The Excitement of the 27′
Filippo introduced the Magnum 27 to Europe and in 1972 he also imported a smaller version, the Magnum 25. The Magnum 25 was dropped from the production line a few years later, but the Magnum 27 became as popular in Europe and the Mediterranean as in the US.
The original 27’ became the backbone of Magnum Marine in the 60s and early 70s. “It was a very important boat because of its race heritage,” says Lee Wangstad, a marine historian.
“It was the hottest thing out there. It will always be a highly collectible boat.” “The Magnum 27 is to me,” writes owner Aaron Hatz, “the purest form of offshore speedboat.”
It was this formula of tough and reliable fast boats that had been proven in competition that made it easy to convince the public that a Magnum was the boat of choice when they wanted to enjoy the thrills of high speed on the water for pleasure. It was a powerboat that people could buy with confidence, knowing that it came with a heritage of winning world championships, and with a toughness and reliability that became legendary.
Yachting also appealed to Katrin Schnyder, a young Swiss woman who had recently completed her PhD in History at the University of Bologna, and who was now working in her father’s international business in Frankfurt, Zurich, and Milan. In the summer of 1971, she joined a girlfriend who owned a small house in Porto Ercole, for a holiday by the sea. While there, her friend suggested that they go and take a ride on the new Magnum, which Filippo had just brought into port. Katrin met Filippo and saw and tested her first Magnum; she fell in love with both.