Bass Pro Shops’ chairman Johnny Morris announced a deal with Textron to manufacture a line of all-terrain vehicles called Tracker Off Road. The two companies made the announcement last week at a gathering of 2,000 staff, dealers and distributors at Bass Pro Shops’ headquarters in Springfield, Mo.
“We’re extremely excited to extend the Tracker legacy of delivering unmatched breakthrough value and quality for a whole new category of outdoor recreation and fun with Tracker Off Road,” Morris said in a statement. “Our incredible partners at Textron are forging Tracker Off Road vehicles with the same levels of deep expertise that goes into building state-of-the-art business jets, marine assault vehicles and military helicopters.”
Morris said the all-terrain vehicles would be sold through its White River Marine dealer base, as well as through Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s, which it acquired in 2017. The ATVs are in production at Textron’s facility in Thief River Falls, Minn. They will be shipped to dealers in the spring.
The new models will be designed in partnership with Textron Specialized Vehicles, which also manufactures Arctic Cat snowmobiles, side-by-sides and ATVs; Cushman utility vehicles; E-Z-GO golf carts; Jacobsen professional turf care equipment; and Textron GSE ground support equipment.
The launch event included NFL Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning, country music star Luke Bryan, professional bull rider “Cool Hand” Luke Snyder and fishing pro Jimmy Houston. It was broadcast live on Jan. 17 to all Bass Pro and Cabela’s stores and more than 600 independent dealers.
In 1978, Morris introduced the world’s first “professionally rigged and nationally marketed boat, motor and trailer packages.” The statement said that Bass Pro’s White River Marine Group is now the largest global boatbuilder in terms of units.
