[1] US-based Victory motorcycle and Polaris ATV manufacturer Polaris Industries has plenty to boast about in its 2010 fourth-quarter and full-year financial results. Dollar-sterling forex translations were made at the rates applicable on 31 January.

In the final quarter, Polaris achieved record sales, up by 31 per cent year-on-year to £386.1m. Operating profit rose by 13 per cent to £48.8m and net profit for the quarter increased by 24 per cent to £34m - also both records.

For the full 12 months of 2010, yet another record revenue figure was up by 27 per cent on 2009, at £1.24bn. Allied to rigorous cost-cutting, this yielded a 34 per cent boost to operating profit at £137.8m and a 46 per cent increase in net profit to £91.8m.

Although by far the biggest slice of the Polaris business is side-by-side and quad-style ATVs, its Victory motorcycle arm also did well. Victory sales were up by eight per cent in the fourth quarter to £12.9m and put on 55 per cent to £50.9m over the full year - despite the US heavyweight cruiser market still being in retreat.

For 2011, Polaris is forecasting a year-on-year sales increase of up to 11 per cent, with net profit potentially up by as much as 20 per cent.