I am pictured below in late winter of 1978 with this 1979 Trailfire JD Snowmobile.  The snowmobile has a 440 Kawasaki engine.  This was an introduction meeting for new model snowmobiles, held in either Alexandria MN or Minneapolis.  I was 41 at the time this picture was taken so that may tell you my age.  In Deere and Company, Robert J Carlson, was on the board of directors, and was a big pusher of snowmobiles.  He was the son of Carlyle R. Carlson, who died in the late 1960’s, who also came up through the ranks of John Deere, and ended up on the board of directors.  Carlyle was at one time Branch Manager of the Mpls. Branch, and very conservative when it came to spending money.  For example the cars that were bought for the Branch, were always the lowest cost Chevrolets that could be purchased, without any radios, AC, etc. and also reluctant to put AC in offices when it first came out.  He always said the Company had to keep their cost down, so they could sell machinery at a lower cost to farmers.  Robert, his son, seemed to be of a different mindset, and really pushed the snowmobiles, which were produced at Horican, WI.  They made a racing model, mainly to race in the snowmobile race from St. Paul to Winnipeg.  They even had a support team, that supported the racers.  By 1980, the farm prices of the 80’s were starting.  By that time, Robert was gone, no longer with Deere.  Between 1980 and 1984, 40% of the work force at JD, were laid off or put on early retirement.  Deere was trying to survive.  Other companies, like IHC and Allis Chalmers, were looking at bankruptcy.  Deere got out of the snowmobile business quickly early in 1984, by selling all their interest for a few pennies on a dollar to Polaris.  Polaris was supposed to make Deere machines and support it to Deere dealers, which never materialized.