Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

[Capt.Insane-o]

Well..I am going to stick my head out and say this..
Yes..BRP is not building anymore Evinrude outboards for the moment..
..but whats going to happen in the future..nobody knows yet..

Attachment 466674

Ugh..it looks like the 9.5

[Instigator]

Bring back the seadrive, bring back the seadrive!

Well..I am going to stick my head out and say this..
Yes..BRP is not building anymore Evinrude outboards for the moment..
..but whats going to happen in the future..nobody knows yet..

Attachment 466674

[lars strom]

BRP.. the owner of the Evinrude brand decided yesterday not to build any more outboards. (for now)
In my opinion BRP should have stopped building Evinrude outboards a few years ago..!!
Here is why..the top man in charge Jose Boisjoli is still there after 19 years.I guess Mr. Boisjoli don't understand the marine power business and that's no problem if you hire the right people to run the Evinrude division.
Well..did he do so...the answer is pretty easy...NO.
2014 BRP asked me to be an Ambassador for the Evinrude brand. I was honored and was extremely excited..The G2 was introduced and BRP was promising too let the world know how great the cleanest piston outboard was by lots of advertising / promoting of the new clean 2 stroke.(did never happen)
Pretty soon I run in to plenty of issues as an Ambassador.
People and dealers from all over America and the world was contacting me about for them important stuff. In a very nice way I informed the BRP top management what was going on out there.
Well..they did not really want my input.
You could tell by miles BRP did not know how to marketing the new G2 outboard. Both Mercury and the Yamaha leaders was much smarter and cut Evinrude out from all the large boat factories.
Not sure how many times I told BRP we need bigger and more powerful Evinrude Outboards..and a much better Marketing Director.
I guess the man in charge at Evinrude Engineering was only interested in developing smaller outboards when the market where all the money are was asking for bigger more powerful outboards.
Long story short..BRP could not do what the market asked for and took the Evinrude sign down yesterday. To blame it on the Coronavirus is ridiculous.
The only way for Evinrude to come alive again is with a new powerful owner.
Forget Penske..he is 80 years old..I was hoping for a deal with Volvo Penta 3 years ago when Volvo Penta purchased 7 Marine.
Not sure about Volvo Penta today..Its very hard to find a new owner for the Evinrude brand..One ting is for sure..marine dealers and Evinrude supporters have lost all the trust in BRP..
BRP..don't even try to come back in a year or so.
Just sell the Evinrude brand to someone else and get out of the boat building business also..
I know..the BRP/See-Doo is still popular but a completely different animal from outboards.
To build and sell tons of outboards you need to know the marine power business.
Sorry if I made any one upset but this is my take on all this.
PS..Not sure why I even care about this anymore..

[powerabout]

seadrive with a supercharged v8 would be a starter

[FMP]

Because it's impossible to look away.

Paul Westhoff, didn't he lead the big G2 development.

[Instigator]

Lars I remember when they were looking for that Ambassador.

A good friend suggested I apply for it.
I told him, no way.

After all the yrs I’ve been involved, and the crap I’d seen/heard, and as outspoken as I am......, wouldn’t last long.
I was pretty sure that position was going to be smoke and mirrors which it was.
I have worked for companies in the past, that had an inferior product but refused to accept it and forced us to market it anyhow.
Too many corporate types w/their heads in the sand.
You can only re-explain reality so many ways, so many times.

You did us proud Lars.
They screwed by not taking advantage of it and doing what they promised.

[Instigator]

I remember too, BRP was talking to a couple of my friends about developing some Hi Perf product.
As we know, that never happened.
My friends declined due to lack of control.

[lars strom]

[powerabout]

Because it's impossible to look away.

Paul Westhoff, didn't he lead the big G2 development.

https://boatingindustry.com/news/201...orld-congress/

[FMP]

Also received $650M loan the other week, they make profit!

[Lake X Kid]

I am surprised BRP did not sell the Evinrude brand, before this, their last resort of discontinuing the manufacturing without a new owner. A new potential Evinrude owner, now has a better negotiating leverage to purchase the Evinrude brand. BRP put themselves in a diminish role, they are now probably desperate to sell the Evinrude brand.

In this environment a potential new owner can purchase, at fire-sale prices from BRP. In future hindsight if a new owner acquires the Evinrude Brand, then it might be the best thing for Evinrude's survival.

BRP.. the owner of the Evinrude brand decided yesterday not to build any more outboards. (for now)
In my opinion BRP should have stopped building Evinrude outboards a few years ago..!!
Here is why..the top man in charge Jose Boisjoli is still there after 19 years.I guess Mr. Boisjoli don't understand the marine power business and that's no problem if you hire the right people to run the Evinrude division.
Well..did he do so...the answer is pretty easy...NO.

The only way for Evinrude to come alive again is with a new powerful owner.
Forget Penske..he is 80 years old..I was hoping for a deal with Volvo Penta 3 years ago when Volvo Penta purchased 7 Marine.
Not sure about Volvo Penta today..Its very hard to find a new owner for the Evinrude brand..One ting is for sure..marine dealers and Evinrude supporters have lost all the trust in BRP..
BRP..don't even try to come back in a year or so.
Just sell the Evinrude brand to someone else and get out of the boat building business also..

To build and sell tons of outboards you need to know the marine power business.
Sorry if I made any one upset but this is my take on all this.
PS..Not sure why I even care about this anymore..

[lars strom]

Leaving our Florida motorcoach resort tomorrow for Lake of the Ozarks.
First stop St. Lucie Battery & Tire to fix a bad valve stem..
Of course the most difficult wheel.. inside drive axle..

[lars strom]

My lovely “Lovebug” is helping me washing of the bad Love-bug..
The trip to "World famous"..Lake of the Ozaks have started..

[lars strom]

From my FaceBook page today..

Cathy McConnell

This last weeks decisions with Evinrude, have made me very sad.
With all of the other craziness going on in the World, it is just one more thing. With way too much time on my hands to “think”....... I have a question. Where or Who is going to preserve the memorabilia from the 1970’s era of Boat Racing? What are the Racers, like Jimbo, suppose to do with the years of memories?? Are there any serious plans about a Museum? At some point there should be a “physical” place. Sites like this page are so good, and I so appreciate Lars for this site, but what do you do with the “stuff”?? Programs, articles, magazines, posters, uniforms, hats, patches, special awards, special trophy’s, interesting burnt pistons and other items that contributed to an era of boat racing that will never be repeated?? The drivers of that era are all getting older and they probably all have memorabilia. Before it all goes in a dumpster, someone needs to think about this. Many of the younger drivers of today don’t understand what paved the Racing Journey before them.....and so much technology. Boat Racing is just like NASCAR...... totally different today.

[Rotary John]

Cathy: Alex Browne in Ga. is trying to set up a museum for outboard racing. He's the one with the Goat Boat. I gave him all of my stuff. I also thought there was a Ralph Evinrude museum in Milwaukee.