the huskymobile

From his days as a youngster in the small Manitoba town of Winnipegosis, Frank Smerch dreamed of building a vehicle that could be used summer and winter by fishermen, trappers and hunters. His first attempt at building such a vehicle was not a roaring success. The 1937 model consisted of DKW motorcycle with a homemade ski attached to the front wheel. Instead of gliding over the snow, the ski dug into the snow, which caused the rear wheel to dig deep holes. This, of course, resulted in no forward motion.

Smerch joined the army as soon as he was old enough and trained as a
machinist. After a five-year hitch in the Canadian army, he returned home to Snow Lake and later to Flin Flon, Manitoba. In 1948, he open his own custom machine shop. Smerch's friend wanted a vehicle such as Frank had dreamed of building. There were several model changes before the Huskymobile could be considered a reliable machine, but he eventually perfected it over the years.

True to its name, the Huskymobile offered many features that made it
a snow beast, including oak skis that measured 60-inches long and a tough, 16-inch track constructed of two 5-ply rubber-covered belts with steel cleats. It also offered such forward-thinking features as electric start and creature comforts including a wraparound Plexiglas windshield to stave off the elements for up to three adult riders.

Power from the Huskymobile's twin-cylinder, air-cooled 13 horsepower
Wisconsin engine (or four-cylinder, air-cooled 21 hp engine) was del-ivered to the snow via a Model "A" Ford transmission with reverse and
three forward gears.

This tough tower was rated to 1,300 pounds. With the 13 hp engine, the
Huskymobile weighed in at 900 pounds; with the 21 hp model, 1,000 pounds.