Bombardier celebrates 5-millionth Rotax engine

By AmSnow staff

Published: May 21, 2001

On May 9, 2001, Bombardier's Rotax engine plant in Gunskirchen, Austria, celebrated the five millionth engine coming off the assembly line.

In 1962, the Canadian entrepreneur Joseph-Armand Bombardier, founder of Bombardier, was looking for a light air-cooled two stroke engine to power Ski-Doo snowmobiles. He found it in Austria. The Rotax engine model 165 increased the maximum speed of snowmobiles at that time by 30%. Having found the best-suited engine for its recreational products, Bombardier acquired Rotax in 1970. Today Rotax engines are manufactured in a manufacturing facility in Gunskirchen, Austria.

"Flexibility, vision and highly qualified people have made us stronger and stronger since these early days", says Harald Ploeckinger, managing director of Bombardier-Rotax, "and finally lead us to a world-class corporation which allows us to continue to grow and prosper."

Rotax engines are delivered to Valcourt in Québec, and Rovaniemi, Finland to power both Ski-Doo and Lynx snowmobiles.

The group manufactures Rotax engines for SEA-DOOs, Sea-Doo sport boats as well as for Bombardier all-terrain vehicles (ATV). Rotax manufactures four stroke motorcycle engines, engines for the kart industry and light aircraft technologies.