ANDY TAYLOR
NORTHWAY
SNOWMOBILE HISTORY BY ANDY TAYLOR
PLEASE
NOTE THAT THE YEARS IN MY STORY REFER TO
MODEL
YEARS AND NOT ACTUAL PRODUCTION YEAR.
In
the fall snowmobile magazines of 1969, there are rumors of a new
snowmobile
manufacturer that will build a new design snowmobile for
people
that want something different.
But
once released on the market these lime green sleds built on an
aluminum
frame had no real innovations and the estimates of
4000
sled sales the first year were exaggerated and well above the actual
production
of 760 units and 550 sales.
Two
series of sleds were offered for 1970, the first being the GO series with
six
models built with a 15 inch track and offering six engine choices and
one
GO series 18 inch with a 440cc engine.
Also
offered were the Mach series. One Mach with a 15 inch track and
a
340 cc and two 18 inch Machs, one with a 440 cc and the Mach 3 with a
monster
3 cyl, 800cc Hirth.
Due
to the low interest in these 1970 models Northway, financial
backer
Stan
McRobert hired a top design team to completely
redesign
the
Northway snowmombiles for 1971.
(
A financial backer is a person or entity that provides money or capital
to
support
a project, business, or individual, usually in return for some form
of
compensation such as equity, interest, or another return.
They
can also be known as an investor, sponsor, or financier. )
The
company founders were 3 brothers,
Antonin,
Louis and Jean Paul Boulanger.
1970 NORTHWAY
CLICK
HERE TO GO TO THE 1970 NORTHWAY BROCHURE PAGE
1971 Models.
Finally
here was the innovative sled we had been promised the year before.
A
Two up seat, completely enclosed engine, slide rails as optional equipment
and
a hood that opened from the front like a car.
The
production plant was also moved from Dorval to another
suburb
of Montreal by the name of Pointe Claire.
2000
of these new models now being offered in yellow, lime Green and Red
were
built and a distributor in the United states was established.
New
names were also in order the first being MK-1 built with 15 inch tracks,
and
offering CCW and Sachs power from 250cc to 440 cc.
Then
the MK-2 with an 18 inch track offering engine from 340cc to 640cc.
1971
NORTHWAY
CLICK
HERE TO GO TO THE 1971 NORTHWAY BROCHURE PAGE
