How old are Snowmobiles? The history of snowmobiles—their invention, creation, growth, acceptance and place in winter tourism—has been covered extensively. Sadly, after the winter of 2025, it appears we may be left with just two choices (brands) for new snowmobiles in our future. This happens after more than 100 years of manufacturing “snow machines” by hundreds of manufacturers.
The four most recent manufacturers (entering MY2025) began their mass production some years ago: Yamaha in 1968; Arctic Cat in 1962; Ski-Doo in 1959; Polaris in 1956. As of writing this, Ski-Doo and Polaris have just released their MY2026 snowmobiles.
However, this article explores another manufacturer from Sayner, Wisconsin. In the past, it was known as both the Eliason motor toboggan and the Eliason snowmobile. The Eliason brand was manufactured for 39 consecutive years; not mass-produced but manufactured. The very first (original) Eliason exists today in an acrylic case, and I had the privilege of viewing it not far from where it was created in 1924.
Now, this article does not claim to know who was first. Rather, it lists the facts that exist and looks specifically at the Eliason snowmobiles and motor toboggans that finished their 39-year run before the wide acceptance of snowmobiles in North America.
Eliason Snowmobile: The Final Model in 1963
The last Eliason snowmobile was manufactured in 1963. I recall seeing my first snowmobile as an 11-year-old boy only a few years later.
Snowmobile Boom of the ’60s: A Rapid Rise
The first snowmobile I saw was a red-orange 1969 Alouette Big Bird with a very long seat. It was at my best friends Shawn and Kevin’s house. It was an immediate hit in our small neighbourhood. I swear that all four Dodsworth kids and I could get on that long seat. Last, I remember that Shawn and I claimed that we were best suited to drive the Alouette; because we were the oldest.
Snowmobiles were a very “new invention” to North America in the 1960’s. This is what many history books say, even today. Snowmobile manufacturers, distributors, and their dealers imploded in both Canada and the United States. I was fortunate to be a young boy in this era. The largest growth in the industry was just a few years away from the last Eliason motor toboggan in 1963.
In 1972, sales peaked at 587,000 snowmobiles sold. And in 1972, my own family acquired its first snowmobile. There were well over 100 documented manufacturers of snowmobiles who were selling their coloured brand during those boom years.
The History of Eliason Snowmobiles: 1924–1963
Yet, in 1963, the last Eliason snowmobile was produced. Eliason had invented, patented, manufactured and sold their snowmobiles for 39 years before other “snow machines”. It was these later snow machines, like that Alouette Big Bird from Québec, that were mass-produced. Collectively, it is these mass-produced machines by multiple manufacturers that we collectively consider as modern snowmobiles.
But who invented and/or manufactured the first snowmobile?
Early Inventors Before Eliason
The Lombard Steam Log Hauler was patented in 1901. It was created in Waterville, Maine, as the first commercially produced vehicle to use a continuous track. This helped it glide over the snow and other types of tricky terrain with ease.
Over-the-snow concepts would see several revisions before the first “snowmobile” was ever made. In 1913, Ford produced a version of their Model T car that ran on tracks and sleds. This was also around the time that Joseph-Armand Bombardier began experimenting with the concept of travel over the snow. His first creation was a version based on a modified Model T equipped with a propeller.
The concept of snowmobiles, or over-the-snow travel, took another leap forward in 1924 when Carl Eliason created what was known as a “motorized toboggan”. He also received a U.S. Patent for his concept in 1927.
Joseph-Armand Bombardier’s 1935 vehicle ran on caterpillar tracks similar to a tank. The vehicle was steered by skis and could hold two or three passengers. So, while Bombardier’s 1935 release is widely recognized, was it truly the very first snowmobile?
With Bombardier’s first patented mechanical system—the sprocket wheel and track drive system, a Canadian Patent was issued on June 29, 1937. He then brought his seven-seat B7 “snowmobile” to the market in 1937. This would eventually become a 12-passenger vehicle, the mass-produced and very successful B-12.
But Bombardier wasn’t the only one working on something like this. We know now that there were several inventors who created several “snowmobiles”.
Snowmobiles in the 1950s: Key Milestones
In the 1950s, Allister and George Ingham invented the first single-track snowmobile in Canada.
J.-A. Bombardier built his B-12 vehicles until 1951. It was the Québec government’s decision to plow all roads in the winter that led to Bombardier having to become creative once again.
Ski-Doo, who is now the world’s leading snowmobile brand, got its start in 1959. Bombardier had decided the “new” company’s name was actually supposed to be “Ski-Dog”, but a typo resulted in the now-ubiquitous branding.
Polaris, now regarded as the number 2 brand worldwide, created their first prototype in 1955. It had three co-founders.
1,960s Snowmobiles: Growth and Innovation
Arctic Cat was a notable foray into the snowmobile manufacturing industry in 1962. It was founded by Edgar Hetten, who also co-founded Polaris just 103 km (64 mi) away. Understandably, the first Arctic Cats looked a lot like the original Polaris vehicles.
The earliest over-the-snow “snowmobiles” from Bombardier (Ski-Doo), Polaris, and Arctic Cat were all very heavy. Each machine could weigh as much as 1,000 lb. As we know, manufacturers eventually made them more lightweight. They developed into single-occupant vehicles and were not just focused on work, or created for an industry. Individually, and collectively, their inventors saw that the snowmobile could be used just for fun.
Subsequent and multiple manufacturers carried the modern snowmobile concept forward into the boom years of the 1970s.
Why Carl Eliason Invented the First Snowmobile
The history of the Eliason snowmobiles cannot be told without understanding the man behind the invention prior to 1924. The following excerpt is from a publication (Carl Eliason & Co. Inc. @ Copyright 1998) dedicated to the memory of Carl J. E. Eliason, 1899–1979.
“Carl was an auto mechanic, stem engineer, blacksmith and general store owner. Carl enjoyed the slower pace of the Wisconsin north woods winters when he could take time off to hunt, fish and trap with his friends. Struggling with a foot deformity, he could not use skis or snowshoes on his ventures into the wilderness. Carl experimented with wind-driven sleds and automobiles with tracks, but these machines were too large and heavy to operate efficiently in the remote deep snow areas of the woods. A lightweight personal machine was needed. A vehicle that would float on top of the snow, not sink to the bottom. Something small enough to follow the narrow snowshoe trails made by his friends.
There was only one problem: a machine like this did not exist; it would have to be built.
Then, in 1924, Carl decided to do it himself. He had the basic mechanical knowledge, and, possibly more importantly, he owned a well-stocked general store. The Eliason Motor Toboggan was born.”
What Is the Oldest (First) Snowmobile Brand in History?
It is often asked as a historical question. “What is the oldest snowmobile brand?” So, while Bombardier’s 1935 release is widely recognized (not by everyone) as being the world’s first snowmobile, we now know that there were several predecessors attempting to perfect winter travel before 1935.
Some people in the New Hampshire city of Ossipee claim to be the snowmobile’s real birthplace. That’s because, in 1913, Virgil White invented a snowmobile conversion kit for the Model T at his Ford dealership.
But… the concept that we know today took the huge leap forward in 1924 when Carl Eliason created what was then known as “motorized toboggans”. And he had received the 1927 patent for his invention, before today’s brands were being mass-produced.
The complete Eliason story can be told in at least three phases. Regardless of what was happening in other rural garages, warehouses or general stores in Canada or the United States, Carl Eliason’s story is important. The snowmobile you ride today is partially attributable to his perseverance, intelligence and tenacity.
But that’s a story for my next article… so stay tuned!
To be Continued….
