Historical Hockey Memorabilia Auction June 2016
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/15/2016
If you had the chance to watch Gilles Villeneuve in action on a snowmobile racetrack during the 1970s, you left with a lasting impression of a driver mastering speed at the absolute limit, no matter the track conditions or what machine he rode. Despite his 130-lb. 5-foot-4 frame he could muscle the Alouette around, always right at the limit of traction. The Alouette’s were powered by modified Sachs engines, not quite the cutting edge of power like Yamaha, Polaris, Arctic, or Ski-Doo motors. Yet Gilles seemed able to wring extra performance out of his sleds to win races. The whole thing was puzzling to many. While the factory teams arrived in big semis with million dollar budgets, Canadians’ Gilles and Jacques arrived in an old converted school bus.
The Villeneuve brothers impressed everyone with their constant “on the limit” driving styles and their “never quit” spirit. Besides being an exceptionally talented driver, Gilles also was a skilled “natural” engineer. Although he never had any basic technical college training, he had a good eye and natural instinct for what would work mechanically, and was always looking for a technical advantage or a new design to give him an edge. He shocked race fans when he unveiled his twin-track Alouette, which was basically a Formula car with tracks replacing the wheels that were mounted on Formula A-frame suspensions. Decades later, this equipment is now standard on snowmobiles. The 5-speed gearbox on this modified speedster was Villeneuve’s own design, with it later replaced by a belt-drive system.
Displayed at the Gilles Villeneuve museum in Berthierville Quebec until recently, this Alouette 440 race-used snowmobile from the 1970s has been completely restored. In deep red with “13” decal on one side, and “440 Super” on the other, “Alouette” and “G.Villeneuve” decals also grace the top portion. Additional signature decals in blue have been placed along the top and on the side below the seat. This will likely be your only chance to own a historic racer from the legendary driver Gilles Villeneuve. Please note that special shipping arrangements will be required.
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