Joseph-Armand Bombardier is widely recognized as the inventor of the snowmobile. His creations as a teenager would develop and grow to eventually be the well known Ski-Doo snowmobiles, but he was hardly the only major figure in the technology’s development.
Carl Eliason‘s Motor Toboggan laid down the first tracks of modern snowmobiling in 1924. His invention, unlike Bombardier’s early work, included a forward-mounted 2-stroke engine, single track, and and ski steering, all of which we see today in the modern sled.
Without the Motor Toboggan, snowmobiles would surely look quite a bit different (and possibly much less significant as vehicles), and it’s a shame that Eliason isn’t highlighted more often.
“A short documentary chronicling the story of Carl Eliason, the inventor of the modern snowmobile as told by his granddaughter, Jona Eliason.”
Image Credit: Nate Sheppard via YouTube