What's in a name?

Badge engineering, where generic base products are developed into branded products by different manufacturers, has been with us a long time. It's well established in the automotive fields remember the Ford Laser/Mazda 323, Nissan Patrol/ Ford Maverick, Holden Commodore/Toyota Lexcen and it's been around in the world of outboards for quite some time.

Indeed, apart from the well-known case of Evinrude and Johnson (OMC) outboards until October this year they were essentially the same product apart from colour and decals other outboard manufacturers have been dabbling with the concept for at least three decades.

Obviously, capitalising on another manufacturer's established product reduces R&D costs which can run into millions of dollars, even for a small motor. It also allows greater economies of scale if brand Y and M share a 25hp outboard design and therefore sell 500,000 in total, each unit will in theory be cheaper than two lots of 250,000 produced in isolation.

And then there's some practical on-the-ground considerations part swapping in remote regions for one. For example, some Mariner and Mercury parts fit Tohatsu outboards and some OMC parts fit Suzukis and Tohatsus...

Mercury Marine
This company markets Mariner, Mercury and Force outboards and was the first to openly market another manufacturer's products under its own label.

Using the Australian market as a test bed, it introduced the Mariner label in 1975, which was a Yamaha-built motor up to 55hp and Mercury-built above this size. All the pre-mix Mariners operated on a 50:1 petrol/oil ratio, whereas from '77 onwards Yamaha switched its smaller (under 60hp) motors to the far cleaner-running 100:1 mix.

Until '75, Yamahas were imported by Burns Philp, but when Mercury Marine introduced its Mariner range Yamaha was prohibited from selling its own motors on the Aussie market until late '82.

The Yamaha-built Mariners established an excellent reputation for reliability, and even now many commercial operators and recreational boaters believe that Mariner and Mercury are separate companies.

The Yamaha-built Mariner 6-55hp models were replaced by US-built Mercury models through the 1980s, though in certain third world markets smaller Mariners are still made by Yamaha.

Currently, Yamaha builds the base powerheads for the Mariner/Mercury 9.9, 15, 25 and 50hp four-strokes, while Mercury Marine fits its own carburettors, legs and lower units.

With Yamaha Marine firmly entrenched in the local market by the mid-1980s, Mercury Marine formed an alliance with Tohatsu Corporation to manufacture single-cylinder outboards. This move resulted in the 2.2, 2.5, 3.3, 4 and 5 models, which were essentially Tohatsus apart from the paint (and later the base alloy).

Mercury Marine marketed these Tohatsu-manufactured motors from 1985 and had replaced the Yamaha-built motors up to 5hp by 1990. From the early '90s all these motors were built in Mercury Marine's Verviers (Belgium) plant, which also builds MerCruiser diesel inboards and sterndrives.

Late in '96 Mercury Marine introduced its Mariner and Mercury versions of the popular and lightweight loop-charged Tohatsu 30, which was followed in September this year by a Mariner/Mercury badged Tohatsu MFS5A, Tohatsu's first four-stroke outboard.

This will be followed by 9.9 and 15hp four-strokes (or perhaps 9.8 and 18 models if Australian Tohatsu distributor, Lakeside Ma rine, has its way) which may replace the Yamaha-origin 9.9 and 15 four-strokes.

Already, the Mariner 15 sold in Asian markets is a Tohatsu 15, so other Tohatsu models may replace the relatively thirsty cross-flow US-built models from 6 to 15hp.

The torquey loop-charged Mariner/Mercury 25 should remain for some time, though industry talk is that Mercury Marine wants to concentrate on larger motors (particularly Optimaxes) from 40hp and up.

And when Tohatsu finally releases its three-cylinder Orbital-Optimax injection 50, it will give Mercury Marine the chance to offer buyers the choice of a midrange four-stroke or injected two-stroke.

As most boaters know, Force outboards started life as re-incarnated Chryslers, particularly the 5, 9.9, 15, 40 and 50. However, to improve reliability and reduce manufacturing costs, the legs and lower units of 25hp models and up are from Mariner/Mercury models.

OMC
Up until 1990, OMC designed and manufactured all its own motors. But as OMC's Chinese manufacturing facility gained strength, it was given the chance to develop its own small outboards.

The result was the 2.3 and 3.3, which bore more than a passing resemblance to the Tohatsu 2.5/3.5. By increasing the cylinder bore one millimetre and changing the shape of the anti-ventilation plate, OMC was able to avoid paying Tohatsu Corporation any royalties on its 'own' designs.

But at least something good came out of this situation for Tohatsu owners propellers, the recoil starter and waterpump impeller from OMC's models will fit the Tohatsu 2.5/3.5 and at considerably less cost than the 'genuine' parts!

This year, OMC signed an agreement with the Suzuki Motor Corporation to build a lightweight single-cylinder 5hp and an EFI four-stroke 70.

When OMC Australia releases its much-awaited Ficht 70 late next year, it will be able to offer boaters a choice of EFI two or four-stroke technology.

NEXT: We take a look at Suzuki, Tohatsu, Yamaha and Yanmar.