In 1920, Ole and his wife, Bess, founded the ELTO (Evinrude Light Twin Outboard) company and introduced a light-weight 2-cylinder outboard. Eventually, due to declining markets, ELTO, Evinrude and the Lockwood Motor Company would merge to become OMC (Outboards Motor Corporation) later acquiring Johnson Motors Co. Ole Evinrude sold out to his partner in 1913 with a promise not to compete for 5-years. By 1912, the Evinrude Outboard Company had sold thousands. The best known and most successful early outboard motor was developed by a Norwegian immigrant inventor, Ole Evinrude, in 1909. By 1914, the company had sold over 25,000 units. Waterman started developing the “Porto-Motor” in 1903. In turn, in order to compete with the 2-stroke performance, 4-stroke outboards needed to lose some weight.Īlthough the American Motors Company made about 25 gas powered outboards before 1900, it took a Yale engineering student named Cameron Waterman to make a commercially feasible outboard. It became evident that it would be necessary for the 2-stroke outboards to be re-engineered to become quieter and cleaner running. In 2004, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) put an end to the 2-stroke's dominance by enacting stricter limits on pollutants, and then in 2007, making the restrictions even stricter. It is widely understood that modern 4-stroke outboards are quieter, produce less vibration and create significantly less pollution. However, until recently, due to expense and weight, 4-stroke outboards were not widely accepted. There has been a divide between those that prefer 2-stroke outboards and those who prefer 4-stroke outboards. Traditionally, because of the simplicity and light weight, 2-stroke outboards have dominated the outboard market.
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