Before Magnum 1958-1965

The beginnings of the American high-performance, deep-vee boat building industry are said to have started in 1958, when Dick Bertram first discovered Ray Hunt’s new deep-vee boat at the America Cup Trials. In his book, “The deep-vee Story”, Dick Bertram writes: “Other boats (powerboats) had vee bottoms before, but the vee and the deadrise (the…

The Beginnings 1966-1968

In 1966 Don Aronow, now offshore champion and boat builder, built himself a new 27′ race boat, which he named “Maltese Magnum”. The boat became World Champion and Don Aronow built a small factory to build more boats just like it: Magnum Marine was founded. Don Aronow built his new factory on NE 188th Street…

The Apeco Years 1968-1976

Clayton Rautboard from Chicago owned a very profitable photocopy company called Apeco, but his real passion was boat racing. He therefore bought Magnum Marine from Don Aronow in 1968. Apeco soon dropped the Missile and Marauder lines, which were not profitable, and continued building only the Magnum 27′ and Magnum 35′. Sales were strong. Apeco…

FILIPPO THEODOLI 1976-1990

In 1976, Apeco sold Magnum Marine to Marchese Filippo Theodoli and his wife Katrin. This brought major change into the production line. Filippo had the innovative idea of transforming the race boat into a high performance luxury yacht, combining sea worthiness of the race boat with the luxurious accommodations and comforts of a yacht, which…

MAGNUM MARINE TODAY 1990-Today

In 1990 Filippo Theodoli died, leaving the Magnum boatyard to his wife Katrin. Because Katrin loved Magnum, because she felt an enormous responsibility towards all those who had been working with Magnum for so many years, and lastly because she was irked and challenged by being told that no woman could ever run a boat…

THE MILITARY

The image of Magnum is one of a great lifestyle in the sun, but there is also a serious side to the business that involves the military. The very qualities of Magnum boats that allow them to make passages in conditions when the prudent seaman stays in harbor makes the Magnum boats appeal to the…