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| 1909-2009 Celebrating 100 Years of Life on the Water |
 An Evinrude ad from 1910. Click the image to view a slideshow of Evinrude ads from 1910 to today.
100 years ago, the Evinrude name first became synonymous with America's passion for boating.
1906-1907
During a hot summer day in 1906, Bess Cary tells her fiance, Ole Evinrude, that she'd love a dish of ice cream. While rowing back to shore for the cold treat, Ole decides that this trip would be a lot quicker if his rowboat had a motor. In 1907, Ole begins designing the first outboard motor, which would eventually give rise to the Evinrude name. On September 27, 1907, Ole and Bess Evinrude's only child, Ralph Sydney, is born.
1909-1913
In the spring of 1909, Ole Evinrude produces the first commercial "Detachable Row Boat Motor." A shop employee takes the model engine for a spin on Pewaukee Lake and returns with 10 orders. In 1911, a Scandinavian importer places an order for 1,000 motors. An international brand is born. Two years later 9,412 motors are sold.
1914-1917
In 1914, with Bess in poor health, Ole sells his remaining 50 percent stake in the Evinrude Motor Company to his partner, Chris Meyer, for $137,500. In 1917, Ole designs the "Bess Emily," a 42-foot ship powered by a V-8 outboard. Ole, Bess and Ralph set out on the Great Lakes to spend time as a family and get Bess well.
1920-1922
With Bess in better health, the Evinrudes get back into the outboard business and form Elto (Evinrude Light Twin Outboard) Outboard Motor Company in 1920. The first Elto motor revolutionizes the outboard motor business by using aluminum instead of heavier metals, and Elto quickly sells 3,500 motors annually.
1927-1929
In 1928, Ralph Evinrude convinces his father to build more than a fishing motor. Subsequently, the Super Elto Quad is unveiled at the New York boat show and Elto overtakes Johnson Motor Company as the speed king of outboard motors. In 1929, Ole designs the Fold Light 4-horsepower folding motor
and begins selling it with the slogan "Folds like a jackknife." On February 23, 1929, Briggs & Stratton purchases the Evinrude Motor Company and reinvigorates the company by infusing $400,000 for improvements. After negotiations with Ole Evinrude, Stephen Briggs buys the Evinrude Motor Company from Briggs & Stratton and creates Outboard Motors Corporation (OMC) by joining Elto, Evinrude and the race engine manufacturer Lockwood Motors. Ole Evinrude is named OMC's president.
 An Evinrude ad from 1937. Click the image to view a slideshow of Evinrude ads from 1910 to today.
1930-1933
Evinrude features the first electric start, the first rotary valve in the crankshaft and the first rubber mounting for an outboard motor in 1930. These firsts help sustain the company during the Great Depression. In 1933, Bess, Ole's wife and business partner, passes away due to illness.
1934
In 1934, Ole lays the foundation for sleek, quieter outboards with two models that are "hooded" to provide full protection to engine parts and reduce noise. On July 12, 1934, Ole Evinrude dies at the age of 57, only 14 months after the death of Bess. Twenty-seven-year-old Ralph Evinrude takes the reins as the new president of OMC.
1935-1936
In 1935, the 1.5-horsepower, single-cylinder Evinrude Sportsman rolls off the line. This debut pushes sales to 17,432 motors, nearly twice as many as in 1934. In 1936, the Elto name is dropped from advertisements and begins to be phased out.
1939-1945
During the war years, subcontracting is done with the U.S. government. The war-era work helps forge new ground in precision die-casting for the company.
1946
As postwar material shortages ease and soldiers return home, Evinrude enjoys record sales. By 1947, 262,000 engines are being produced, equaling the combined production of the 14 other outboard makers in the United States.
1954-1958
New Aquasonic silencing in the 1954 motors reduces noise by 50 percent. Construction begins on a $3 million, 213,000-square-foot plant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Dubbed the most modern and efficient of its kind, the new plant produces 800 Evinrude motors during a two-day shift. To meet consumer demand, Evinrude Starflite, a V-type four cylinder engine is developed in 1958, which permits mass precision production of the engines. The increased production capability is needed as sales take off. In 1956, 153,105 motors are sold, with an average of 14.7-horsepower per motor, a more than 11-horsepower jump from engines produced 15 years earlier.
1959
The 50th Jubilee Anniversary of the Evinrude outboard is celebrated by adding gold accents to its now all-fiberglass cowlings. An Evinrude outboard motor appears on the NBC Today Show with the chimp mascot, J. Fred Muggs.
1960-1962
The automatic choke is introduced on large Evinrude engines, allowing for instant starting whether the engine is hot or cold. In 1960, Hu Entrops sets a new world record for unlimited class outboards by hydroplaning 114.65 mph with the Evinrude Starflite II model engine on the Evinrude Starflite III boat. In September, the Evinrude Starflite II model engine breaks its own record by hitting a speed of 122.97 mph. Push-button shifting is unveiled on the 1962 Evinrude Starflite 75 and Lark engines. The forward, reverse and neutral buttons are located directly behind the throttle box lever.
1964-1967
The Evinrude X-115 debuts. It is the largest OBC-rated horsepower engine ever produced. The engine features only 60 percent of the frontal area of typical motors in its horsepower range.
 An Evinrude ad from 1974. Click the image to view a slideshow of Evinrude ads from 1910 to today.
1973-1976
The world's first rotary-combustion, four-rotor design outboard and a V-6 cylinder outboard are introduced as experimental racing engines. In 1973, the James Bond film "Live and Let Die" features an Evinrude 135-horsepower Starflitepowered runabout. The Evinrude-powered Glastron boat sets a Guinness World Record when 007 jumps it 100 feet during an exciting boat chase sequence. In 1976, the first 200-horsepower V-6 outboard to power larger 20- and 24-foot boats is developed. The motor weighs only half as much per horsepower and delivers almost twice as much thrust per cubic inch as the first V-4 version of the motor introduced 18 years earlier.
1978-1981
At 235-horsepower, the Evinrude 90-degree V-6 becomes the largest outboard ever made, meeting the demands of the big-water boater. In 1981, Ole Evinrude and his engineering prowess are honored by having an Evinrude motor distinguished as a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark.
1982-1986
In 1982, the Economixer is introduced. The oil injection system uses microcomputer technology to vary the amount of oil being fed to the engine. In 1983, after nearly 50 years at the helm, Ralph Evinrude steps down as chairman of the OMC Board of Directors. On May 21, 1986, Ralph Evinrude dies in Stuart, Florida, following an extended illness. His visionary leadership remains evident even after his death, as OMC breaks the billion-dollar mark and sets a new earnings record.
1987-1993
The exclusive lost foam process is created, enabling the design of a powerhead that is smaller, lighter, stronger and quieter than other V-6 engines of the same horsepower. As a result, the Evinrude Spitfire hits the water in 1991. In 1993, OceanPro is introduced, delivering superior fuel economy, bulletproof durability and saltwater corrosion resistance to offshore fishermen and recreational boaters.
1995-2000
Ficht ram injection and direct fuel injection technology is introduced and outfitted in all the V-6 products in 1995. Strained to comply with increased U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements for new engines, as well as contending with decreased sales, OMC announces to employees that it has ceased operations. The company files for bankruptcy on December 21, 2000.
2001-2004
Seeing an amazing opportunity to acquire a great global brand, Bombardier moves quickly and decisively to acquire the Evinrude assets. On March 12, 2001, Evinrude is reborn into an internationally recognized company, continuing the legacy of quality and innovation. On September 27, 2001, the first Bombardier-built Evinrude outboard engines roll off the assembly line. Bombardier launches its Evinrude E-TEC technology on February 12, 2003, at the Miami International Boat Show. Models introduced include the in-line 2-cylinder 40-, 50- and 60-horsepower engine and the in-line 3-cylinder 75- and 90-horsepower engine. On December 18, 2003, Bombardier Inc. sells its Recreational Products Division, which includes the Evinrude brand and assets. The new company is called Bombardier Recreational Products Inc., and does business as BRP. The Evinrude E-TEC big block V-6 is unveiled to media on May 11, 2004, at the Ralph Evinrude Test Center in Stuart, Florida. The motor comes in 200 H.O., 225 and 225 H.O., and 250-horsepower.
2005-2008
The Evinrude E-TEC 115-horsepower debuts on February 17, 2005, at the Miami International Boat Show. It's the first midrange Evinrude E-TEC engine on a four-cylinder platform. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awards BRP the prestigious Clean Air Excellence Award for its E-TEC technology on April 7, 2005. This is the first time an outboard engine manufacturer receives the award. Production begins on the midrange V-4 and V-6 Evinrude E-TEC outboard engines on February 13, 2006. Evinrude E-TEC outboards that are 90-horsepower and below receive registration by the Bodensee-Schiffahrts-Ordnung Commission for use on Lake Constance, the pristine waters bordered by Germany, Switzerland and Austria. BRP honors the 100th Anniversary of Evinrude outboard engines on February 14, 2008, at the Miami International Boat Show by introducing its 2009 model year outboards, including the 300-horsepower Evinrude E-TEC engine.
Download a copy of the Evirude timeline here.
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