Elco

Elco Motor Yachts is a United States boat building and electric motor company that has operated since 1893. Elco first made its mark at the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago with the introduction of its electric motor launch. In 1899, the Electric Boat Company acquired Elco as a subsidiary and built a new boatyard in Bayonne, New Jersey.

During World War I, the company built five hundred and eighty 80-foot submarine chasers for the British Admiralty, and 448 110-foot submarine chasers and 284 boats of other types for the US Navy. Between the wars, it introduced a popular 26’ leisure yacht called a Cruisette. The success of the Cruisette led Elco to develop larger motor yachts from 30’ to 57’. During World War II, Elco formed the Elco Naval Division in Bayonne, New Jersey. Nearly 400 Elco PT boats were produced for the U.S. Navy, including PT-109 of JFK fame. At the end of the war, the company merged with its sister company, Electric Boat, and by 1949 began to focus primarily on government contracts for submarines. Today, Elco is located on the Hudson River in New York and produces hand-crafted replicas of its classic launches, as well as collection of electric motors.