Outboard Marine Corporation
The American group OMC was active in the water sports industry. Initially, it mainly sold outboard motors of the Evinrude and Johnson brands . Later came inboard engines and motorboats added.
history
The company Outboard Motors Corporation was founded in 1929 by the merger of the companies "ELTO Outboard Motor Company", "Evinrude Motor Company" and "Lockwood Motor Company". Ole Evinrude, Owner of the company ELTO had achieved this merger in order to get back the rights to the brand "Evinrude", which he had sold together with his old company in 1914 to Chris Meyer. The relatively insignificant company Lockwood was taken over because of the chief engineer Finn T. Irgens who worked there. Regardless of the merger, the engines were still sold under the old three company names (companies). Only one model was produced under the label "Outboard Motors Corporation". It was the "Fold Light", a split motor in the shaft that was delivered folded in a case (1930–32).
Despite the consequences of the global economic crisis , OMC rose to become the world's largest producer of outboard motors in 1931. In 1936 the main competitor "Johnson" was officially integrated into the group of companies, which from then on was called the Outboard Marine and Manufacturing Company . After that, outboard motors were only sold under the brand names "Evinrude" and "Johnson". They were usually identical and only differed in the color of the paintwork. In 1956 the company name was shortened to Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC).
From 1985 inboard motors with Z-drive , the "OMC Cobra Stern Drive", were produced under the OMC company . In order to be able to market the engines fully assembled in or on boats, the "OMC Boats Group" was founded in 1987 and in the following years a total of twenty-one boatyards were bought, including B. " Chris-Craft ", " Donzi " and " Four Winns ".
In 1961, OMC acquired the Cushman Motor Works in Lincoln (Nebraska), a manufacturer of engines, small vehicles and motorcycles that has been active since 1903. This company mainly produces golf carts and is also active in the areas of light commercial and municipal vehicles and logistics . It was incorporated as the Cushman Motors Division and renamed the OMC-Lincoln Division in 1972. This area was taken over in 1989 by the British industrial group Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies and joined Textron with them a little later .
OMC became insolvent in 2000 and in 2001 the Canadian " Bombardier Inc. " acquired the outboard motor division. In 2003 she outsourced it to the company " Bombardier Recreational Products " (BRP).
Engine factories
(before 2000)
- Bruges, Belgium
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
- Peterborough, Ontario, Canada
- Sturtevant, Wisconsin, USA
- Waukegan, Illinois, USA
Racing
In 1981 OMC built the world's first 8-cylinder outboard motor and used it in the Formula 1 World Championship races . It was built as a V-engine , had a displacement of 3,600 cc and eight twin carburettors . From 1985 this engine, then with a nominal output of 300 HP, was also sold in the leisure sector.
Before and after that, OMC was actively involved in motorboat racing and has won a total of around 120 world and European championship titles since 1946.
literature
- Jeffrey L. Rodengen: Evinrude, Johnson And The Legend Of OMC . Write Stuff Syndicate Inc., Ft. Lauderdale 1992, ISBN 0-945903-10-3
- Kevin Desmond: The Guinness book of motorboating facts and feats . Guinness Superlatives Ltd, Enfield 1979, ISBN 0-900424-86-9
- Rainer Bergmann: The man who didn't want to row . In: Boats . 1/09, pages 18-28
- Beverly Rae Kimes (Editor), Henry Austin Clark Jr.: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805–1942. 3. Edition. Krause Publications, Iola WI (1996), ISBN 978-0-87341-428-9 ISBN 0-87341-428-4 . (English)
- GN Georgano (Editor), G. Marshall Naul: Complete Encyclopedia of Commercial Vehicles ; MBI Motor Books International, Osceola WI (1979); ISBN 0-87341-024-6 ; Hardcover