The Evolution of Offroad

Since the invention of the internal combustion engine in 1876 people have wanted to improve the capabilities of the vehicles they sat inside. In 1903 they did just that. The Spyker 60-HP (Horse Power) race car was the world’s first 4WD that was powered by an internal combustion engine. This vehicle was also the first to have 4 wheel braking, a 6 cylinder engine, and the first car to mount the engine in the front. In 1940 the first mass-produced 4 wheel drive car was released titled the Willys jeep.

Before understanding how far it has come you need to know what I mean by offroad. Off-Road vehicles can be put into 4 general categories: 4×4, UTV, ATV, and MX. 4×4 vehicles are vehicles in which all 4 wheels are getting power from the engine. UTV stands for “All-Terrain Vehicle” and these are typically smaller vehicles that are built to drive off paved roads, typically recognized as side by sides or buggies. ATV and MX stand for “All-Terrain Vehicle” and “Motocross”, typically known as quads and dirtbikes.

 In 1948 the citroën 2CV was released at the Paris Mondial de l’Automobile. This vehicle was the first mass-production car with front to rear mechanical interconnected suspension. This car was equipped with a 9-29HP air-cooled engine and a 4-speed manual transmission. Although The Hotchkiss drive was the first suspension used in American cars starting in the 1930’s it was only in the rear.

 In 1951 Chrysler released the first commercial power steering system in the Chrysler imperial called the hydraguide. For those of you that don’t know, power steering is a system typically put in cars that assist steering by using a hydraulic system. This allowed UTV’s and 4×4’s to gain better control of their vehicles. Quads and Dirt Bikes don’t normally have power steering because of their lightweight.

 The ’70s was a big era for offroad, in it the first dirt bike, ATV, side by side, and offroad go-kart were released. From 1968-1971 Yamaha produced the first 2 wheeled vehicles with off-road capabilities, it came with an 18HP 2-stroke engine. In 1970 honda released their first ATV the US90, it was a 3 wheeler with an automatic 4-speed transmission and large tires instead of suspension. The second achievement in 1970 was the first side by side, this came with the 290 JLO engine. Later in the ’70s was the first off-road go-kart. the Honda Odyssey was arguably the most memorable off-road vehicle from the 1900s, the single-seater go-kart came equipped with a 250cc 2 stroke engine with a CVT transmission.

 In 1998 Doug Henry won the first AMA motocross national championship on a 4 stroke motorcycle. This was accomplished on a 1998 yz400f. These were the first dirt bikes to come stock with Keihin FCR carburetor.

 Over the years off-road vehicles have become more and more advanced. In recent years technology has improved to the point where you can tune almost everything on your vehicle with the push of a button. The question is, What’s next?