Custom Chris-Craft Silver Arrow
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| Make | Custom |
|---|---|
| Model | Chris-Craft Silver Arrow |
| Year | 1959 |
| Condition | Used |
| Price | £49,500 |
| Type | Power |
| Class | Antique and Classic (Power) |
| Length | 19 ft |
| Fuel Type | Gas |
| Hull Material | Composite |
| Location | Poole, Dorset, United Kingdom |
| Tax Status | Tax Paid |
| LOA | 18 ft 9 in |
|---|---|
| Beam | 6 ft 5 in |
| Min. Draft | 1 ft 8 in |
| Displacement | 1270 kg |
| Engine Type | Inboard |
|---|---|
| Engine Make | Chrysler/Chris-Craft |
| Engine Model | 318 |
| Fuel Type | Gas |
| Engine Year | 1959 |
| Power | 210 hp |
| Drive Type | Direct Drive |
| Propeller Type | 3 Blade |
| Propeller Material | Bronze |
| Builder | Chris-Craft |
|---|---|
| Hull Shape | Deep Vee |
Description
This Chris-Craft Silver Arrow is a striking example of a craft that embodies the optimism and change of its time — as the world moved from post-war austerity toward the swinging sixties. Ostentation became the order of the day, alongside an embrace of new technologies. The future was arriving fast — America had launched its first artificial satellite just a year before this boat was built! American builders and engineers were experimenting with new materials and bold styling, and the Chris-Craft Silver Arrow is a perfect product of that spirit.
"Lady Penelope" offers the chance to own a piece of boating history. The Silver Arrow was one of the first boats to bridge the gap between traditional wooden construction and the emerging world of GRP. In fact, she is a true hybrid: a spruce-planked hull overlaid with a fiberglass skin. Only around a hundred were ever built, as the composite construction proved too costly for Chris-Craft to produce in volume — making the Silver Arrow a rare and cherished entry in the annals of boatbuilding.
It wasn’t just the construction that made the Silver Arrow special. She features a medium-V hull with lifting strakes, delivering a smoother ride and sharper handling than many of her predecessors. Powered by a Chrysler/Chris-Craft V8, she was capable of a thrilling 30 knots.
"Lady Penelope" underwent a full hull restoration in 2022, when she was stripped back to her wooden planks, resheathed with new fiberglass and epoxy, and repainted in her original pink Awlgrip finish. Her engine was rebuilt in 2025, with the block re-bored, new pistons fitted, the crankshaft polished and re-shelled, and a new carburetor installed.
This Chris-Craft Silver Arrow is a true head-turner — a rare, glamorous survivor from an era when style, speed, and optimism ruled the waves.
Construction and Dimensions
Spruce hull with GRP outer skin
Rebuild in 2022 saw the removal of the outer coatings back to the wooden hull when it was inspected and renovated as necessary. The hull was reskinned with fibreglass (from gunwhale to gunwhale), faired and finished with epoxy. Sprayed back to her original pink with AwlGrp.
APPROXIMATE DIMENSIONS:
Length overall: 5.7m (18'9")
Beam: 1.96m (6'5")
Draft: 0.5m (20")
Displacement: 1,270kg (2,800lb)
TRAILER:
4 wheel braked road trailer
Machinery
Chrysler/Chris-Craft 318 V8 210hp petrol engine
5.2 litre motor with raw water cooling
Maximum speed: 30 knots approx
Rebored in 2025 with new pistons
Crankshaft polished and re-shelled in 2025
New carburettor in 2025
Owner's Comments
"Lady Penelope" is a boat that refuses to go unnoticed. Built in 1959, she is one of fewer than a hundred Chris-Craft Silver Arrows ever produced. This rare model marked Chris-Craft’s bold leap into the future, combining a spruce-planked hull with a pioneering fiberglass skin.
Ours is even more special. Delivered new through Arthur Bray of Poole, she is widely believed to have been commissioned for Lady Norah Docker — the glamorous, headline-making socialite whose taste for mink-trimmed Daimlers and champagne lifestyles defined a generation. Her original factory pink finish would certainly have suited Lady Docker’s flair for the dramatic.
Wherever she appears, Lady Penelope draws a crowd. She turns heads, sparks conversations, and captures the optimism of a time when style, speed, and glamour ruled the waves. Owning her is less like having a boat — and more like having a piece of living, floating history.
Disclaimer
The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.
