Evinrude New Zealand

SINCE 1909 

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THE E-TEC G2 DIFFERENCE

The story of how one man forever changed the way we travel on water.

EVINRUDE 110 YEARS

OLé EVINRUDE

To impress his sweetheart on a blistering hot day, the romantic Olé Evinrude offered to row across Lake Okauchee to get her an ice cream. When Olé set off in the row boat, the last thing he expected to do was to invent the outboard engine, a total game changer for the way people moved across water. With the support and business acumen of Bess, Olé created the world's first commercially successful and most enduring, brand of outboard motors. 

1906

Olé and Bess's famous ice cream picnic, which inspired Olé's best-known invention - the outboard. 

1909

Olé launches the first "detachable row boat motor". Bess writes the now-famous advertising slogan: "Throw the oars away! Use an Evinrude Motor!"

1911

The Evinrude Motor Company receives an order for 1000 units.

1912

Evinrude sells 4,650 motors and move to a larger facility. 

1914

Evinrude introduces a patented battery-less flywheel magneto ignition for easy starting

1916

Evinrude offers patented 360 degree steering.

1919

Olé designs a twin-cylinder, 3HP, 48-pound, aluminium outboard motor.

1920

Olé establishes the ELTO (Evinrude Light Twin Outboard) Outboard Motor Company.

1921

Olé introduces the first ELTO outboard with a patented through-hub
exhaust - today's industry standard. 

1928

Ralph Evinrude convinces his father to build the 18HP Super ELTO Quad, with speeds over 35 MPH.

1929

Industry first: The folding Shaft. Stephen Briggs buys Evinrude to create OMC. Olé is named as president. 

1934

Ralph Evinrude takes over the company from his father. Olé lays the foundation for "hooded" models to protect parts and reduce noise.

1935

First: Evinrude introduces the Evinrude 1.5HP Sportsman. 
First: Reed valves - sales rise by 100%

1939

During World War II, the company manufactures motors for various types of military aircraft.

1946

First: The 40HP "Big Four"

1956

Construction begins on a $3M, 213,000 square-foot, plant in Milwaukee. The new plant produces 800 Evinrude motors during a two-day shift.

1958

The company develops the Evinrude Starflite V-type, 4 cylinder engine.

1960

A new 122.97 MPH record for the Starflite II engine on a Starflite III boat.

1973

First: Rotary-combustion, four-rotor design outboard is launched as an experimental racing engine. The Evinrude 135HP Starflite-powered runabout, sets a GUINNESS WORLD RECORD when agent 007 jumps 100 feet over Sheriff J.W. Pepper's vehicle. 

1976

First: Evinrude develops a 200HP V6 outboard. It's weight is half as much per horsepower and it delivers almost twice as much thrust per cubic inch as the first V4 versions introduced in 1958.

1978

Evinrude produces the largest outboard ever, a 235HP 90-degree V6 for the big-water boater. 

1982

First: Evinrude introduces the Economixer, representing the first use of microcomputer technology. 

1984

First: Evinrude introduces the 300HP V8 and loop-charged V4's

1989

Evinrude's 3.5L V8 sets a WORLD RECORD at 176.556 MPH

1991

First: Evinrude launches the first motor using the lost foam casting process, making the engine smaller, lighter and stronger.

1993

Evinrude introduces OceanPro outboards, providing offshore reliability and anti-corrosion. 

1996

First: Evinrude introduces DIRECT FUEL INJECTION technology for outboard engines; years ahead of the auto industry.

2003

Bombadier launches Evinrude E-TEC technology in 40HP - 90HP

2007

Evinrude introduces the 55HP multi-fuel engine for exclusive government use.

2008

Evinrude launches the E-TEC 300HP engine at the Miami International Boat Show.

2008

Evinrude introduces the E-TEC 25HP - 30HP engines.

2009

Evinrude celebrates 100 years of outboard innovation. For the first time Evinrude wins the JD POWER AWARD and ASSOCIATES AWARD for "highest customer satisfaction among two-stroke engines".

2012

The grand opening of the world headquarters of the Outboard Engines Division in Sturtevant, WI, bringing manufacturing and the corporate office under one roof. 

2013

2013 BRP Inc. becomes a public company on the Toronto Stock Exchange. 

2014

April: Two Evinrude engineers are recognized at the SAE World Congress Exhibition in Detroit for their contribution to furthering mobility engineering. 

May: The 65HP Pontoon series is cited as: "Top product for 2014" by Boating Industry.  

June: The introduction of the Evinrude E-TEC G2 200H.O. - 300HP engines. 

2016

Evinrude introduces the E-TEC G2 150H.O. - 200HP engines.

BRP appoints MARINE DISTRIBUTORS LIMITED as the DISTRIBUTOR for Evinrude in NEW ZEALAND under the leadership of Kevin "Rude" Sharp.   

2018

February: Evinrude is inducted into the SPACE TECHNOLOGY HALL OF FAME for commercializing a NASA-developed high-strength, wear-resistant aluminium alloy. 

2018

Evinrude launches new branding.

2019 

Evinrude celebrates its 110 YEAR HISTORY. The original innovator and oldest outboard brand by far.