. The company could grow much faster and make great profits by shifting resources toward this product life. The industrial line of snowmobile products might wane in significance as a result, but it was the price to pay for a change to tighten the company's grip on a booming market.(...) Seeking to promote the Ski-Doo to a wider North American market, he began looking around fo an English advertising agency. He consulted with a Universite de Sherbrooke marketing professor who had graduated from the University of Western Ontario. The professor referred Laurent to a fellow Western graduate, John Hethrington, who was then an executive with a Toronto-based advertising firm, Spitzer, Mills & Bates. (...) The annual advertising budget was only $32,000 in the 1963-64 season, but is rose steadily until it hit $5 million by 1969-70." (Larry MacDonald, The Bombardier Story: Planes, Trains, and Snowmobiles, 2002).

Function

Used for transporation on snow. Initially marketed to missionaries, trappers, prospectors and surveyors, this vehicle was also used for recreational purposes.

Technical

In 1959, Joseph-Armand Bombardier created the first 'miniature' snowmobile prototype. This personal, light-weight vehicle was made possible in part by lighter motor designs and the revolutionary continuous track system. Mass production of the Ski-Doo snowmobile began in fall of 1959. Demand for this vehicle increased year by year as promotion and sales networks expanded. In 1959-60, 225 units were produced; 1960-61 250 were produced; 1961-61, 1200 units were produced; 2500 vehicles were produced in 1962-63; and finally, 8352 Ski-Doos were built in 1963-64. This artifact was built in 1961, and while this was a relatively slow year in the Ski-Doo's sale's history, it was a notable one in terms of technical developments. These developments were three manufactured design changes involving the Ski-Doo's skis: 1) coil spring front suspension and wooden skis; 2) leaf spring front suspension and wooden skis; and 3) leaf spring suspensions on steel skis. The serial number modification is as follows: 61300 and earlier: wood skis and coil springs. 61300 and up: wood skis and leaf springs. 611039 and up: steels skis with leaf springs. 611400 and up: rear bogie suspension. This artifact's serial number is 612403J (steel skis with leaf springs). This design proved to be a better, more durable ride. These changes proved to be a great advancement in the snowmobile industry and are still used today.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

N/A

Missing

does not appear to be missing parts.

Finish

YELLOW BODY AND SKIS. RED LETTERING AND SKI TIPS. BLACK SPRINGS. MAROON LEATHERETTE LONG SEAT. PLEXIGLASS WINDSCREEN.

Decoration

N/A