The company was acquired by Shields & Company's NAFI Corporation in 1960 under which the company operated independently. This was founded upon its purchase of the Roamer Boat Company, and the boats became known as Chris Craft Roamers. The company added a metal boat division in 1957, designated as the Roamer Steel Boats Division (RSBD). Even their lower-priced boats were considered to be of high quality, often featuring such luxurious items as a liberal use of mahogany, teak, and brass.Ĭhris-Craft manufactured its first fiberglass boat by 1955. In some circles, owning a Chris-Craft was expected. They were easy to operate, a must for their "weekend sailor" owners. Their boats were often made from the finest mahogany and 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. 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 Chris-Craft brand name became virtually synonymous with pleasure boating.
Navy.Īfter the war, Chris-Craft introduced a new lineup of civilian pleasure boats in time for the massive American consumer expansion of the 1950s. During World War II, the company produced small patrol boats and launches for the U.S. The company introduced a line of low-priced powerboats to stay solvent. The Great Depression robbed many Americans of discretionary income, and Chris-Craft sales suffered. The company sold its boats on an installment plan, making them among the first powerboats available to the general population. Its innovative advertising campaign promised a piece of "the good life" to the growing American middle class. At the time, the domain of speedboats was largely confined to the wealthy. In 1927, the company introduced the Cadet, an affordable 22' runabout. Engines were supplied by both Ford and Chrysler, and by the Hercules Engine Company in later models. Formerly, most powerboats had been hand-built.
Clair River, dramatically lowering production costs. The company began assembly line production at their plant in Algonac, Michigan, on the St. In the late 1920s, Chris-Craft extended its market into the middle class when it became one of the first mass-producers of civilian pleasure boats. Chris-Craft sold high-end powerboats to wealthy patrons such as Henry Ford and William Randolph Hearst. The Detroit-area company became well known for its sleek racing boats in the 1910s and 1920s. The firm's name was changed in 1922 to Chris Smith & Sons Boat Company, then to Chris-Craft in 1924. In 1910, the brothers joined with other partners to form the Smith Ryan Boat Company. He soon began to build more boats and joined his brother Hank in 1881 to begin producing boats full-time. This was technically the start of the boat company.
His friends liked the way he built them, and they asked him to build them one. Years later, he built a duck hunting boat. History 1928 Chris-Craft Cadet 1945 Chris-Craft RunaboutĬhris Smith built his first wooden boat in 1874 at the age of 13. The current successor is Chris-Craft Corporation, which produces motorboats under the Chris-Craft name. The company was sold by the Smith family in 1960 to NAFI Corporation, which changed its name to Chris-Craft Industries in 1962. Outboard Marine Corporation (1989-2000)Ĭhris-Craft Boats was an American boats manufacturer founded by Christopher Columbus Smith (1861–1939).
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