The Largest Pleasure Boat Producers In The World – Not Who You Think.
I know many think that I am obsessed with Chris Craft here as the only brand in the classic boat universe. BUT, thats far far from the reality of the situation. I am obsessed with brands though and how they tick and how they talk about themselves. And today I learned something. Of course there are some of you that may already know this. My my university of ebay courses always surprise me. And yes I have read the entire Real Runabout Series by Bob Speltz. But how cool is this little brochure from ebay.
Here is kinda loosely what I found. The Detroit Boat Company was started in 1906 and in 1911 The Detroit Boat Co, was knocking out small motor pleasure boats. Canoes and Runabouts. They to saw the future. MOTOR BOATS! Not “motor boating” BTW, that came later. I did try and find out the origin of the term though for you and it’s unclear. But the proper term was used by the British navy in 1906. So there is that.
To add some perspective to this, Chris Smith in 1910, “the Smith brothers” joined with other partners to form the Smith Ryan Boat Company. The firm’s name was changed in 1922 to Chris Smith & Sons Boat Company, then to Chris-Craft in 1924.
The story that intrigues me here is how did Chris Craft blow up so large while someone else clearly had the jump on production. Product design, and amazing Marketing. Speed, Power and Sex appeal.
YOU CAN SHOP FOR THIS BROCHURE HERE ON EBAY think of it as a text book.
That is pretty cool and quite interesting! The things you learn here…!
A lot of good stuff came/comes from Michigan. I love the booklet cover with the Great Lakes freighter on the horizon!
Very interesting. I didn’t know that the Detroit Boat Co. was that big of a deal. All of Michigan had a lot of boat production in the 20th century.
What really amazes me is how those small launch type boats were used on the Great Lakes big water. Boaters back in the day had some big kohunas!
Forgot to mention that today is the anniversary of the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior. May her crew RIP!
Yes it is a sad Anniversary. 49 years. Any one who was around the Great Lakes in th 50s 60s or early 70s remembers her. One good thing. There hasn’t been a major disaster like that since. Let’s never forget her and her29 crewmen . As you said Greg may they RIP.
Greg, in hawaiian a Kahuna is an important person. You may have been thinking of a word in spanish for something else.
I have always found the terms Motorboat (Motorcar, Motorcycle, Motorhome, …) to be curious as a motor is “a machine that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy” while an engine is “a machine for converting thermal energy into mechanical energy”.
I do understand that many of the first boats (Launches) we electrically powered, so that my be how the term Motorboat originated. Besides it would be odd to call it an Engineboat.
What’s interesting is that they call it an “Automobile Boat”. That’s a contradiction of terms these days.
That was my other question, if anyone has seen one?
My other question was, when did Chris-Craft quit using Chris Smith and Sons because the plaque next to the steering wheel on my 1930 Chris Craft still says “Chris Smith & Sons” as I suspect Matt’s Model 99 does too.
The dash plaque and the engine hatch plaque on my 1931 Model 199 are both “Chris Craft”.
1930 Model 99. My dash plaque says both.
I get it! But…what about a car that uses both types of propulsion? We probably should car that a motor/engine car automobile.
It’s interesting to note that in all the early advertisements during the industrial revolution, the companies showing off the most amount of working smokestacks were deemed the most successful.
For as large as their brochure suggests, I find it odd that there is no mention of them elsewhere and that no remaining examples can be found in the membership listings. It certainly would not be the first time advertising got ahead of production.
Those ole guys were great marketers, sometimes not above board!
Kind of like today’s marketing departments.
Are we to actually believe these advertising claims even though one is to assume false claims were not that common back in the day? or were they.
I don’t see an address on here besides Detroit…anybody have a clue of the address and street…Would like to google where this was
I was looking at other ads that list an address as 136 Bellevue st, which would put it on the corner of Jefferson Ave near the belle Isle bridge. The company had an extremely short life (10 years?) it must have started with a merger of others and then got merged again under a new name?