Chris-Craft:1946 to 1960, From Wartime to NAFI

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In 1946, Chris Craft reentered civilian boat manufacturing operations after completing government contracts during the war. The post war baby boom years had begun, housing starts were skyrocketing, and Chris-Craft quickly geared up for fast-growing interest in powerboating. Growing to over 150 models in the lineup, the decade to follow marked the height of company prestige. From budget-conscious families to Hollywood's celebrities, the name Chris-Craft became virtually synonymous with pleasure boating. The company sold high-end boats to famous stars such as Dean Martin, Katharine Hepburn, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley. Their boats were often made from the finest mahogany, and were considered to be among the best available. In many circles, owning a Chris-Craft was considered the ultimate status symbol.

By the 1957 Chris-Craft had established a Kit Boat Division (build-it-yourself boat kits), the Sea Skiff Division (lapstrake construction), Cavalier Division (plywood construction), and in 1955, purchased the Roamer Boat Company (welded steel and aluminum cruisers) of Holland, Michigan.

Also by 1957, Chris-Craft ventured into new territory—fiber reinforced plastic construction—better known as fiberglass. Chris-Craft had been experimenting with this new material on cabin roofs, Cobras fins, engine enclosures, and other parts. These experiments reinforced what the company already knew— that working with fiberglass was much different than working with wood. Many of the company veterans looked at this new material with disdain, and factories had to be retooled to accommodate this new method of construction. Arguably, with a certain amount of internal resistance, Chris-Craft lagged behind their competitors in the use of fiberglass on entire hulls.

Possibly, to accelerate the transition to 'glass, the company acquired Lake ’n Sea Boat Corporation of Boca Raton, Florida. Lake ’n Sea offered a turnkey thrust into fiberglass hull manufacturing, as they already had a factory, and experience in working with fiberglass. Unfortunately the Lake 'n Sea venture was a debacle, and Chris-Craft quickly divested itself of the company.

Not long after, the extended Smith family entertained a buyout offer from National Automotive Fibers Incorporated, and by 1960 transitioned ownership of Chris-Craft from tightly held, family ownership to corporate ownership. The company was then renamed Chris-Craft Industries, Incorporated.


[edit] References

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