Family-owned businesses are often cited for their ability to contribute significant innovation within their respective market. When considering outboard motors, the aforementioned claim rings true. Lou, Julius, Clarence, and Harry Johnson were four brothers from the small town of Terre Haute, Indiana. Around the turn of the century, the four brothers began work on developing effective and small marine engines. Originally designed to help propel their small rowboat, the Johnson brothers eventually realized that the quality, power, and dependability of their engine could be of tremendous benefit to both larger corporate means of transportation, such as air travel (still relatively undeveloped at that point in time), as well as the average citizen. Earlier implementations of the motors were featured in planes, as the company's engine was responsible for the United States' first monoplane flight. After the flight, production rapidly increased and the company eventually reached an output level of 7,000 engines per year as of the 1920s. With the introduction of Ford and other transportation powerhouses, the brothers began investing a large portion of their research and development into the production of marine motors.
Innovation in Johnson Outboard Motors
From the company's initial founding, Johnson has continually been a name associated with quick and powerful outboard motor systems. Prior to 1958, the company principally focused on 1 and 2 cylinder outboard motors, as this power generally satisfied the consumer market they mainly attracted. However, after 1958, and the merger with Evinrude, the company released a V4 outboard engine. Rated at 50 horsepower, the company's distinct 1950s outboard motor is principally characterized by a single 2-barrel downdraft carburetor. Throughout the next decade, the motor continued to undergo significant alterations, such as an inline four-barrel side draft carburetor and the eventual accomplishment of hitting 100 horsepower in 1964. These engines were considered too basic even at their highest potential and were subsequently replaced in production by the crossflow engine. As opposed to older motors, the crossflow, introduced in 1969, featured sharp angles due to the crossflow V4 engine being at a 90-degree angle. Also, the motors moved away from fuel injection towards carburetors.
Until 1985, the motors remained fairly unaltered in their basic design. After the mid-1980s, Johnson began incorporating twin-stroke technology into their motor productions. As opposed to previous four stroke engines, the two-stroke only required one revolution to complete what would take a four-stroke engine twice that number of rotations. After the 1980s, the fourth and most common motor produced by the company was an engine featuring direct fuel injection during the 1990s.
The Johnson Outboard Motors Tradition
Current outboard motors from the company consistently carry some of the classic trademarks that originated around the turn of the century. Known as innovators and strict adherents to the quality of their final product, Johnson Outboard Motors have long pursued high-powered, fuel-efficient, cost-effective motor systems. The history of the company is complex primarily due to both the age of the overall organization, dating back to the early 20th century, and the company mergers that have altered the name, research and development of the motor line. However, the company still produces the same innovative, top-quality outboard motors as the Johnson brothers did in that small Indiana town, powering their rowboat downstream.
