I feel like I haven’t really been respecting the “cold” part of “Cold Start,” so today let’s look at a machine designed for the cold, meant to thrive in conditions that require cold to even exist: a snowmobile! Specifically, what may be the coolest-looking snowmobile every crafted by the cold, shivering hands of a human: the 1970-1973 Innovar SnoCoupe. This thing could make me forget how much I hate being cold.
The hook of the Innovar SnoCoupe was that it was a car-inspired snowmobile, and as such offered a lot of things most snowmobiles just didn’t, mostly revolving around the basic concept of shelter. You see, the SnoCoupe was enclosed, like a car, was possibly the first snowmobile to offer side-by-side seating (on a bench seat, no less), a stereo with a tape deck, and a heater, a glorious heater, so you could be warm and cozy under that fiberglass and plexiglass canopy.
Sure, you could remove the canopy and have an open-top, cold wind in your hair experience, but the fully enclosed setup is really the appealing one, in this context, I think. There was even luggage space, which looks pretty roomy, and I like that special notice was given to the fact it had “dual ever-present tail-lights,” as stated in the brochure page above, and those ever-present taillights seem to have been borrowed from a Chevy Impala. Those really were known for being especially ever-present.
Damn, look how ever-present those are!
As you can see, the body of the SnoCoupe was available in metal-flake finishes, like that fabulous gold up there, but other colors were available.
These things had a wide track of over 30 inches, making them quite stable, and could be had with engine sizes ranging from a 372cc JLO engine or a 488cc Polaris unit. The manufacturer claimed you could do 50 mph in these!
Holy crap, look how cool these things were, with their sealed-beam dual headlights and remarkably car-like styling. Somehow, only about 200 of these were actually built, in Dunnell, Minnesota between 1970 and 1973, which seems to be a tragically low number.
Here’s a surviving one in action, getting around even while surrounded by a hard-to-ignore zero inches of snow:
It would be amazing to get one of these and put actual wheels on it and make it into a road-going little car, wouldn’t it? Why limit something this cool to snow?
Okay, wow, I couldn’t even see the car until I took a few minutes to stare in awe of the model’s fabulous Dynel piled-up do in the first photo, color-matched to the car no less.
And wow again to the car itself. Anything painted in fair-ride sparkle paint and I’m instantly sold, and if not, the ever-present Chevy tails would have sealed the deal.
Beneath this snowy mantle, cold and clean
The unborn grass lies waiting
For its coat to turn to green
The SnoCoupe horn beeps the song he always sings
And speaks to me of drivers
That will hoon again in spring
WHERE. DO. I. GET. ONE.
The Raider Double Eagle was cooler in the mid ’70s
I agree, rode one of those in ’80. Cool, but there is a reason that layout didn’t take off.
Still dumb. Back destroyer.
most all of the pre-1980s sleds did that, from the tiny amount of suspension travel.
Yes, but you could at least push off the running boards and get your butt off the seat before a big “woop”. With the more car like positions, you just grit your teeth and compress all your discs. lol
The founder of Innovar went on to found Glasstite (fiberglass pickup toppers). My grandfather was heavily involved with the design and manufacturing of both.
The orginal run of Sno-Coupes were on a stripped down Polaris chasis. There were a couple of prototypes that were a chasis of their own design, included coil over shocks ahead of any others (I have heard stories of when these were shown, the people from the competitors were all coping the design dwon in notebooks to take back).
I beleive the taillights are indeed from a 65 Impala.
And I, a 40+ year native of MN, learned where Dunnell, MN is thanks to this article…
Although, with a current population of 133 (and probably not much more in the 70s), it’s easy to miss.
I think there’s a sno-cone shaped car in my childhood copy of Richard Scarry’s Cars and Trucks and Things That Go. Probably with Goldbug driving.
My parents had Skidoos back when I was growing up about the same vintage as when this was made. I can tell you they both had “heat”. Raising the cowl you see ducts from the front air intake over the engine fins and out in front of the driver. These were touring sleds with large windshields so the blast of heat was welcome on a cold ride.
As a huge snowmobile and boat enthusiast, I must let you in on a secret: If a snowmobile or boat ‘looks like’ a car, it’s almost guaranteed that it’s a massive piece of shit. People who aren’t into boats or snowmobiles just LOVE IT when they look like cars, but … it’s bad design. I don’t care how attractive the form is, or how nice the surfacing is, but the overall approach is bad because it does not function well.
I went through this a bit in my 911 boat video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOnGCbRwM6s
For these things, the problem is quite a few things:
Anyway, thanks for coming to my ted talk. I love sleds and boats and cars, but they should not all look like cars.
Counterpoint: things are cute when they look like tiny cars
Glad to see the easy-to-tear backscreen (flap?), as one might doubt how the easy-to-open-canopy works when sideways, half buried in a snowbank.
Also, radio seems a bit optimistic, with the 70’s 2-stroke tech.
Negative comments are a bit pointless, because just look at the thing.. but then again, imagine it, in action: the noise, the smoke, the excitement?
I saw two of these buzzing around an ice fishing camp about ten years ago! They looked a little faded, but they were running. I didn’t get to talk to the riders (drivers?) to find out what they were. I thought they might have been some sort of kit or inventors prototypes.
Love that 70s molded metallic flake style body for ATVs and such. We had an Alsport Tri-sport with blue metallic flake molded body, thing looked awesome, but over 10 years old ran like crap lol.
Damn, they had STYLE in the 70’s.
Front end reminds me of a Reliant Regal. As for Tail Lights..yes..those Chevrolet lights were omnipresent as were Mustang tail lights.
Go-go boots and a miniskirt in the 70s? And that pantsuit? Not to mention 20-30 something male models dressed like they’re in their 50s with haircuts to match. This looks like outtakes from a first season Laugh In sketch. Oh, wait, it’s Minnesota, so yeah.
So true, when me and my first wife separated, we were loading her U-haul, the neighbors walked up: “Are you moving?” My ex said “Nope, just me”. they looked at her, blinked, looked at me blinked. looked at each other, blinked.. “Oooo” and walked off.
Great grill, miss my 71 stang. Why did that nice couple pick the middle of a frozen lake to get into that serious socioeconomic discussion? At least the engine pre-warmed the hoods.
So you want an Allsport Tracker, just add a roof.
I have to assume they didn’t make many, because they were way more expensive than a regular snowmobile. That is really freaking cool though!
I sure hope that heater works well, because that nice lady is going to be VERY cold!
Imagine, there you sit, warm and snug in your minidress blatting through the snow, feeling smug because you are the genius who bought a snow mobile with a windshield, roof, doors and a glorious heater, while all your friends are in skiwear and draped over the outside of their skidoos.
Then you get a load of snow on your windshield and go to flick the wipers on.
Where’s the switch?
This thing has wipers, right?
Goddam it, now I’m going to have to stop, get out and sit on the front of it to wipe the snow off, and that pervert with the camera is going to try for an up-skirt shot again.
grew up driving snowmobiles, the traditional kind, with no roof.
Never considered needing a windshield wiper – probably not necessary *unless* the passenger side of the glass was warmer than the outdoors.
The cabin is heated, so it should be warmer than outside.
Now I’m wondering if these things have demister fans too.
I recently moved from NJ to Delaware and apparently crossed the Golf Cart Line, south of which every subdivision is cluttered with those little conveyances. I’m now imagine my new neighborhood transplanted to, say, northern Minnesota, and crawling with SnoCoupes. I don’t understand why this never happened in real life. The SnoCoupe part, that is.
Want one—in Safety Orange, please. Having lived through the 70s, I’ve seen enough gold lamé to last several lifetimes
I like how many of the models don’t look even remotely dressed for the snow, especially Miss Mini Skirt in the second shot and Mr. Three Piece in the next one.
Snoupe, featuring JLO
Their greatest hit: Ring Ding Ding
Ah, ever-present taillights! Unlike the back then much more common pop-up taillights. Quite the smart solution, considering the common issue of rapidly wearing out pop-up taillight actuators. My dad had to replace the pop-up brake light mechanism on his ’65 Mercedes every other month. He did have long stop-and-go commutes, though.
That’s SnoCoupe, it’s an Innovar!