Between the 1960s and 1980s, Chris-Craft lost market share as competitors with less expensive manufacturing techniques, such as thinner fiberglass hulls, came on the scene.
Chris-Craft ended production of its last mahogany-hulled boat, the Constellation, in 1971.
Saving Chris-Craft...
The energy crisis of the early 1970's hit the recreational boating industry hard, and by the mid 1970's the Chris-Craft boat division was losing money.
The losses prompted the Chris-Craft Industries (Formerly Chris Craft Boat.s) chairman Herb Siegel to begin a search for someone to turn the boating division
around.
In 1978, Richard “Dick” Genth of Wellcraft was chosen for the job.
Dick left Wellcraft in 1978 to rebuild Chris-Craft and shortly after taking the job, Dick contacted Ernest J Schmidt, then Vice President of Sales at Hammond Boat, and offered him
the VP position at Chris-Craft.
As the former president of both Thunderbird Products/Formula and Wellcraft boat companies at one time, Dick Genth led both companies to profitability.
At Chris-Craft, Dick made major changes to bring the company back to profitability. He overhauled product lines, consolidated model production, sold excess inventory, and shut down other, less profitable boat lines.
Within 6 months of Dick's coming on-board, the Chris-Craft boating division produced a profit.
Genth was so good at what he did, Powerboat magazine considered him "the Lee Iacocca of the marine industry".
The History of the Lancer and its Stinger model.
Chris Craft planned to continue to develop, refine, and expand the Lancer line until Genth came on board and he scrapped the whole line in favor of the Scorpions.
The newly styled 17’ Lancer base model came with the Mercruiser 140 and was a basic runabout with lounger seats up front, jump seats in the back, and a fiberglass engine
box as all previous 17’s had since 1968. The Stinger however, had bucket seats and a bench in back with sunpad (a sign of things to come with the Scopions and XK models).
It also came standard with the 305 GLV V8 with Volvo Penta 280 Trans Drive. Research shows only 24 of these 17’ Lancer Stingers were made with one going to Puerto Rico and one to Hong Kong.
I’ve only seen two of these boats in the last five years anywhere on the Internet and I own one of them. Mine is number 9. It was recently purchased and will be undergoing a complete restoration
There is information that a Stinger version of the new 21’ Lancer was also offered in 1978. However, while the price sheets show a 21’ Lancer Stinger listed, the (very rare) brochure shows it as a Lancer 21’ cuddy.
Even that picture is only an artist rendering. I’m not sure if any were actually built. I have never seen one. I’ll be doing more research to confirm their existence.
Nowhere on the boat does it say “Stinger”, only in the factory literature.
Of all the Lancers built over a 12 year period, 1978 stands out as the most unique year producing the rarest of all Lancers.
Pictures of
My 1978 Lancer Stinger as she sits now...