General Information

Serial #

71-826

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

FIBREGLASS BODY. METAL FRONT SKI AND STEERING WHEEL. PLEXIGLASS WINDSHIELD. RUBBER TRIM. GLASS HEADLIGHT WITH CHROME HOUSING.

Dimensions

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

Length

281.0 cm

Width

92.0 cm

Height

50.0 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

ORIGINAL

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

City

Sudbury

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

EXAMPLE OF A CANADIAN MADE SNOWMOBILE. "By 1969, there was much more to snowmobiling than racing. It was a leisurely activity to be enjoyed by the entire family, and Noront had little choice but to build a "two-seater" machine. The Luvbug made its grand entry on the Sudbury trails in November 1969. During the first year of production in 1969, the Luvbug was built with an all-aluminium body with a rear fiberglass cab, powered by a 340 cc electric start Sachs motor. Its 31.5 inch wide track enabled Luvbirds to park this machine in hard-to-access areas, akin to a Volkswagen in the summer time." (Ref. 4 page 58) "Luvbugs were built for three years, from 1969 to 1972 at a rate of about 40 to 50 per year. It is believed that less than 200 of these machines were built by O.E.M., making it a real collector's item. Most of the Luvbugs were sold in the states of Maine and Michigan. In fact, most of the Snowbug models were sold outside of the Sudbury area, making it more difficult to find one locally. Consumer demand for the Luvbug was limited as it was overshadowed by the thousands of "snowmobiles" on the market, built by over two hundred different manufacturers from across the United States and Canada. As a by-product of Noront Steel, Snowbugs in general remained little known, even in their own backyard in Sudbury." (Ref. 4 page 58/59)

Function

PLEASURE/RECREATION.

Technical

INTERESTING MODEL EQUIPPED WITH STEERING WHEEL, FOOT OPERATED ACCELERATOR AND REVERSE GEAR. ALSO, SNO-BUG WITH FIBREGLASS BODIES WERE UNCOMMON. "The Snowbug was essentially a one-man snowmobile in spite of the fact that it was advertised in some brochures as a two-passenger machine. The steering mechanism, centred in the middle of the machine, made it awkward for an accompanying passenger to travel comfortably. It was best to be pulled in a sleigh, which the Snowbug was quite capable of doing. Unlike the 1969 model Luvbug, which appeared more like a two-seater snowmobile, the newly shaped 1970 model, completely encased with fiberglass body, project a more fun loving recreational winter vehicle. its three colours, bright orange, pale green and gold fleck gave it a truly unique and romantic look." (Ref. 4 page 59)

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

MANUFACTURER'S PLATE LOCATED UNDER DRIVER'S SEAT./ 'LUVBUG' DECAL ON FRONT OF MACHINE/ 'SNOWBUG' DECAL ON RIGHT SIDE OF MACHINE.

Missing

N/A

Finish

BODY PAINTED AN ORANGE-RED.

Decoration

N/A