Arctic Cat produced its first snowmobile in 1960.
The company emerged after Edgar Hetteen left Polaris Industries, the earlier snowmobile business he had helped establish. Hetteen initially formed Polar Manufacturing in Thief River Falls, Minnesota; the company soon adopted the Arctic Enterprises name and developed its own snowmobiles.
Arctic Cat’s first machine appeared during the formative years of the snowmobile industry, when manufacturers were moving from practical work vehicles toward lighter recreational sleds. The brand grew into one of the major North American competitors alongside Polaris, Ski-Doo, and Yamaha.
The year 1960 is sometimes confused with later company milestones. Arctic Cat introduced additional models during the early 1960s, including machines associated with the Model 500 and Model 100 names. The business also experienced a major disruption when Arctic Enterprises entered bankruptcy in 1982. A successor company, Arctco, revived production, later restoring the Arctic Cat name.