It’s hard to believe how quickly snowmobiles developed during the mid-1950s and 1960s, and a lot of this development was due to Mr. Edgar Hetten of Thief River Falls, Minnesota. Polaris was first for Mr. Hetten but then came Arctic Cat and both companies are still here today. This 1966 Arctic Cat 140D is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Zimmerman, Minnesota and the seller is asking $3,000 or best offer. Here is the original listing.
Edgar Hetten started the company that would be Polaris in the mid-1950s along with his brother and brother-in-law. Dealing with banks for funding drove him to quit and move to Alaska for a short while, trying to find another business opportunity. The 50th State wasn’t the answer so he moved back to Thief River Falls and started manufacturing, of all things, a vacuum for killing mosquitoes and also a “jet steam cleaner” that was called Polar. These opportunities evolved into developing another snowmobile company and Polar Snowmobiles was born in 1961. By 1963, the name was changed to Arctic Cat.
Having grown up at the tip of Lake Superior, we had legendary winters six months a year and a 1966 Arctic Cat 140D was our first snowmobile. It was used, and seemed heavier than our house, although it only weighs 380 pounds. As a kid, though, that’s a lot of weight to lift out of a snowdrift. Details and records are sketchy in this era, but from my three-volume snowmobile bible: Snowmobile History by Pierre Pellerin, the 140D came out for the 1966 model year and there was a version with reverse. Ours didn’t have that, but it would have come in handy.
You can see a few nicks and scratches on this example and, sadly, the rear trunk was modified and shortened by a previous owner, probably to give more room for the passenger, but it was really handy for carrying the 347 spare spark plugs you’ll need, along with a spark plug wrench and other tools. The seat is new but they think the hood and cowel are both original. Whether that means original red paint or not, I’m not sure, but I doubt it after so many decades. This one is said to have been sold in California and there were said to be just 369 of them made in 1966. We still have ours but it hasn’t run in decades and needs to be restored.
The engine is an 8-hp Kohler four-stroke single and I can hear it now… here on YouTube. They say everything works as it should and this is what I think of when I think of vintage snowmobiles, probably because we had one, but also because it was such a fun time of development before these machines turned into reliable, comfortable vehicles for traveling over the snow. We wouldn’t have known what to do with one that was either comfortable or reliable, all we knew was that they got us through those six months of winter every year. If you grew up in snow country, what are your snowmobile memories?
This is awesome, Scotty. Our lower peninsula winters weren’t quite as bad as yours, and I was a city dweller, so I didn’t get to experience the snowmobile lifestyle. But my wife had an old ’70s Rupp when she was growing up out in the country, and I think I have almost convinced her that we should get another one. Then, we just have to find something to pull it with, get a trailer, find somewhere to ride it…
Thanks, Aaron! I shouldn’t turn some of these into “… when I was a kid…” things, but I can’t help it, the memories are so great on some of the vehicles here.
I like hearing personal connections Scotty. Its why I uploaded a pic of my Grandpas ’66 Impala Super Sport, or my Dads ’66 Bonneville. These things are ways for us to go back in time. Sometimes to better times in our life. I for one enjoy hearing your experiences, because then it jogs my memory and then I remember stuff.
“Lower peninsula?” I never heard lower Michigan called that. There’s Upper Michigan, or “Yoopers”, and Lower Michigan. or “Trolls” ( anyone south of the “bridge”). I heard there’s a rift between them, and I still say should have been part of Wisconsin.
I don’t know what to tell you, Howard. It seems that we have a language separated by a lake.
Seems I recollect a guy, whose snowmobile history began in Sayner, Wi abd Eagle River because he loved to hunt and bejng disabled, cobbled together a tobbogan with a motor the plans were sold to Bombardier.
I’m with Aaron, this is a great find Scotty. Not only can I hear that Old Kohler but smell it too? Remember the smell of any small engine running leaded gas back in the day? The closest I ever got to an old Snowmobile was a 1970 Scorpion that a family friend had that brought it to our house for my Dad and older brother to get running again in the late 70s. I totally sympathize about the no reverse, the tracks were tired and it got stuck numerous times in our yard, and it was a beast to get out. This is great Scotty and thank you too for the research and extra tidbits of information.
Thanks, sir! There isn’t a ton of information on these old Arctic Cats for some reason, even in my Pellerin snowmobile books.
Scotty, hopefully Howard rings in 📞 with some particulars.
This is the fun part of BarnFinds. Lambos and Corvettes may have some interest, but I can safely say, for most, it’s memory lane 101. And who better to lead the charge, why, ScottyG., of course. Still has their original sled, I’m telling you folks, I bet this guy has his 1st grade report card,or 1st pay stub, some people are that way. I’m a “thrower”, my parents and grandparents saved everything, most went to the flea market as antiques, or in the dumpster they went.
I knew AC and Polaris were related, now it’s clear how. I like the “mosquito vacuum”, although I can’t find any info on it. With all we’ve done, we can’t eliminate the GD mosquito. Probably a conspiracy from the repellent companies.
Our 1st snowmobile was a 1969 Polaris Charger, 16hp JLO single,that never ran right with the cowl on. It had drive clutch problems from the get go, but it got my feet wet ( not literally) and for my parents cottage, I was hooked. It had similar styling, and crude by most standards, again, we have to remember, this was uncharted territory, with only Bombardier to go by. For a more civilized time, when these pulled a sleigh for the little ones, with a thermos of hot chocolate you didn’t dare drop, and speed was not a concern. Family fun for the cold, like Scotty sez, that seemed to last forever. Most “mishugas” like me that went on with the sport, we updated considerably, but for most, this is how it began. More please,,,,
I grew up on a forestry farm in Swedish Lapland just by the Arctic Circle and for sure snowmobiles were part of life. By the time I was old enough to drive it, the circa 1967 Ski Doo Olympique was very outdated. For recreational riding, I think Yamaha took a huge market share after entering the market. Not that they were that great in deep snow, but they started, ran most of the time and were decently fast.
But mostly the Swedish snowmobiles were designed for professional use and were very utilitarian. We had the Ockelbo and Sno-Tric, both commonly with a 600mm wide track. Man, those things did not want to turn. Hit more than one tree when they just plowed straight ahead no matter what I did to make it turn. They were also available with 800mm twin tracks but we never had any of those. Sometime in the 1980’s dad got a Finnish Lynx long track machine and he kept it all up until he sold the farm at 91 years old. Still a huge beast used for hauling big loads of timber down from the mountains. At least my boys did get to go visiting the farm once in the winter after they had got old enough, and still love the memories from when they got that Lynx stuck in a ridge and eventually had to trudge back to the farm in the darkness to get help.
The funkiest Swedish snowmobile was the Larven which was a small and lighter machine which you rode with skis on your feet. It was very popular with the Sami reindeer herders, but I don’t think I ever got to try riding one of those. But apparently you never got stuck with those no matter the snow or terrain.
Hey,my son just got back from Rovaniemi after a week on a business trip,cold and snowing everyday.
Nice write up Scotty. I have owned new and used Arctic Cats since 1972. In late 66, Edgar decided to up his game and introduced the Panther, that began the famous black Cats with slide rail suspension, which he received a patten. He sold the company to Lowell Swenson not long after. For the 72 model year, Arctic sold 100,000 machines. That will never happen again. Today, the Cat assembly lines have been shut down at least temporarily. Arctic Cat is now owned by Textron, which also owns Polaris. Many memories riding Cats, especially my 1972 EXT MOD racer with a 440 triple Kawasaki engine. Nothing like it.
Unfortunately Textron is soon shutting down Production after over 50 years.
On a little bit of a sidenote there was just two different 1965 Red N White Cats sell this week on a Twin Cities auction. On was a Tom Cat, which is pretty rare and this one was unrestored Survivor and the other was a 140D in super nice, older restoration and showed well. Both went north of $4K. This one seems priced realistically and should be a pretty fair buy.
I love seeing these snowmobiles on here. I had an old Skidoo and then bought a new 1973 Yamaha GP 338. It was fast and of course I loved the oil injection. Always drove Yamahas after that. Was nice to just pull up to the pump gas up and drive away
Finally got this page to function. It seemed like it didn’t want to hear any comments from the “Peanut Gallery.” Anyways it got exasperated and let me through.
It was a toss-up between Arctic Cat and SkiDoo in our neighborhood. Dad bought a Sno-Cruiser which we ran all over the country. It went from Point A to Point B, although never very fast.
My late friend, Ronnie, during a nasty spring blizzard, ran out of cigarettes and he and his wife were about to kill each other. Ronnie mounted the “Panther” and headed 9 miles into town for a carton of smokes. He was amazed to see three other snowmobiles parked at the local market. Two of those ran out of cigarettes and the other, coffee. Ronnie knew he was getting low on beer and whiskey but the liquor vendor was closed. He could’ve pulled a flat of beer from the local tavern but he worried that it might freeze. Best get the smokes and hit the road. Saved his marriage…
Nice write up, I like the personal touch. Reminds me of my first, a Blue Sno-Jet. Hard to believe we used to jump these things! Not very fast, or very high, but no suspension to speak of either. Yikes. Lots of plugs and belts, ether and bad words…
I nice looking example of much simple noisy, stinky fun times.
Thanks for all of the great comments, folks! It’s always fun to hear comments about vintage snowmobiles from different viewpoints, both good and bad, and from other parts of the country and the world. I’d love to do nothing but old snowmobiles and old motorcycles, but after a day or two my name would disappear…
Listing update: the seller has lowered their asking price to $2,500 for this 140D!