Rumored - Arctic Cat has been bought
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Who is adding dealers AC or someone else? So you believe Textron stays in control with their signed dealers? New buyer can do whatever they want as far as dealers or have their own. Yamaha has nothing now their AC signed dealers can help all procross owners especially 4 strokers. Imo a void that had to be back filled.
Yup, seems so. Sad situation it is.
So, with what you're saying Kip, and whoever the other one is, should be in the know, eh?
Set up poor Kip nice try Abe
If you know Kip he is very tight lipped all those years with Yamaha never said a thing just plodded forward. Same thing applies here.Well Hauck Motorsports in Rice Lake, WI added Artic cat along with Kip from this site. My educated guess is they didn't do this if Artic Cat was just going to go out of business during this calendar year. Whether its Textron or someone else you don't add dealers if you know your going out of business.
I have no idea what’s going on with Textron owned AC. The new Spring order 2026 snowmobile line ups will be released soon I believe Doo ad say Feb 19th for release of 2026 line up. Polaris announcement still unknown to me but I’m sure Poo will have a 2026 lineup as well. Public knowledge that there is plenty of non current inventory sitting in crates at all dealers. So what we do know is Textron put AC on a manufacturing pause and wanted to sell AC to someone and for them to pick up on the 2026 line up. So in Pete’s opinion only ,Textron should clarify for all what’s happening with AC 2026 line up very soon. If they have a buyer all well and good get on with it and whatever the new owner wants to do with snow products 2026 and beyond. If Textron still owns AC that’s all good too define 2026 line up and get on with their ownership responsibilities for their consumers and dealers. The wild card is Textron clarifies the 2026 line up ,takes orders until they can find a buyer this option I don’t like at all but up to Textron. Internet opinions run wild because Textron has no news at this time to share.
2026 model year is going to be a whole lot of nothing. Textron would probably be better off just not making a 2026 model to clear inventory. All manufactures have dealers sitting very heavy on sleds and they know it. Production numbers will be way down. Polaris just announced a huge layoff saving the company 250 million and they hope to shave another 50 million soon. The cuts are coming....I have no idea what’s going on with Textron owned AC. The new Spring order 2026 snowmobile line ups will be released soon I believe Doo ad say Feb 19th for release of 2026 line up. Polaris announcement still unknown to me but I’m sure Poo will have a 2026 lineup as well. Public knowledge that there is plenty of non current inventory sitting in crates at all dealers. So what we do know is Textron put AC on a manufacturing pause and wanted to sell AC to someone and for them to pick up on the 2026 line up. So in Pete’s opinion only ,Textron should clarify for all what’s happening with AC 2026 line up very soon. If they have a buyer all well and good get on with it and whatever the new owner wants to do with snow products 2026 and beyond. If Textron still owns AC that’s all good too define 2026 line up and get on with their ownership responsibilities for their consumers and dealers. The wild card is Textron clarifies the 2026 line up ,takes orders until they can find a buyer this option I don’t like at all but up to Textron. Internet opinions run wild because Textron has no news at this time to share.
It a bad time to buy a snowmobile company due to all the non current inventory in crates. Imo they will all have a 2026 product line that is mostly BNG. I would highly doubt 2026 features any brand would be released that makes inventory obsolete. It would be smart to do what Yamaha did with Spring orders in the past 2026 orders in limited quantities or you don’t get a 2026 snowmobile until non currents are sold or in a manageable inventory amounts. Imo it won’t be a traditional approach to the 2026 market.
Unless there is a huge discount
Yeah, well whitedust, I figured on somebody to pick up on my getting Kip's name out there. I was not trying to throw him under the bus in any way whatsoever. As you, I, and most others know him all too well for him to be easily suckered in on that. However, I did get the other Yamaha name out in the open, eh!Set up poor Kip nice try Abe
But as this tread moves along, you jolted my memory a bit with your 26 model year product questions. As I remember back in the early 80's, another one of AC's closures, and then recovering back in to business, this time perhaps as Arctco? Seems there was a year, or two, 82, or 83, that lapsed, or was lost, and then the newly reorganized company produced basically the same discontinued model sleds from prior the bankruptcy closure? Perhaps with somewhat different decals as I think? However shortly thereafter AC released it's first ever A arm front suspension, and history was made once again. My good friend, and riding bud Arlin, back then was a die hard, long lived avid AC rider until cancer ended his life.Yup!
I hear ya but I don’t see AC shutting down and rising again the competition is too stalwart and the consumer wants security for their investment expected for the amount of money sleds cost. I do think the Textron manufacturing pause will come clear soon simply by defining 2026 product line and Spring deal orders. Catalyst orders are there to take so I can’t see Textron screwing that up. If they do it’s like throwing money away!Yeah, well whitedust, I figured on somebody to pick up on my getting Kip's name out there. I was not trying to throw him under the bus in any way whatsoever. As you, I, and most others know him all too well for him to be easily suckered in on that. However, I did get the other Yamaha name out in the open, eh!
I can't help but to agree with all of your thoughts on this whitedust. This is a whole lot different age we now live in, as compared to the 80's I mentioned. Sadly though, time is running out, and fast. Textron has to make their move quickly, or it's over, imo. Interested purchasing parties must be waiting for the fire sale?
You all crack me up. I wish I did know something, but I was as surprised as anyone to get approved. Here's the rest of the story! In late summer of 2024 Cat development came to me asking me to sign on. I said I'll consider it if it's snow only. They informed me that they would be perfectly fine with that. They knew our service reputation and that's what they wanted more than anything. I held my dealer application until mid December and then filled it out and sent it in. Everyone involved but Textron had signed off on it. A day after they announced the cutting of production and layoffs I received a email stating that Cat will no longer be signing up any new dealers. I let the D.M. know about my email and he was aware of the email being sent. Almost one week to the rejection email I received a new email saying you're approved and welcome to Arctic Cat. The next day the Arctic Insider update was released. On my mother's grave I honestly do not know what's going on with Cat, but I would be surprised if we don't see a new owner soon folks. When I called the Cat D.M. he was shocked and happy I was approved. He made a call to make sure it was true, and it was. I've had so many people text, email, and even had calls from dealers as far away as Idaho asking me what's going on. I have to laugh that people would actually think that one of Cat's newest dealers would actually know something! It's nice though because people have hope, and I'm glad we can be apart of that hope. Keep the faith everyone, Cat's not going anywhere! Of course that's just my 2 cents!!
. I wish I did know something, but I was as surprised as anyone to get approved. Here's the rest of the story! In late summer of 2024 Cat development came to me asking me to sign on. I said I'll consider it if it's snow only. They informed me that they would be perfectly fine with that. They knew our service reputation and that's what they wanted more than anything. I held my dealer application until mid December and then filled it out and sent it in. Everyone involved but Textron had signed off on it. A day after they announced the cutting of production and layoffs I received a email stating that Cat will no longer be signing up any new dealers. I let the D.M. know about my email and he was aware of the email being sent. Almost one week to the rejection email I received a new email saying you're approved and welcome to Arctic Cat. The next day the Arctic Insider update was released. On my mother's grave I honestly do not know what's going on with Cat, but I would be surprised if we don't see a new owner soon folks. When I called the Cat D.M. he was shocked and happy I was approved. He made a call to make sure it was true, and it was. I've had so many people text, email, and even had calls from dealers as far away as Idaho asking me what's going on. I have to laugh that people would actually think that one of Cat's newest dealers would actually know something! It's nice though because people have hope, and I'm glad we can be apart of that hope. Keep the faith everyone, Cat's not going anywhere! Of course that's just my 2 cents!!