AMF
Started in 1900, Foundry Company, the American Machine and AMF grew by acquisition to turn into one of the biggest amateur equipment makers on earth. The victim of the following selloff of departments, and leveraged buyout within the mid1980s, all that remains of the business now is AMF Bowling. At one-time, AMF owned several top manufacturers including AMP and PotterBrumfield electric parts, Voit, Hatteras Yachts, AMF Lawn and Garden Products, AMF Bowling, Alcort Sunfish sailboards, Energy workout devices, Head Sporting goods, Ben Hogan Golf, Roadmaster Bicycles, Slick Craft boats and, obviously, HarleyDavidson bikes. AMF was also a big shield and atomic contractor and made mass-transit systems and monorails.
York, Pennsylvania AMF SkiDaddler Factory
1968 Scouts being assembled.
In the 1960s several businesses, AMF contained, jumped in the bandwagon. An inner written study for AMF Western Application dated July 7, 1964 and titled "Proposed Requirements for the AMF Snow Sled" outlines the tremendous development potential of the snowmobile industry and AMF's proposed concept car. The report states, that by 1964, a dozen companies were creating snowmobiles, the most prolific being OMC, Bombardier and Polaris. The research determined the person snowmobiling sections as "The Work Sled," "The Family Sled," and "The Sports Sled." It continues to propose that AMF Western Tool should assemble a device geared to the demands of the sportsman while the marketplace with the biggest potential for increase. The sled would feature hardy drive belt, a frontmounted two-cycle engine, top rate of 25 miles per hour, easy and fluid styling, be lightweight, comfortable and have an entire focus on reliability. The price to production could be $ 400 to the factory and retailing was geared towards $ 895, leaving the dealer, provider and factory gross revenue to discuss. Canada was investigated as a tremendous secondary market for the brand new AMF snow sled as well as the tariff implications were discussed according to a dealer invoice price of $742. The responsibilities would include $ 130 USD for the selling cost of the sled in Canada. AMF Western Application made the choice to continue with all the brand new AMF snowmobile and possess the merchandise prepared for the 1965 66 marketing period, on March 1st, 1965.
Following a July 7th sales meeting within the Summer of 1965 the 1966 Sno - Clipper was debuted by the Western Tool Division of AMF combined with 1966 SkiDaddler Power Sled. Both versions were comparable and driven by little JLO single cylinder engines. Through 175 sellers, 3000 units were offered, a large proportion being the SkiDaddler Power Sled. The Mango Design Studio was immediately applied to redesign and restyle the SkiDaddler line for the 1967 model-year, causing the initial "grey line" snowmobiles that might be made through 1969. In the 1968 model-year through 1972, the SkiDaddler sleds could be produced at AMF's York, Pennsylvania factory (Only the '66 and '67 versions were produced at AMF/Western Application's Iowa, facility). Later, after AMF's acquisition of HarleyDavidson, the facility in York would produce HarleyDavidson Motorcycles and proceeds to produce the bikes there today, even though in a more modern plant building.
1968 AMF Ski-Dadder Line
Large revisions were in store for that line in 1970, with a fresh orange line of sleds resembling the modern SkiDoo models fit. But not before the disastrous 1969 Wide Track 18 version, the 5818, was introduced. Wide Track 18 SkiDaddler applied an extremely underpowered Lloyd motor that led to a myriad of complaints plus inferior performance from owners. AMF stood behind the WT 18 and provided miserable a 1969 1 / 2 interim version to purchasers with a 399 Kohler, the MK 23. Essentially a "grey line" sled with the orange paint work, this version was a forerunner for the new 1970 orange/black Ski-Daddlers and it is really a sought after snowmobile now by vintage collectors.
In 1970, the orange SkiDaddler versions debuted. These sleds appeared amazing, with a headlight, chrome wraparound front fender plus a glossy, modern layout. From 1970 to 1972 over 15,000 AMF SkiDaddler snowmobiles could be made including the celebrated "XX" racing sleds. In late 1971, AMF made the choice to re-brand and again redesign the line, dropping the title in favor of these enormously popular HarleyDavidson manufacturer (AMF had bought HarleyDavidson Motorcycles in 1969). 1972 is the final model-year for the orange AMF SkiDaddler snowmobile line.
A few of 1971 HarleyDavidson Snowmobiles were made, but the 1972 model-year was the last for the sleds and the first for the Harley sleds. After 1972, the rest of the SkiDaddler stock was sold to a distributor and liquidated immediately to the people at really low costs. HarleyDavidson dealers were offered the Harley snowmobile line as a different item, some former SkiDaddler dealers were also offered the Harley snowmobile franchise. The HarleyDavidson sleds were marketed as using "Harley's own engine" that was really an Aeromacchi-made 2 stroke design. Aeromacchi was really owned by HarleyDavidson and also produced the Harley MX, Sprint and Enduro bikes under the Harley Davidson manufacturer. It was considered by AMF that they'd sell more snowmobiles throughout the HarleyDavidson community using the Harley name. The Harley sleds were assembled in the firm's Oak Creek, Missouri facility, sharing production facilities using the HarleyDavidson golf cart. But, in the conclusion of the 1975 snowmobile model-year, it was declared that creation of AMF HarleyDavidson snowmobiles could be discontinued.
The Sno - Clipper, Electricity Sled, HarleyDavidson and SkiDaddler snowmobiles have stayed popular with classic collectors and get a particular place in history whilst the AMF title, once an icon of the recreation business, has faded away.
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