Jan-Feb 2003

This is a good question and it should be very informative to the readers.

Due to the fact that I was born in 1945, I can only relate the values to that of automobiles.

In 1957, my father bought a Chevrolet 4-door station wagon 210 series with a 283 V-8, automatic transmission, power steering and a radio and heater. It cost him @ $2,200.00. I have in my hands, a Chris Craft 1956 price schedule. They list a 1956, 17 ft. sportsman utility with the deluxe package and a model "K" six at $2,730.00. So we can see that a boat from Chris Craft would probably be equal in price with a Pontiac of the same year. A 1951 price schedule has the same 17 Ft. sportsman at $2,519.00. So, we can assume from that, the Chris Crafts were less money than a Hacker and more money than a Century.

I just got off the telephone with our local Chevrolet dealer, who priced a 02003 Chevrolet Monte Carol with average equipment. The price "out the door" is about $20,000.00. With that in mind and rounding the prices then on a vintage boat at $2,750.00, the price of the new car at $20,000.00 today ~ we are talking about approximately $.13 on the dollar. Still, this depends on equipment installed.

But, on the other hand, a 17 Ft cosmetically restored sportsman will bring somewhere between $16,500.00 and $18,500. So you have a better value today than you did in 1956. But on the same hand, if you totally remake a sportsman with a totally rebuilt model "k" Hercules, a West System/5200 bottom, new upholstery and 80% of the wood replaced, all re-chroming performed, gauges restored and new windshield; your investment would be totally out of sight. In some cases, you could purchase a replica boat for less money than some professional total restorations.

Now the values I stated above were for one of the cheapest planked mahogany utilities. If we change gears a little, a 1952 19 Ft. Chris Craft racing runabout would cost $3,450.00 with a MBL 1958 horsepower Hercules. No longer can we compare it to a Chevrolet automobile because in 1952 prices, it was almost three (3) times the cost of a Chevrolet. But then again, it falls in line a little over ten cents on the dollar. I looked up Lou Rauh's "Antique Boat Center", he had three available; two with original power priced at $37,900.00 and one with new power at $44,900.00.

For the interest of our readers, I am including price lists for 1951, 1952 and 1956. Inflation sure was not a factor.

Jack McCarthy