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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