the polaris comet

The 1964 Polaris Comet was one of the most important snowmobiles in the
history of Polaris Industries. It marked the first notable failure in the company's history. The Comet was the first Polaris sled built with the engine up front and though it was tested extensively on the glacier fields of Mount McKinley prior to production, it never did gain favor with the buying public.

It passed every test on the hard packed surface of the glacier, but when it came to performance in everyday use in the snowbelt, it was a major failure. As David Johnson, one of the three founders of Polaris said about the Comet, "There were only three things wrong with the sled. The engine wouldn't run, the clutch wouldn't hold up and the track wouldn't go in the snow."

The Comet was expected to gain favor with the buying public because of
its compact size and versatility. Most sleds up to this point had been considered work horses, but the Comet was sporty enough to be given consideration as a recreational vehicle. It also had year-round potential because the skis could be replaced with wheels. At the conclusion of the exhaustive tests on Mount McKinley, the sled was sent into production.

It wasn't long until customers discovered that the Comet didn't live
up to their expectations. The sleds were all recalled for extensive reworking and as Johnson said, "We built only 400 sleds but it seemed like 500 were returned." In addition to the aforementioned troubles, more showed up. The flexible tubing of the exhaust system leaked like a government secret and the front-mount gas tank which was built into the frame, was susceptible to punctures. This was the darkest hour in Polaris history and other companies were camped on the doorstep offering to buy the business for a dime on the dollar.

These offers were ignored and Polaris grabbed their bootstraps and gave
a mighty tug upward. Allan Hetteen, company President and Polaris founder, knew that his company was on the brink of disaster. He sent letters to all creditors asking them to stand by the struggling company until they could get back on their feet. These vendors, impressed by Hetteen's sincerity and determination to pay every last dime of debt, agreed to accept whatever Polaris could afford to pay monthly while the new model was being designed and built. This new model was to be the savior of Polaris. It would be named the Mustang.

The Comets that were returned to the factory were refitted with rear
engines and sold the next season as the 1965 Super Pacer. The Comet front ends were attached to the Pacer chassis and an 8 hp Kohler engine was installed. These converted Comets were sold in 1965 and 1966. The space under the hood now was utilized as storage. The model numbers and engine options for the Super Pacer included the L-600 (Lauson 6 hp engine), K-600 (Kohler 6 hp engine), KA-600 (Kohler 6 hp engine with alternator) and KA-800 (Kohler 8 hp engine with alternator and electrical system).