Here is a 1940 Chris-Craft 17’ De Luxe Runabout, aptly nicknamed over the years as a “barrel back”. At least the former is the model name she began her life as, when delivered to Monroe, NY on July 12, 1940, evidenced by her build sheet on file at the Mariners Museum, New Port News, VA. Over three years, 1940-42, just 425 of this model were made at the plant in Algonac, MI. Additionally, unique to the 1940 model, are her deck’s orange pinstripping and very distinctive blue and cream-colored gauges. In the similar vein as the fate of many classic autos, for the last 30-plus years, she is now what might be classified, a “restomod”. The previous owner recounted that following one particular bone-jarring excursion, he decided to modify her by decking the fore cockpit, which meant, of course, the aft cockpit seat becoming the operational one. The resulting creation provides for improved planing, and reveals the very cool resemblance to the Chris-Craft 16’ Special Race Boat of that era, exhibiting the enhanced sweeping bow and sharing the same distinctive barrel back stern. She was repowered by a latter-50’s era KFL engine, boasting 131 HP. While actually not of overall show-judged standards, her 12 coats of Epifanes covers the works-of-art lines to such admirable appeal, that I could not resist branding her bare transom, “Sexy”. Observers approve at the annual Antique and Classic Boat Show of the Jerry Dyhrkopp Iowa Great Lakes chapter of ACBS. Comments and/or questions with email or phone contact are most welcome!