There is little which speaks to the rich and colourful legacy of snowmobiling more than the array of vintage snowmobile decals and stickers floating around these days. In fact, there are a number of printing companies whose bread-and-butter product is printing reproductions of these vintage snowmobile decals.
With the heritage of snowmobiling stretching back into the late 1950's and early 1960's, and in some case even earlier, there is a treasure trove of cool-looking vintage snowmobile logos, slogans and brand names to reproduce and/or collect.
Recently, when I was taking a picture of a vintage Arctic Cat Panther, I noticed it sported a nifty-looking third party decal on its cowling. The decal was from a local car wash called Roger's Soft Spray in Fernie, B.C. Obviously, the owner of Roger's Soft Spray knew that snowmobilers were good clients of his car wash, as they often returned from a snowmobile run with their sleds and trucks more than a little grimy. Roger (I assume his name was Roger) thus created a neat looking decal to reminded sledders of his soft spray services.
There are even some jurisdictions that are offer vintage snowmobile owners and collectors special "heritage" decals for their registration plates.
For example, this report was recently posted: "Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said owners of rides that are age 26 or older can buy the new decals to mark their snowmobiles as "vintage" to show off at shows and club events. The decal is for snowmobiles owned solely as collector’s items. The decal means the machine is "historic," Johnson said. A Michigan snowmobile trail permit will not be required for sleds that have a historic registration decal. Sleds registered as historic are limited to occasional use and may only be used in club activities, exhibitions, tours and for similar uses, Johnson said. The registration does not expire and may not be transferred to a new owner if the snowmobile is sold. Registration fees support snowmobile trail grooming and other purposes."
“The Michigan Snowmobile Association and its members are thrilled that this option is now available to enthusiasts with historic snowmobiles,” said Bill Manson, the association’s executive director. “The shows and racing events for antique and vintage sleds have taken snowmobilers back to their roots in the sport.”
Vintage snowmobile decals are becoming more and more popular with collectors and old sled enthusiasts, as they take them back to the golden era of snowmobiling—when dozens and dozens of snowmobile manufacturers vied for your business—and these companies and their graphic artists created eye-catching logos and graphics.
So do you have a collection of vintage snowmobile decals or stickers? Share a photo with us at [email protected]
