Then Chris Craft president Dick Genth started putting MerCrusier's in a new line of Chris Craft sport boats in the late 70's. They were called Scorpions. They were made on the west coast of Florida in Bradenton, and competed against Wellcraft and Sea Ray. In a cost cutting move, Genth closed the Pompano Beach plant, and actually had Chris Craft in the black before Murray bought the licensing rights and assets in the early 80's. The demise of Murray Chris Craft was a result of the Murray/Genth divorce, a risky real estate investment by Murray that went bad, and Murray selling part of Murray Chris Craft to a Arab businessman who was involved in the BCCI scandal in the early 90's.
|