Chris Craft
Chris Craft
The attraction of these boats is their
lines. Every Barrel back
, from the smallest to the largest, has a distinctive silhouette that almost
always draws admiring glances.
It has been copied but never duplicated. The
Chris Craft Barrel back
remains one of 20th Century boating's true icons.
In 1940, Chris-Craft
introduced a new hull style called the "barrel back". Fifty plus years
later it is among the most highly coveted of the famed Chris-Craft's,
The decade of the thirties showed a
tremendous growth in the company despite the market crash of 1929. However, in
1939, Chris Smith succumbed to an illness which had begun to affect him years
before. The death of Chris-Craft did not deter the growth of the company. During
the Forties, especially the war years of '42 to '45, Chris Craft produced over
12,000 LCPR (Landing Craft Personnel Raft) for the Army.98 other pleasure craft
were also produced. During this time, the "Barrel-Back" style was introduced.
With its pointed bow, and curved transom, created a sleek look that took the
market by storm. The post-war economic boom at Chris-Craft was felt in
increasing sales for the new product lines.
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