Two decades ago, the
RANGER 6x6 vehicle was introduced and revolutionized the
side-by-side category.
Mitchell Johnson, son of David Johnson - one of the founders of Polaris,
remembers how the initial idea came to be. “We had talked from
time-to-time about making a side-by-side ATV for a driver and
passenger. One day, Edgar Hetteen [one of our founders] came
to my office and said we should make a 6x6 in a side-by-side
configuration, he loved the machine but wanted to ride beside
his wife Hannah.”
Four concepts were explored as two important features were debated
- ride-in vs. ride-on and handlebar vs. steering wheel. Eventually,
the shown concept (left) was selected, with a ride-in and steering
wheel design, and ultimately, became the first
RANGER.