Most notably, a 1984 Chris-Craft 312 won the Golden Gate to Spruce Goose race sponsored by Powerboat Magazine in 1984. In addition to developing the Chris-Cat models for racing, Murray Chris-Craft also raced its deep-v, offshore Stinger models. Murray believed that a racing program would benefit the company to develop safe, performance watercraft for its customers. The boat went on to set new speed records in its class that year and in years to come. In fulfilling a commitment to return to powerboat racing, in 1984 Murray Chris-Craft developed the new 300 Chris-Cat, a racing catamaran powered by twin 400 or 420 horsepower high performance power plants and was added to its 1984 sport boat fleet. Chris-Craft Industries was subsequently acquired by News Corporation in 2000 for its television subsidiaries. Chris-Craft Industries retained the Chris-Craft trademark and licensed it to Murray. In the face of declining sales due to the recession of the late 1970s and early 1980s, Chris-Craft Industries sold its boat division to George Dale Murray and a small group of investors that included Dick Genth, F. Chris-Craft ended production of its last mahogany-hulled boat, the Constellation, in 1971. The line of Commanders soon grew to include sizes ranging from 19' to 60' - all "styled in fiberglass."īetween the 1960s and 1980s, Chris-Craft increasingly moved toward fiberglass as a construction material of choice, primarily because of its durability and low maintenance requirements. This first Commander was a 38' express hardtop with a 13' beam. This dramatic new design was unveiled at the New York City National Boat show, perched at the top of an escalator on a giant, castered cradle. In 1964, Chris-Craft launched the all-fiberglass Chris-Craft Commander. Old Crown was sold to its employees a short time later. In 1962, the company acquired the Old Crown Brewing Corporation, a brewery company based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. In 1962, the new owners renamed the company Chris-Craft Industries, Incorporated. Ĭhris-Craft constructed its first fiberglass boat in 1955, and by 1957, the company purchased the Roamer Boat Company and began manufacturing metal boats under its newly formed Roamer Steel Boats Division (RSBD).Ĭhris-Craft was acquired by Shields & Company's National Automotive Fibers, Inc. At one time, the company offered 159 different models, and it was the sales leader in many categories of small civilian powerboats. That decade marked the height of company prestige, and the brand name Chris-Craft became virtually synonymous with pleasure boating. They were easy to operate and maintain, which was a significant requirement for their "weekend sailor" owners. The boats were typically made from mahogany, and they were considered to be among the best available. The company sold high-end boats to famous customers, such as Dean Martin, Katharine Hepburn, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley. įollowing the war, Chris-Craft introduced a new lineup of civilian pleasure boats in time for the great American consumer market expansion of the 1950s. By the end of hostilities in 1945, the company had constructed in excess of 12,000 small boats for the United States military. With the United States entering the Second World War in 1941, Chris-Craft shifted its focus to producing military goods, including patrol boats, rescue vessels, and utility launches for the United States Army and Navy. Chris Smith died in 1939, at the age of 78. In 1927, Chris Smith's son, Jay Smith, took over the company as President and General Manager – positions he would hold for the next 31 years. Chris-Craft sold high-end powerboats to wealthy patrons, such as Henry Ford and William Randolph Hearst. The company name was changed to Chris-Craft in 1924. In 1922, Smith formed the Chris Smith & Sons Boat Company in Algonac, Michigan. Their products made their debut at the New York and Chicago Boat Shows that year. In 1910, the brothers joined with other partners to form the Smith Ryan Boat and Engine Company, focusing on building fast, economically-priced runabout boats for mass-market distribution. In 1881, he joined his brother Henry to begin manufacturing boats full-time. Chris Smith built his first wooden boat – a simple skiff, or punt – in 1874 when he was 13 years old.
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