The Shape of fins to come

By the mid-1950s the Chevrolet Corvette had broken the mould as the world’s first fibreglass volume production car and American “land yachts” were sprouting jet-age tail fins. Cue the 1955 Chris-Craft Cobra, as the world’s largest mahogany boatbuilder made its first foray into fibreglass.

Produced for one year only in 1955, the flamboyant Cobra with an outrageous fibreglass gold fin and engine cowl was a big mission statement, with its matching gold upholstery in its three-abreast cockpit. The hull, however, was still planked in mahogany in the traditional way.

Just 56 of the 21ft (6.4m) Cobras were produced, and 52 of the 18ft (5.5m) models, such as this six-cylinder example being oŽered at no reserve at Marshall, East Texas on 22-24 September in an auction that also includes vintage outboard motors. As an indication of value, the first production 18ft Cobra sold for $79,200 in 2020.

The Cobra was indeed the shape of things to come as by 1971 Chris-Craft had migrated entirely to fibreglass production.