1982 Arctic Cat El Tigre prototype

This is a pre-production prototype of what would have been a 1982 El Tigre 6000. This likely started out as a 1981 El Tigre but was upfitted with the newly styled hood, nose cone, belly pan and console that was to set the 1982's apart from it's predecessors. This also has the rare sandcast 500 liquid-cooled engine in it with oil injection...a feature that never did see production on the 500 liquid even in later years. This bears "E 24" on the tunnel and some old records we have from Arctic Enterprises indicate this was a Field Test sled. The same document shows a total of 6 of these, that may represent the total number of these that were built? As of this writing we are aware of a total of 4 of these in existance. We first learned of this sled in 1991 and finally purchased it in 2003 from a gentleman in Duluth Minnesota. It is mostly original other than a complete mechanical overhaul, refinishing the hood, etc. Chassis vin number: 1017733. Engine number: ZTO370-12. This sled is pictured on page 121 of the book 50 Years of the Cat, by John Sandberg.