Arctic Cat Sold

[4489 Pine Point]

Swiss-auto is a motor engineering company now owned by Polaris that designed the 4 stroke MPE750 and MPE850 engines plus several other high hp/cc fuel efficient engines.  MPE = Multi Purpose Engine is used in many diverse applications, check out their website.  I believe Swiss-auto also had a hand in the design of the Polaris ProStar engine.  Weber Motors, Germany contracted to manufacturer the MPE series and starting in 2006-2013 (2014?) this engine was available in Polaris FS and FST snowmobiles and previous PWC's.  The 850 was destined for Polaris snowmobiles but the technical growing pains to work out the system management part of the MPE 750 snowmobile application and to develop qualified service techs slowed market interest opportunity and growth.  The 750 is a great motor a we have owned several FST's and currently have one in the fleet.

 

Interesting that 2014 was the year Textron purchased Weber Motors, now Textron Motors purchases A'Cat with the sorting out of the A'Cat and Yamaha marriage. 

M & A's usually take several years to complete due diligence, strategic planning fit and business case conclusions prior to public announcement, so it appears that the 3 players have been working behind closed doors for several years.

 

What goes around comes around!  1968 Polaris was rescued by Textron and Polaris employees repurchased it in 1981 and now Textron ownes A'Cat plus Weber Motors with 2 great NA and Turbo motors.  Wondering what will happen to Polaris owned Swiss-auto engineering that designed the MPE's.  Maybe the bigger picture is still unfolding with annual snowmobile volume far from previous peak years.  Engineering R&D, product development, emission certification and tooling expense is probably keeping bean counters awake wondering why snowmobiles remain part of product portfolios.

 

Snowmobile Vision:  A'Cat will release a MPE 850 NA and Turbo version soon for snowmobiles and possibly ATV's.  Yamaha will release an new chassis and engine power train snowmobile with rear exhaust to reduce back pressure and improve performance possibly assembled by A'Cat.  BRP has many power train options, chassis development capability and doesn't need a partner.  Polaris remains focused on 2S engines with possibly a 80HP NA ProStar engine in a modified AXYS front clip. 

 

My $0.05

[snowowl]

3 hours ago, Wildbill said:

Maybe if Mitt Romneys Bain investments did not own around 50 % of BRP

Wildbill, that would be an argument for a Tariff!  Romney was highly critical of Trump during the election and Trump remembers his enemies well.  

[northstar]

16 hours ago, PISTON LAKE CRUISER said:

If the head office is in Canada the exchange rate is a lot more even between Japanese Yen and Canadian $ and then they can take advantage of the exchange rate selling into the US. Does that make sense?? The only wild card would be the Donald's rules.

 

Between the Newnan plant and Yamaha corporate offices in Kennesaw, Ga., Yamaha now employs approximately 2,040 people in Georgia.

[Blake G]

1 hour ago, snowowl said:

Wildbill, that would be an argument for a Tariff!  Romney was highly critical of Trump during the election and Trump remembers his enemies well.  

 

FWIW, I read a Globe and Mail article from 2014, which said that Bain Capital sold some BRP shares, reducing their stake to 27.8 percent.

[snowowl]

2 hours ago, Blake G said:

 

FWIW, I read a Globe and Mail article from 2014, which said that Bain Capital sold some BRP shares, reducing their stake to 27.8 percent.

Interesting, and of course the reality is that a tariff would hurt BRP way more than Bain, given the size of Bain.   

[Wildbill]

8 hours ago, snowowl said:

Wildbill, that would be an argument for a Tariff!  Romney was highly critical of Trump during the election and Trump remembers his enemies well.  

if he remembers his enemies he has a hell of a memory 

[gobills]

I had 3 mpe 750 turbos.  Great little sleds a few hiccups here and there but goes with the sport.